1959 Map of Hartwell Dam

About this map

The Savannah River defines the border between Georgia and South Carolina, anchoring this landscape during the mid-century creation of Lake Hartwell. The completion of the Hartwell Dam transformed the local geography, inundating valleys once drained by Generostee Creek and Cedar Creek. While the newly formed lake dominates the northwest, the southern portion of the map remains a rural landscape of ridges and creeks, centered around the settlement of Montevideo. Numerous country churches and burial grounds, such as Beulah Cem Ch and Cokesbury Ch, are scattered throughout the hills, providing valuable landmarks for family history research. This map captures the region in transition as it moved from a strictly riverine and agricultural economy to one shaped by large-scale hydroelectric development and recreation, while preserving the footprints of older communities like Sardis Ch and Flat Rock Ch.