1902 Map of Mercersburg

About this map

Mercersburg and its surrounding townships in Franklin County are captured here at a moment of transition between 19th-century furnace industry and an established agricultural landscape. The terrain is defined by the steep parallel ridges of Cove Mountain and North Mountain, which create the long, narrow valleys characteristic of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians. Industrial history is evident at Richmond Furnace and Franklin Furnace, nodes that speak to the region's early iron production. The Cumberland Valley RR and the Southern Pennsylvania BR are prominent, providing the essential transport links that connected settlements like Lemaster and St. Thomas to wider markets. Roads such as the McConnellsburg Chambersburg and Gettysburg Pike cross the gaps, following ancient paths through the mountains to McConnellsburg. Trace the winding course of the West Branch Conococheague Creek as it flows past Markes and Fort Louden.