1952 Map of Upper Zion

About this map

The A P Hill Military Reservation dominates the landscape of Caroline and Essex counties, where the Army Map Service and USGS documented a network of rural settlements and specialized military infrastructure. The map reveals the early postwar configuration of the reservation, with numbered routes like Reservation Road 18 and Reservation Road 19 bisecting the terrain. Outside the military boundaries, traditional community life is anchored by family-named landmarks and rural congregations, including Enon Church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and Salem Church. The placement of these institutions alongside local centers like Brandywine, Naulakla, and Upper Zion reflects a transition period where federal land acquisition for the reservation intersected with long-standing Virginia hamlets. Genealogists will find significant value in the documentation of scattered burial grounds such as Eagles Nest Cemetery and Rollins Cemetery, often located near crossroads like Hickory Fork and Liberty Fork.