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1973 Map of Southwest Durham

Name: 1973 Topographic Map of Southwest Durham
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1987
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1987

About this map

Duke University and North Carolina Central University anchor the urban landscape of southwest Durham, as it transitioned into a major academic and technological hub during the mid-1970s and 1980s. The map illustrates the southward expansion of the city toward the newly establishing Research Triangle Park and the vast waters of B Everett Jordan Lake. The documentation of academic infrastructure is extensive, including campuses for Durham Technical Institute and Durham College, alongside numerous community landmarks like Maplewood Cemetery and Lyon Park School.

Beyond the city grid, the landscape follows the corridors of New Hope Creek and Third Fork Creek, where established neighborhoods like Keene and Lowes Grove sit near the tracks of the Norfolk Southern and Southern railroads. The map records the emergence of suburban developments alongside rural holdouts like Massey Chapel Cem and Blands, providing a detailed record of the region's rapid development before the turn of the century.