1954 Map of Zirconia

About this map

The Saluda Mountains define this borderland where North Carolina meets South Carolina, a region marked by steep relief and a burgeoning mid-century recreation landscape. Lake Summit serves as a focal point for the northern half of the sheet, surrounded by seasonal retreats and youth camps like Camp Greystone and Camp Noahs Ark. The Southern railroad line parallels the Green River, supporting industrial features such as a Power Plant and Surge Tank. In the southern portion of the quadrangle, the North Fork Saluda River winds past the community of Merrittsville and along the Dixie Highway. This 1954 edition, based on earlier surveys by the Tennessee Valley Authority and the USGS, documents a transition from traditional rural life—evidenced by Mountain Valley Cem and Mount Olivet Ch—to a period of hydroelectric development and early regional tourism.