Published in 1947, “Morristown” is a finely detailed U.S. Geological Survey topographical map capturing a richly layered portion of northern New Jersey at a moment when older rural landscapes and expanding suburban communities still coexisted. Centered on Morristown and Madison, the map extends across a varied terrain of towns, roads, railways, reservoirs, wooded tracts, and gently folded hills. At the 1:24,000 scale, it offers an intimate view of the region, translating streets, property patterns, watercourses, and elevation into a coherent portrait of place. Its contour lines reveal the rise and fall of the land around Morris County, while color distinctions separate settled areas from green spaces and blue water features with the clarity characteristic of mid-century USGS mapping.

The U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became one of the most important cartographic institutions in American history, producing maps that were both practical tools and elegant scientific documents. Its topographic quadrangles were designed to support land management, engineering, resource study, military planning, and public understanding of the nation’s geography. In “Morristown,” that tradition is evident in the disciplined balance of precision and readability: roads and rail lines are cleanly drawn, waterways are carefully traced, and elevations are modeled through closely spaced contour intervals. The result is not merely a guide to location, but a measured survey of landscape character, showing how settlement, transportation, and terrain shaped daily life in northern New Jersey in the years immediately after World War II.

Morristown itself occupies a place of exceptional importance in American memory. During the Revolutionary War, George Washington and the Continental Army used the area as a winter encampment, taking advantage of its strategic inland position, surrounding hills, and access to routes across New Jersey. By 1947, the town shown here had long since become a civic and cultural center, yet the map still hints at the deeper historical geography beneath its streets and institutions. Nearby military sites and open lands evoke the region’s continuing strategic relevance, while the surrounding road and rail network demonstrates Morristown’s role as a connector between older colonial routes, industrial-era transportation corridors, and the growing metropolitan orbit of New York City.

Madison, Chatham, East Hanover, Denville, and other nearby communities appear within a landscape on the cusp of transformation. The map records a world before the full force of late twentieth-century suburban development altered much of Morris County: clusters of settlement are interspersed with forests, fields, reservoirs, and parklands. Major roads and railways are present, yet they are set within a broader pattern of local streets, wooded ridges, ponds, and drainage lines. This makes the map especially compelling as a historical document, preserving the texture of a region moving from small-town and semi-rural character toward the more continuous suburban fabric that would define later decades. Its orange urban areas and green natural spaces create a vivid visual record of that transition.

Topographically, the map’s appeal lies in its portrayal of a subtly dramatic New Jersey landscape. Contour lines articulate the hilly ground around Morristown, revealing ridges, slopes, and valleys that shaped both settlement and travel. Reservoirs, lakes, ponds, and stream corridors punctuate the terrain, while forests and parks provide green counterpoints to the built environment. The cartographic language is restrained but expressive: elevation, land use, transportation, and hydrology are all rendered in a manner that rewards close study. For anyone interested in the historical geography of northern New Jersey, “Morristown” offers a beautifully organized view of a region where Revolutionary heritage, mid-century planning, natural topography, and suburban emergence meet on a single map.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Morristown
• Madison
• Denville
• East Hanover
• Chatham
• Parks
• Water bodies, including lakes and ponds
• Major roads and highways
• Railways
• Military sites
• Reservoirs
• Nearby forests and green spaces

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey, a scientific agency known for its extensive American mapping work.
• Created in 1947 as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of northern New Jersey.
• Morristown is historically significant for its role as a military base during the American Revolutionary War.
• The map uses contour lines to show elevation changes and the hilly character of the landscape.
• Color-coding distinguishes urban areas, natural landscapes, and water features.
• The layout supports easy reading of elevation, land use, roads, and urban planning features.
• The map captures the area before later waves of development and urbanization, preserving a mid-20th-century view of the region.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed 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.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every 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.

With 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 rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.