“Roswell Quadrangle” is a finely detailed United States Geological Survey topographic map of Roswell, Georgia, created in 1956 and issued with a 1957 imprint. Drawn at the practical and revealing 1:24,000 scale, it presents Roswell and its surrounding countryside at a moment when the northern Atlanta region was beginning to change rapidly. The map captures a landscape still defined by wooded ridges, agricultural tracts, streams, and winding local roads, yet already showing the patterns of postwar suburban growth. With its precise contours and restrained green-and-white palette, the sheet offers both scientific clarity and historical atmosphere, preserving Roswell as it stood between its older mill-town identity and its emerging place within metropolitan Atlanta.

The map was produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, one of America’s most consequential scientific institutions. Established in 1879, the USGS became the nation’s authoritative source for mapping landforms, waterways, mineral resources, and later biological and environmental data. Its quadrangle maps were indispensable tools for engineers, planners, hikers, landowners, and government agencies, but they now serve equally as historical documents. In this Roswell sheet, the USGS method is evident in the disciplined contour work, standardized symbols, and careful rendering of roads, buildings, vegetation, and drainage. The result is a map that is not merely decorative, but a measured portrait of terrain, settlement, and infrastructure.

The Chattahoochee River is one of the defining features of the map, its course shaping both the natural and human geography of the region. Streams and tributaries branch through valleys and wooded areas, while contour lines reveal the hills and hollows characteristic of north Georgia’s Piedmont landscape. Green shading marks forested or vegetated terrain, giving immediate visual contrast to open land, roads, and developed spaces. Roswell appears within this textured setting of river corridors, ridgelines, and rural routes, with highways and local roads threading through the quadrangle. The map’s topographic language makes the area’s relief intelligible at a glance, transforming elevation into a graceful cartographic pattern.

Historically, the map is especially compelling for the way it records Roswell during the years after World War II, when communities around Atlanta were undergoing profound transformation. The older landscape of farms, wooded tracts, and small settlements was increasingly intersected by improved roads, expanding residential neighborhoods, and new patterns of commuting and development. Roswell’s proximity to Atlanta and the Chattahoochee made it attractive for suburban growth, yet this map still shows a community closely tied to its terrain. Agricultural lands, forested spaces, and scattered built areas coexist, revealing a transitional moment before the more intensive expansion of later decades reshaped the region.

Beyond its historical value, “Roswell Quadrangle” possesses the quiet elegance characteristic of mid-century USGS cartography. Its beauty lies in precision: the rhythm of contour lines across hills and valleys, the branching geometry of creeks, the measured symbols for roads and inhabited places, and the softened fields of green denoting vegetation. Parks, recreational areas, residential districts, and natural corridors appear as parts of a single landscape system, each made legible through careful survey and design. For anyone drawn to Georgia history, Atlanta’s suburban evolution, or the artistry of scientific mapping, this map offers a richly layered view of Roswell at a pivotal moment in its modern development.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Roswell, Georgia
• Chattahoochee River
• Numerous roads including major highways
• Parks and recreational areas
• Residential neighborhoods
• Streams and tributaries
• Contours representing hills and valleys
• Agricultural lands
• Forested areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Roswell, Georgia and the surrounding area.
• Created in 1956 and published with a 1957 imprint.
• Published by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
• The USGS has been a primary source of water, earth, and biological science data in the United States since its establishment in 1879.
• The map uses a green and white color scheme to denote vegetation and elevation relief, typical of topographical maps from this era.
• Significant hills and valleys are shown through contour lines and varying shades of green.
• The map captures Roswell during a period of post-World War II development, reflecting changing land use and suburban expansion in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

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.