Old Map of McHenry, Maryland by USGS, 1947 – Deep Creek Lake & Meadow Mountain

Published with a 1965 imprint from 1947 survey work, the US Geological Survey’s “McHenry” quadrangle captures a richly contoured portrait of western Maryland at a revealing mid-century moment. Centered on McHenry and the highland country surrounding Deep Creek Lake, the map belongs to the authoritative 1:24,000 topographical series that defined modern American landscape mapping. Its carefully drawn contour lines, hydrographic detail, road classifications, and vegetation tints present the region not merely as a place, but as a measured terrain of slopes, ridges, hollows, and watercourses. The result is a precise yet evocative record of Garrett County’s mountainous character, showing a landscape poised between rural use, conservation, transportation, and lakeside development.

Deep Creek Lake is the commanding feature of the map, its branching shoreline set among steep, wooded elevations and upland meadows. Created in the 1920s as a hydroelectric reservoir, the lake had by the time of this survey become both an engineering feature and a growing recreational landmark. The map records the shoreline in its intricate detail, revealing coves, inlets, nearby roads, and the relationship between settlement and water. Around McHenry, the lake’s presence shapes the entire geography: routes bend toward it, communities cluster near it, and the surrounding hills descend into its basin. For collectors interested in Maryland’s environmental and recreational history, this quadrangle preserves an especially important stage in Deep Creek’s evolution.

The US Geological Survey’s disciplined cartographic language gives the map its enduring elegance. Contour lines trace every rise and descent, allowing the mountainous relief to emerge with remarkable clarity. Greens indicate woodland and vegetated ground, while roads, trails, streams, buildings, and boundaries are organized through a system of symbols refined over decades of federal mapping. This is not decorative cartography in the antique sense, yet it has a quiet visual sophistication: the eye moves from the crisp geometry of survey control to the organic sweep of hillsides and drainage lines. The map’s design reflects the USGS ideal that scientific accuracy and visual legibility could work together to make the American landscape intelligible.

Beyond McHenry itself, the quadrangle shows a wider upland world of mountains, meadows, trails, highways, and managed public lands. The inclusion of a State Game Refuge speaks to the conservation priorities of the period, when wildlife management and forest stewardship were becoming increasingly formalized across rural America. Roads and routes marked across the sheet hint at changing patterns of mobility, connecting farms, lakefront areas, and mountain communities to broader regional networks. The topography also reveals why movement through this terrain was shaped by elevation: ridgelines, valleys, and watercourses dictated where paths could run and where settlement could most naturally take root.

As a historical document, the “McHenry” map is particularly valuable for understanding land use around Deep Creek Lake before later waves of resort expansion and suburban lakeside growth transformed the area. Its mid-20th century perspective preserves the balance of forest, open land, roadways, refuge areas, and small settlements as they then existed. The map invites comparison with the modern landscape, making visible the environmental and cultural changes that have unfolded over subsequent decades. At the same time, it celebrates the timeless physical drama of Garrett County: high elevations, wooded slopes, winding waters, and a lake set deep within the Appalachian uplands.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• McHenry, Maryland
• Deep Creek Lake
• Mountain
• Meadow
• State Game Refuge
• Various contour elevations
• Trails
• Highways and routes marked
• Other geographical features represented by contour lines and symbols illustrating terrain, water bodies, and vegetation

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of McHenry, Maryland and the surrounding area, dating from 1947 with a 1965 imprint
• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS), a recognized authority in American mapping, surveying, geological, and topographical data
• Uses standard topographical representation, including contour lines to show elevation changes
• Vibrant greens indicate vegetation types and topographic relief, helping illustrate the landscape
• Shows significant elevation variation, emphasizing the mountainous character of the region
• Provides a mid-20th century view of land use and environmental change, especially around the Deep Creek Lake area
• Contours and shading make the land’s relief easier to interpret at a glance

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.

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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.