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1939 Map of Waynesboro

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Waynesboro
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

Waynesboro serves as the industrial and transportation hub of the Shenandoah Valley in this late 1930s survey, where the Norfolk And Western and Chesapeake And Ohio railroads intersect. The map documents a landscape defined by traditional valley agriculture and significant early industry, such as the Crimora Mine located near the base of the Blue Ridge mountains. Educational and institutional landmarks are prominent, including the Augusta Military Academy at Fort Defiance and the District Home located near the South River.

Transit through the mountain gaps is a central theme, evidenced by the Blue Ridge Tunnel and the Appalachian Trail winding along the ridge crest near Rockfish Gap. To the north and west, established rural communities like New Hope, Hermitage, and Fishersville are connected by the Jefferson Highway. This period also marks the early development of the Skyline Drive as it enters Shenandoah National Park, contrasting the rising recreational use of the mountains with the established timber and mining operations in the George Washington National Forest.