1973 Map of West Point

About this map

The confluence of two major waterways forms the center of activity on this 1973 orthophoto map, where the Mattaponi River and the Pamunkey River merge to create the broad York River. At this strategic point sits the town of West Point, a settlement whose development is closely tied to the surrounding waters and wetlands. This aerial perspective, captured in April 1973, reveals a landscape defined by sharp contrasts between geometric agricultural fields, dense woodlands, and the organic, winding curves of the river systems. The town itself appears as a concentrated grid of development along the peninsula, with clear industrial and transportation infrastructure visible along its waterfronts. This document provides a direct visual record of Virginia's Tidewater region before later twentieth-century expansions, showing the precise relationship between the historic riverfront and the inland forests.