1949 Map of Laurel

About this map

The Middle Patuxent River and Little Patuxent River converge near Savage, where the landscape is defined by the heavy footprint of mid-century government and institutional growth. The extensive Fort George G Meade Military Reservation dominates the eastern section, while the sprawling Beltsville Research Center and the Ordnance Laboratory reflect the region's increasing importance to federal science and defense. This 1949 survey captures the transition of Howard and Prince George’s counties from a network of small crossroads like Scaggsville and Vansville into a critical corridor of specialized infrastructure.