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1956 Map of Charlottesville

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Charlottesville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

Charlottesville and the University of Virginia anchor the southeastern corner of this mid-century landscape, where the Piedmont meets the rising Blue Ridge Mountains. To the west, the Shenandoah Valley serves as a corridor of settlement and transport, connecting Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro via the U.S. Highway 11 and the Norfolk and Western Railway. The map reveals the sophisticated network of early mountain tourism and conservation, highlighting the winding path of Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park and the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Rockfish Gap.

Beyond the valley, the terrain transitions into the high ridges of the Allegheny Mountains, featuring prominent landmarks like Spruce Knob and Bald Knob. This region is defined by deep forest tracts within the George Washington National Forest and Monongahela National Forest, where smaller settlements such as Monterey and Marlinton are tied to the drainages of the Greenbrier River and Jackson River. The survey also documents the extensive rail infrastructure of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which were vital to the industrial and agricultural output of these Appalachian corridors.