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1957 Map of Charleston East

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Charleston East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The Kanawha River serves as the industrial and civic spine of this West Virginia landscape, winding past the Capitol and the sprawling Kanawha City district. During the late 1950s and into the early 1970s, the region saw significant infrastructure growth, highlighted by the West Virginia Turnpike (Toll Road) and the expansion of the Kanawha Airport atop the leveled hills. The riverbanks are a dense corridor of transportation and commerce, where the Chesapeake and Ohio RR and New York Central RR flank the water, supporting communities like Malden and Dupont City.

Away from the industrial valley, the topography rises sharply into narrow hollows such as Clover Hollow and Crouch Hollow. These areas are dotted with local landmarks, including the Spring Hill Cemetery and institutional sites like Morris Harvey College and Hillcrest Sanitarium. The map documents a period of suburban transition, where urban boundaries press into the surrounding Elk and Loudon districts, while the southern edge touches the Kanawha State Forest.