1976 Map of Pennington Gap

About this map

The North Fork Powell River carves through the landscape of Lee County during the mid-1970s, anchoring the primary settlement of Pennington Gap. This orthophotoquad, produced from aerial photography by the Commonwealth of Virginia Division of Mineral Resources, reveals the intricate relationship between the mountainous topography and the corridor of human activity that follows the valley floor. Steep ridgelines separate narrow hollows where communities like Bonny Blue and St Charles developed, largely defined by the drainage patterns of Straight Creek and Stone Creek. The map provides an overhead view of the region's industrial and residential footprint, showing the density of structures along the valley floors near Dizney and the crossing waters of the Clover Fk Cumberland River. The visual data highlights the sharp contrast between the densely forested slopes and the cleared land concentrated along the riverbanks and creeks.