1958 Map of Charleston West

About this map

The Naval Ordnance Plant stands as a prominent industrial landmark on the southern bank of the Kanawha River, anchoring a landscape where heavy industry and residential expansion meet the steep terrain of the Appalachians. By the late 1950s, the urban footprints of Charleston, South Charleston, and Dunbar were well-defined, linked by the New York Central and Chesapeake and Ohio railroads. While the riverfront is dominated by infrastructure like the Sewage Disposal and Recreation Center, the southern half of the map reveals a different character. Here, narrow hollows such as Shrewsbury Hollow and Polly Hollow wind through the ridges toward the protected acreage of the Kanawha State Forest. Small rural settlements and institutions like Ivydale, Loudendale, and the Midkiff Sch illustrate the persistent community life in the hills just beyond the city's industrial edge.