1944 Map of Norfolk South

About this map

The Elizabeth River and its numerous branches dominate this 1944 wartime view of the Tidewater region, illustrating the intense concentration of military and maritime activity in Norfolk and Portsmouth. Extensive US Naval Reservation areas and the prominent US Naval Hospital highlight the strategic importance of the harbor. The landscape is a complex network of industrial rail lines, including the Seaboard Air Line and the Norfolk & Portsmouth Belt Line, which connect waterfront terminals to inland neighborhoods like Craddock and Alexander Park. To the south, the terrain shifts toward the northern fringes of the Dismal Swamp, where the Southern Branch of the river snakes past Gilmerton. This survey captures the region at a peak of industrialization, showing the dense residential blocks of Berkley and South Norfolk alongside sprawling cemeteries like Elmwood Cem and Cedar Grove Cem.