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1955 Map of Harpers Ferry

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Harpers Ferry
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Harpers Ferry National Monument stands as a central landmark in this mid-century survey, capturing a pivotal moment in the preservation of this tri-state junction. The confluence of the Potomac River and Shenandoah River creates a dramatic focal point where the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal parallel the water. The map documents the intricate topography of Elk Ridge and South Mountain, with the Appalachian Trail winding across the high ground of Loudoun Heights and Maryland Heights.

Smaller settlements and rural infrastructure provide deep local detail, from the industrial imprint of Garretts Mill to the residential clusters at Sandy Hook and Knoxville. Genealogists will find value in the specific placement of country churches such as New Jerusalem Ch and St Pauls Ch. The landscape is a complex network of ridges and runs, including Piney Run and Israel Creek, reflecting the established agricultural and transport patterns of the mid-1950s.