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1959 Map of Hartwell Dam

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Hartwell Dam
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Hartwell Dam stands as the defining engineering landmark on this late 1950s survey, capturing the transformative era when the Savannah River was being harnessed for the Hartwell Reservoir. The map illustrates the impending landscape shift, with dashed lines marking the U.S. Reservation Boundary and blue hatching indicating areas destined to be submerged. This period of transition is starkly visible as the rising waters began to redraw the borders between Georgia and South Carolina.

Away from the rising water, the rural character of Hart and Elbert counties remains preserved through a network of small communities and country churches. The settlement of Montevideo and Cokesbury serve as local anchors, while numerous houses of worship including St James Ch, Beulah Ch, and Sardis Ch dot the landscape. Notable terrain features like Derritt Island and Greens Island sit within the river channel, while industrial activity is noted at a local Quarry and Strip Mine, reflecting the traditional land use before the reservoir's full expansion.