“Morgantown North,” created in 1957 and issued with a 1959 imprint by the United States Geological Survey, presents a finely measured portrait of northern Morgantown, West Virginia, at a pivotal mid-century moment. Drawn at the detailed 1:24,000 scale, the map captures the city as it extended outward from its historic core into surrounding hills, hollows, and river valleys. Morgantown appears not merely as a place of streets and neighborhoods, but as a landscape shaped by geology, elevation, water, and institutional growth. Home to West Virginia University, the city was already an important educational and cultural center, and this map preserves the framework of roads, districts, and terrain just as postwar development began reshaping the region.

The United States Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined clarity for which its topographic quadrangles became indispensable. Contour lines articulate the steep ridges and descending valleys of north-central West Virginia with remarkable precision, while the restrained color scheme allows the terrain to speak elegantly: green for wooded slopes, brown for elevation, white for more open or developed land. This visual language transforms technical survey data into a sophisticated landscape image. Roads, waterways, neighborhoods, and relief are balanced with a cartographic confidence that reflects the USGS mission: to document the nation’s physical character for science, planning, resource management, and public use. The result is both utilitarian and quietly beautiful.

Morgantown’s urban fabric is especially compelling here. University Avenue and High Street trace the city’s civic and commercial spine, linking the downtown area with residential neighborhoods and the presence of West Virginia University. Districts such as Wiles Hill, Grandview, and Sabraton suggest a city already expanding beyond its older center into distinct hillside communities. Arterial routes including Fairmont Road and the 119/11 corridor show the importance of road connections in a region where terrain governs movement. The emerging industrial and residential zones around Morgantown hint at the economic transformation underway in the late 1950s, when automobile infrastructure, university growth, and suburban development began altering the city’s scale and rhythm.

Beyond the city streets, the map is a study in Appalachian topography. The surrounding hills and valleys are rendered with dense, expressive contouring, revealing the folded, rugged nature of the Morgantown landscape. Forested areas, shaded in green, occupy slopes and rural margins, contrasting with the more open corridors of settlement and transport. The Cheat River and the broader drainage network anchor the region’s geography, reminding the viewer that settlement here has always been shaped by watercourses, ridgelines, and passable routes through difficult terrain. Lake Lynn, north of Morgantown, adds another feature of hydrological significance, connecting the map to the region’s broader history of river management, energy, and recreation.

As a historical document, “Morgantown North” captures the city before many later layers of university expansion, transportation improvement, and suburban growth transformed its appearance. It offers a moment of poised transition: Morgantown is recognizably modern, yet still closely bound to the wooded hills, narrow valleys, and local roads that defined its earlier development. The map’s precision makes it valuable for understanding how neighborhoods related to one another, how infrastructure followed the grain of the land, and how the city occupied its dramatic setting above river and ravine. Elegant in its restraint and rich in geographical information, it is a vivid mid-century portrait of one of West Virginia’s most important urban landscapes.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Morgantown
• Lake Lynn
• Cheat River
• University Avenue
• High Street
• Grandview
• Wiles Hill
• Sabraton
• 119/11 Road
• Fairmont Road
• Morgantown Industrial Park
• Various residential neighborhoods and arterial roads
• Hills and valleys surrounding Morgantown
• Forested areas represented by green shading
• Contours indicating varying elevations throughout the mapped area

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Morgantown, West Virginia, and the surrounding area
• Created in 1957 and published with a 1959 imprint
• Published by the US Geological Survey, known for comprehensive mapping of the United States and for providing data for research and land management
• Prominently features Morgantown, a significant educational and cultural center in West Virginia and home to West Virginia University
• Uses a color scheme to distinguish terrain features, with green representing forested areas and brown and white indicating elevations and areas of lesser vegetation
• Includes precise contour lines showing changes in elevation and detailed topographical information
• Showcases varied West Virginia terrain, including hills, valleys, rivers, and forests
• Captures a late-1950s historical snapshot of Morgantown as urban development and university-related growth were beginning to reshape the 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.