{"product_id":"old-map-of-potomac-maryland-by-usgs-1951-rockville-great-falls-park-c-o-canal","title":"Old Map of Potomac, Maryland by USGS, 1951 – Rockville, Great Falls Park \u0026 C\u0026O Canal","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1951 from survey data gathered that same year, the map titled “Cresaptown” offers a finely measured 1:24,000 view of Potomac, Maryland, and its surrounding landscape. It captures a region poised between rural inheritance and postwar transformation, with roads, waterways, settlements, and relief rendered in the disciplined visual language of mid-century American topography. Potomac appears as the principal geographic anchor, while nearby Rockville, Cabin John, and other communities situate the sheet within the expanding metropolitan orbit of Washington, D.C. The map’s historical value lies in its moment: a 1951 snapshot of a landscape before later waves of suburban development reshaped fields, lanes, stream valleys, and village centers into the modern fabric of Montgomery County.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the precision and authority that made its quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, geologists, hikers, and historians. Founded to document the nation’s terrain and natural resources, the USGS combined field survey, triangulation, elevation measurement, and standardized cartographic design into a remarkably legible portrait of place. Here, contour lines articulate the rise and fall of hills and valleys, while light brown tonal work gives the land a subtle sculptural quality. Red lines identify roads and built features, emphasizing the contrast between natural form and human intervention. The result is both scientific instrument and historical artwork: a map that communicates elevation, access, settlement, drainage, and distance with elegant economy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe human geography of the map is especially compelling. Potomac is shown not as the densely developed residential enclave it would later become, but as part of a broader landscape of roads, waterways, and dispersed settlement. Rockville appears as a significant nearby center, already positioned along routes that would support continued growth. Maryland Route 355, one of the region’s important north-south corridors, and Maryland Route 190, tying Potomac toward the river and Washington’s western approaches, help reveal the transportation skeleton of mid-century Montgomery County. Cabin John, commercial pockets, residential clusters, and smaller unnamed features give the sheet a granular historical texture, allowing the viewer to trace how communities were connected before later highways and subdivisions altered the region’s rhythm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNatural and historic landmarks enrich the composition. Great Falls Park and the dramatic Potomac River gorge evoke one of the most powerful landscapes near the nation’s capital, where rushing water, rocky bluffs, and wooded slopes create a striking counterpoint to the measured order of the map. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal appears as a historic corridor of commerce and engineering, tracing the river and recalling the era when mule-drawn canal boats carried coal, lumber, and agricultural goods toward Georgetown. Little Falls, Horsey Mountain, and numerous unnamed streams add further topographic nuance, their contours and channels showing how water shaped settlement patterns, road alignments, and the enduring character of the terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, this 1951 USGS map preserves a pivotal chapter in the story of Maryland’s Potomac region. It records a landscape still deeply legible through its natural features—stream valleys, wooded ridges, river corridors, and rolling uplands—yet increasingly defined by roads, residential growth, and the gravitational pull of the capital. Its clean cartographic style makes visible the interplay between environment and development: routes follow ridges and valleys, settlements gather near crossings and corridors, and the Potomac River remains both boundary and landmark. For collectors, historians, and admirers of American cartography, the map offers more than geographic information; it is an elegant mid-century record of place, change, and the enduring beauty of measured landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCresaptown, Maryland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePotomac, Maryland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRockville, Maryland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCabin John, Maryland\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHorsey Mountain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreat Falls Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eC\u0026amp;O Canal \/ Chesapeake and Ohio Canal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLittle Falls\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaryland Route 190\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaryland Route 355\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMultiple unnamed streams and waterways\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious residential and commercial areas within Potomac and surrounding regions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1951.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical 1:24,000 topographical map showing Potomac, Maryland and surrounding areas.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced based on survey data from 1951.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe U.S. Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the U.S. government that documents natural resources, natural hazards, and the landscape of the United States.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures contour lines to show elevation changes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses color shading to depict topographical variation, including light brown tones for elevations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRed lines denote roads and other human-made features.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows terrain features such as valleys, hills, and bodies of water.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReflects the geographic context of the region in 1951, before later development and urbanization.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58830742028672,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0257\/0344\/8638\/files\/file_2f196d00-d430-4c91-9493-f69b54d6dad7.jpg?v=1788272547","url":"https:\/\/uniquemaps.co.uk\/de\/products\/old-map-of-potomac-maryland-by-usgs-1951-rockville-great-falls-park-c-o-canal","provider":"The Unique Maps Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}