1954 Map of Mathias Point

About this map

Military reservations and rural riverfront settlements dominate this mid-century survey where the Port Tobacco River meets the Potomac River. The southern reaches of Charles County are defined by the sprawling Blossom Point Proving Grounds and the US Reservation Cedar Point, highlighting the Cold War era's defensive footprint along the Chesapeake's tributaries. Inland, the landscape is sparsely dotted with small communities like Welcome and McConchie, connected by winding roads that lead toward the tidal marshes of Nanjemoy Creek. Across the water, the prominent hook of Mathias Pt and the Mathias Point Neck reach into the Potomac, marking the boundary between Maryland and Virginia. This sheet captures a specific moment in the river's history, showing the positioning of lights, buoys, and landing points like Warehouse Pt and Chapel Point before more modern shoreline developments altered these historic tidewater reaches.