1950 Map of Damascus

About this map

Damascus sits at the high-elevation center of this 1950 Maryland survey, where the headwaters of several major drainage systems converge. The map documents the rural character of the region before late-twentieth-century suburbanization, showing a landscape defined by scattered agricultural settlements such as Kemptown, Browningsville, and Etchison. In the northern section, the Baltimore and Ohio RR cuts through the terrain near Mount Airy and Ridgeville, marking the vital rail corridor connecting the area to larger markets. The hydrology of the region is particularly detailed, tracing the origins of the Patuxent River and Great Seneca Creek, along with smaller tributaries like Bennett Creek and Fahrney Branch. This edition serves as a precise record of the road networks and farmsteads that once dominated the borders of Frederick, Carroll, Howard, and Montgomery Counties, including distinctive landmarks like the geological formation at Annapolis Rock.