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1921 Map of Newport News

Name: 1921 Topographic Map of Newport News
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1941
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1941

About this map

Hampton Roads and its surrounding tidewater communities are depicted here just after the first World War, showcasing a landscape heavily defined by military and maritime infrastructure. The intersection of the James River, Elizabeth River, and Nansemond River creates a complex network of waterways that served as the lifeline for Newport News, Norfolk, and Portsmouth. Significant wartime developments are prominent, including Camp Stuart, the Navy Base, and the Pig Point Ordnance Depot.

The survey captures the area's transition into a modern naval hub while retaining many rural features on the peninsula's fringes, such as Jolliff School and the small settlement at Yadkin. Extensive rail networks including the Seaboard Air Line and Norfolk and Western converge on the deepwater ports, while a complex system of ferries and steamboat routes links the points of Old Point Comfort and Willoughby Beach. This detailed snapshot reveals the harbor's strategic evolution and the industrial footprint of the Ship Yard at the dawn of the 1920s.