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1956 Map of Falls Church

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Falls Church
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

The Potomac River corridor dominates this mid-century landscape, serving as a boundary between Maryland and Virginia while hosting the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. To the south, the rapid post-war expansion of Northern Virginia is evident in the sprawling residential developments surrounding the City of Falls Church and McLean. This era represents a significant transformation of formerly rural Fairfax County into a suburban engine, yet traces of an older agricultural past remain in labels for Fawcett Farms and Swinks Mill.

Transportation networks such as the Washington and Old Dominion RR and the George Washington Memorial Parkway illustrate the area's evolving mobility. Educational and community institutions are densely mapped, including the Madeira School, Marymount Jr College, and numerous local landmarks like Odricks Corner and Shiloh Ch. The northern portion remains notably greener, characterized by the US Naval Reservation David Taylor Model Basin and several large country clubs.