Published 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.

The 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.

The 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.

Natural 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.

As 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.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Cresaptown, Maryland
• Potomac, Maryland
• Rockville, Maryland
• Cabin John, Maryland
• Horsey Mountain
• Great Falls Park
• C&O Canal / Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
• Little Falls
• Maryland Route 190
• Maryland Route 355
• Multiple unnamed streams and waterways
• Various residential and commercial areas within Potomac and surrounding regions

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1951.
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map showing Potomac, Maryland and surrounding areas.
• Produced based on survey data from 1951.
• The 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.
• Features contour lines to show elevation changes.
• Uses color shading to depict topographical variation, including light brown tones for elevations.
• Red lines denote roads and other human-made features.
• Shows terrain features such as valleys, hills, and bodies of water.
• Reflects the geographic context of the region in 1951, before later development and urbanization.

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.