Titled “White Sulphur Springs,” this United States Geological Survey map was produced from 1923 data, presenting a finely measured view of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, at a moment before many later twentieth-century changes reshaped the region. Centered on the celebrated resort town of White Sulphur Springs and extending toward Lewisburg, the map captures a landscape defined by ridges, hollows, valleys, and the sinuous course of the Greenbrier River. Its 1:62,500 scale allows the viewer to read both settlement patterns and the broader structure of the Appalachian terrain. More than a geographic document, it is a snapshot of a historically important mountain district, where transportation routes, rural communities, and natural landforms converged in the early modern era.

The USGS was, by the early twentieth century, the nation’s authoritative cartographic institution, and this map reflects the precision and ambition of its topographic program. Founded in 1879, the Survey set out to measure and classify the American landscape with scientific rigor, producing maps that served engineers, geologists, planners, travelers, and local communities. In “White Sulphur Springs,” that institutional clarity is evident in the disciplined contouring, careful place naming, and systematic representation of roads, streams, ridges, and settlements. The result is both technical and elegant: a map grounded in field observation, yet visually expressive enough to convey the character of the land. It belongs to a period when topographic mapping was transforming how Americans understood terrain, resources, and regional development.

One of the map’s most compelling features is its use of shaded relief, which gives the mountainous landscape a striking sense of depth. The valleys appear carved into the page, while the ridgelines rise with sculptural clarity, making the topography of southeastern West Virginia immediately legible. This technique enhances the contour lines, helping the eye understand not only elevation but also slope, drainage, and the relationships between upland and lowland areas. In a region where landform governs movement, settlement, and agriculture, such visual modeling is especially powerful. The shaded relief underscores the rugged beauty of the Allegheny landscape, evoking the folds and long ridges characteristic of the Appalachian Mountains while preserving the scientific exactitude for which USGS maps are prized.

White Sulphur Springs itself holds a distinguished place in American resort history, long associated with mineral waters, mountain air, and elite travel. The surrounding map area situates the town within its broader geographic setting: not as an isolated resort, but as part of a valley-and-ridge landscape shaped by watercourses, roads, and neighboring communities. Lewisburg, another historic Greenbrier County settlement, appears as an important local center, anchoring the region’s civic and commercial life. The Greenbrier River and its tributaries knit the terrain together, tracing natural corridors through the mountains. These mapped features reveal the practical geography behind the area’s reputation—how rivers, valleys, and passes made habitation, travel, and industry possible in a demanding but richly varied environment.

As a historical record, the 1923 “White Sulphur Springs” map preserves the region before later highway expansion, suburban growth, and modern infrastructure altered the landscape. It invites comparison between past and present, showing road networks, settlement footprints, and natural features as they were understood a century ago. The dense contouring and shaded relief make clear how profoundly terrain shaped local life, from the placement of towns to the routes of travel through the mountains. For collectors drawn to Appalachian history, early federal cartography, or the geography of West Virginia, this map offers a refined and information-rich portrait. It is both an instrument of measurement and a work of geographic memory, preserving the contours of a distinctive American landscape.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• White Sulphur Springs
• Lewisburg
• Greenbrier River
• Greenbrier County
• Various valleys
• Surrounding mountain ranges
• Notable geographic features related to the local terrain

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey using data from 1923.
• Published by the United States Geological Survey, known for its comprehensive topographic mapping of the United States.
• Depicts White Sulphur Springs and Lewisburg, West Virginia, along with surrounding geographic features.
• Incorporates shaded relief to provide a three-dimensional visual representation of the terrain.
• Set at a scale of 1:62,500.
• Shows elevation changes through contour lines and shaded areas.
• Reflects the hilly and mountainous terrain typical of West Virginia.
• Captures a historical moment in topographic documentation prior to major later developments in the region.
• Useful for understanding geographic and infrastructural changes over time.
• The shaded relief emphasizes elevations and depressions, characteristic of early USGS topographical map design.

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.