1944 Map of Chester

About this map

Chester serves as a central hub in this mid-century survey, where the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line railroads converge amidst a landscape defined by plantation-era naming and early aviation infrastructure. The presence of an Airway Beacon near Redwater Lake signals the modernization of the corridor between Richmond and Petersburg. To the south, the village of Colonial Heights is anchored by the winding course of Swift Creek, while the eastern boundary is shaped by the dramatic bend of the James River (Old Channel) around Farrar Island. Rural life is meticulously documented through numerous country churches and schools, such as Zion Ch and Centralia Sch, along with small communities like Pickadat Corner and Walthall. The map reveals a transition from traditional tobacco-country roads like Woodpecker Road to the major thoroughfare of the Jefferson Davis Highway.