1948 Map of Spesutie

About this map

Aberdeen Proving Ground dominates the western shoreline of this 1948 military-to-civilian conversion survey, revealing the specialized infrastructure of the post-war installation. The map documents an auto test course, an abandoned airport, and large gas tanks tucked behind Brier Point. Across the Spesutie Narrows, reached via the Spesutie Island Bridge, Spesutie Island itself is characterized by extensive marshland and scattered observation towers. This area sits at the critical confluence where the Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge meets the open waters of the Chesapeake Bay. To the east, the rural character of Grove Neck stands in contrast, centered on the small settlement of Grove and the long stretch of Grove Neck Road leading toward the Sassafras River.