1950 Map of Gaithersburg

About this map

Gaithersburg and the neighboring community of Washington Grove serve as the primary hubs in this mid-century portrait of Montgomery County. The area’s geography is defined by the dendritic drainage of Great Seneca Creek and its many tributaries like Wildcat Branch and Goshen Branch, which carve through the terrain between small upland settlements. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad corridor facilitates movement through the southern section of the map, passing through Metropolitan Grove and Clopper. Rural life is anchored by dispersed landmarks such as the Brookgrove Sch, the St Marys Home church, and several smaller crossroad communities including Stewart Town, Prathertown, and Laytonsville. This survey captures the landscape just before the intense suburban expansion of the later 20th century, showing a pattern of small towns and family-named locales connected by winding roads and wooded stream valleys.