Rare Old Map of Columbus, Ohio by USGS, 1943: Grove City, Canal Winchester & Scioto River
Restored in our London workshop from the original map and printed to museum-grade archival standards. Full description
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Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.The Collector’s Offer
Choose two eligible works and receive 20% off both. Choose three and the lowest-priced one is complimentary, a maximum saving of 33%.
Mix and match eligible standard maps and fine-art prints. No code is required; the offer is applied automatically at checkout.
Standard made-to-order configurations are included. Bespoke sizes, personalised designs and commissioned work are excluded.
Need delivery to different addresses? Contact us before ordering.
Restored in London • Printed and framed in Australia
My maps are rare, museum-grade, restored old maps sourced from libraries, auction houses and private collections across the globe. Full description
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Published in 1943 by the United States Geological Survey, “East Columbus” presents the Ohio capital and its surrounding countryside in the precise,...
Continue readingPublished in 1943 by the United States Geological Survey, “East Columbus” presents the Ohio capital and its surrounding countryside in the precise, disciplined language of mid-twentieth-century topography. At a scale of 1:62,500, it captures Columbus at a revealing moment: large enough to show the city’s expanding urban fabric, yet detailed enough to preserve the creeks, roads, rail lines, and rural settlements that shaped its growth. The map’s classic USGS design uses contour lines to express subtle changes in elevation, with watercourses, wooded areas, transportation routes, and built-up districts distinguished through a restrained and highly legible color scheme. It is both a technical document and a portrait of a city on the cusp of modern expansion.
The United States Geological Survey was, by the 1940s, the authoritative American institution for mapping terrain, drainage, settlement, and infrastructure. Founded in 1879, the USGS developed a cartographic language that combined scientific rigor with elegant clarity, making its maps indispensable for engineers, planners, geologists, military users, and travelers alike. “East Columbus” belongs to this tradition of practical beauty: every contour, stream, road, and railroad is part of a broader national effort to measure and understand the land. During the Second World War era, such maps were especially valuable, supporting resource management, transportation planning, and civil preparedness. This sheet reflects not only the geography of central Ohio, but also the federal government’s expanding capacity to document the American landscape in exacting detail.
Columbus appears here as a city structured by waterways, rail corridors, and arterial roads. The Scioto River anchors the western side of the mapped landscape, while Big Walnut Creek and Darby Creek trace natural lines through the surrounding terrain. These streams and their tributaries reveal the gently undulating topography of Franklin County, where modest hills, valleys, and drainage patterns are made visible through finely spaced contour lines. Routes such as U.S. Route 33 and State Route 104 point to the importance of regional movement, connecting Columbus to nearby communities including Grove City, Canal Winchester, Galloway, and Graybill. Railroads, too, are prominent, marking the industrial and commercial networks that helped shape the city’s neighborhoods and suburbs.
As a historical document, the map offers a fascinating view of Columbus before the full force of postwar suburbanization transformed the region. Residential neighborhoods, public parks, rail yards, roads, and open land are all shown in relation to one another, allowing the viewer to read patterns of growth that would become increasingly important in the decades after 1943. The eastern and southern environs of the city still retain a strong sense of rural structure, with small settlements, creek valleys, and agricultural lands interwoven with transportation corridors. This balance between urban density and surrounding countryside gives the map particular historical richness, documenting a transitional landscape where the capital city’s future expansion is already suggested but not yet complete.
The beauty of “East Columbus” lies in its combination of restraint and information. Unlike decorative earlier maps, its visual power comes from measured accuracy: the rhythm of contour lines, the quiet geometry of streets, the branching forms of rivers and creeks, and the crisp notation of towns, routes, and railroads. Yet the result is far from sterile. The map invites close looking, revealing how natural terrain influenced settlement, how infrastructure organized daily life, and how Columbus related to the wider geography of central Ohio. For collectors drawn to urban history, American cartography, or the evolving landscapes of the Midwest, this USGS sheet is a compelling record of place—scientific in method, historical in resonance, and quietly elegant in design.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Columbus, Ohio
- East Columbus
- Graybill
- Galloway
- Canal Winchester
- Grove City
- Franklin County
- Scioto River
- Big Walnut Creek
- Darby Creek
- US Route 33
- State Route 104
- Parks and green spaces
- Railroads
- Residential neighborhoods
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey
- Historical 1:62,500 topographical map
- Dated 1943
- Shows Columbus, Ohio and the surrounding area
- The US Geological Survey is known for producing reliable and detailed topographic maps
- USGS mapping has played an important role in land management, natural resource exploration, and disaster preparedness
- Uses a classic topographical style with contour lines to show elevation changes
- Color scheme distinguishes populated areas, vegetation, and water bodies
- Details terrain variations around Columbus, including hills, valleys, and water courses
- Reflects the urban layout of Columbus in the early 1940s
- Provides insight into historic land use, development patterns, and urban growth over time
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.
Published in 1943 by the United States Geological Survey, “East Columbus” presents the Ohio capital and its surrounding countryside in the precise, disciplined language of mid-twentieth-century topography. At a scale of 1:62,500, it captures Columbus at a revealing moment: large enough to show the city’s expanding urban fabric, yet detailed enough to preserve the creeks, roads, rail lines, and rural settlements that shaped its growth. The map’s classic USGS design uses contour lines to express subtle changes in elevation, with watercourses, wooded areas, transportation routes, and built-up districts distinguished through a restrained and highly legible color scheme. It is both a technical document and a portrait of a city on the cusp of modern expansion.
The United States Geological Survey was, by the 1940s, the authoritative American institution for mapping terrain, drainage, settlement, and infrastructure. Founded in 1879, the USGS developed a cartographic language that combined scientific rigor with elegant clarity, making its maps indispensable for engineers, planners, geologists, military users, and travelers alike. “East Columbus” belongs to this tradition of practical beauty: every contour, stream, road, and railroad is part of a broader national effort to measure and understand the land. During the Second World War era, such maps were especially valuable, supporting resource management, transportation planning, and civil preparedness. This sheet reflects not only the geography of central Ohio, but also the federal government’s expanding capacity to document the American landscape in exacting detail.
Columbus appears here as a city structured by waterways, rail corridors, and arterial roads. The Scioto River anchors the western side of the mapped landscape, while Big Walnut Creek and Darby Creek trace natural lines through the surrounding terrain. These streams and their tributaries reveal the gently undulating topography of Franklin County, where modest hills, valleys, and drainage patterns are made visible through finely spaced contour lines. Routes such as U.S. Route 33 and State Route 104 point to the importance of regional movement, connecting Columbus to nearby communities including Grove City, Canal Winchester, Galloway, and Graybill. Railroads, too, are prominent, marking the industrial and commercial networks that helped shape the city’s neighborhoods and suburbs.
As a historical document, the map offers a fascinating view of Columbus before the full force of postwar suburbanization transformed the region. Residential neighborhoods, public parks, rail yards, roads, and open land are all shown in relation to one another, allowing the viewer to read patterns of growth that would become increasingly important in the decades after 1943. The eastern and southern environs of the city still retain a strong sense of rural structure, with small settlements, creek valleys, and agricultural lands interwoven with transportation corridors. This balance between urban density and surrounding countryside gives the map particular historical richness, documenting a transitional landscape where the capital city’s future expansion is already suggested but not yet complete.
The beauty of “East Columbus” lies in its combination of restraint and information. Unlike decorative earlier maps, its visual power comes from measured accuracy: the rhythm of contour lines, the quiet geometry of streets, the branching forms of rivers and creeks, and the crisp notation of towns, routes, and railroads. Yet the result is far from sterile. The map invites close looking, revealing how natural terrain influenced settlement, how infrastructure organized daily life, and how Columbus related to the wider geography of central Ohio. For collectors drawn to urban history, American cartography, or the evolving landscapes of the Midwest, this USGS sheet is a compelling record of place—scientific in method, historical in resonance, and quietly elegant in design.
Cities, towns and places on this map
- Columbus, Ohio
- East Columbus
- Graybill
- Galloway
- Canal Winchester
- Grove City
- Franklin County
- Scioto River
- Big Walnut Creek
- Darby Creek
- US Route 33
- State Route 104
- Parks and green spaces
- Railroads
- Residential neighborhoods
Historical context & cartographic details
- Produced by the US Geological Survey
- Historical 1:62,500 topographical map
- Dated 1943
- Shows Columbus, Ohio and the surrounding area
- The US Geological Survey is known for producing reliable and detailed topographic maps
- USGS mapping has played an important role in land management, natural resource exploration, and disaster preparedness
- Uses a classic topographical style with contour lines to show elevation changes
- Color scheme distinguishes populated areas, vegetation, and water bodies
- Details terrain variations around Columbus, including hills, valleys, and water courses
- Reflects the urban layout of Columbus in the early 1940s
- Provides insight into historic land use, development patterns, and urban growth over time
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.
Many of our maps and art prints are chosen as thoughtful gifts for homes, offices, studies and meaningful places.
Choose a framed option for the easiest ready-to-hang gift, or choose an unframed print if the recipient may prefer to select their own frame.
We make orders locally in 23 countries around the world, so gifts can often be produced close to the recipient. This helps them arrive faster, travel more safely, and avoid customs or import duty surprises.
- We can deliver directly to the recipient
- Framed pieces arrive ready to hang
- Unframed prints are carefully packed in a strong protective tube
- Almost every order is made locally, for faster, safer gifting
- 90-day returns give the recipient time to decide
If you are not sure what to choose, please contact us. We can help you pick the right map, size, finish or delivery option.
Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.
We print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.
Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.
Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.
Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.
If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.
Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.
Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.
Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.
We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.
Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.
Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.
All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.
If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.
Every Unique Maps piece begins with an authentic cartographic source or an original design from our London studio.
For our historic maps, we source rare originals from libraries, archives, auction houses and private collections around the world. We carefully restore each map for print—repairing age-related damage, balancing colour and improving clarity while preserving its original detail, texture and character.
Once restored, the map is prepared for your chosen size and finish. Your piece is then printed and, where selected, framed close to its delivery destination.
Our map prints use acid-free 200gsm archival matte paper and fade-resistant pigment inks, creating a rich, non-glossy finish designed to last. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
Canvas, cotton-rag and other specialist presentations are also available. Learn more about our materials and finishes.
Personalising your map
You can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. For personalised designs, we send a proof before printing and you can request changes before approval.
For more complex bespoke commissions, contact our design team.
Original or Aged
Choose Original for true-to-source colour, or Aged for a warmer, richer antique character created with our specialist ageing process. See examples of our Aged maps.
We’ve been restoring and producing maps and art prints since 1984, and we stand behind every piece.
Every order is covered by our 10-year guarantee and damage-free delivery guarantee. If your piece arrives damaged, we’ll replace or remake it free of charge. If anything else isn’t right, contact our workshop team and we’ll put it right promptly.
See our returns and refund policy for full details.
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