1924 Map of Durbin

About this map

Durbin stands as a vital rail junction where the Chesapeake and Ohio R R meets the Western Maryland R R, serving as the industrial heart of the Greenbank district. This early 1920s survey illustrates a landscape defined by its high-altitude ridges and narrow river valleys, where the Staunton and Parkersburg Pike crosses the treacherous Back Allegheny Mountain. The settlement pattern follows the waterways, with small communities like Huttonsville and Mill Creek established along the Tygart River. Education was clearly a priority for these remote timber and farming outposts, as evidenced by a dense network of country schools including the Donley Run School, Swecker Ridge School, and Cherry Grove School. The presence of the Burner Settlement and Nottingham P O Boyer Sta highlights the localized nature of commerce and mail delivery in the rugged Allegheny highlands before modern highway expansion.