2019 Map of Zirconia

About this map

Lake Summit and the North Saluda Reservoir dominate the hydrology of this borderland, where the Saluda Mountains define the boundary between North Carolina and South Carolina. The settlement of Tuxedo sits near the headwaters of the Green River, surrounded by several historic congregations and their associated burial grounds, including the Zirconia Missionary Baptist Church Cem and Mount Olivet Baptist Church Cem. Further south, the terrain becomes increasingly complex as it descends toward the South Carolina line near Gap Creek and Terry Creek. This 2019 survey documents a landscape where small, family-named landmarks like Hagood - Hightower Family Cem and the Ward Family Cem persist alongside modern infrastructure. The map illustrates how local topography influenced the placement of early settlements like Flat Rock and Zirconia, which were established relative to the winding river valleys and ridge lines of the Blue Ridge foothills.