Published in 2000 using survey data from 1998, the US Geological Survey’s “Lewisburg” presents a finely observed portrait of this historic Greenbrier County town and its surrounding West Virginia landscape at the revealing 1:24,000 scale. The map captures Lewisburg at the close of the twentieth century, balancing the geometry of roads and settlement with the older, more sinuous forms of ridge, valley, stream, and river. US Route 219 gives structure to the composition, while the Greenbrier River and local drainage patterns animate the terrain around the town. As a topographical document, it offers more than orientation: it preserves a moment in the development of Lewisburg and the broader Greenbrier Valley, where civic growth, transportation routes, and Appalachian landforms meet.

The map’s maker, the United States Geological Survey, brings to the sheet the precision and authority for which its quadrangles are renowned. Since the late nineteenth century, the USGS has mapped the nation with a scientific eye, translating landscapes into contour, symbol, color, and measured relationship. In “Lewisburg,” that tradition is evident in the careful rendering of elevation, hydrography, road networks, and land use. The 1:24,000 scale is especially prized because it is intimate enough to show local features in meaningful detail, yet broad enough to reveal the spatial logic of the surrounding countryside. The result is a map that feels both technical and deeply legible, a disciplined work of public science shaped into an elegant visual record.

Lewisburg itself occupies a distinctive place in the map’s geography, set amid the rolling uplands and valleys of southeastern West Virginia. The contour lines around the town describe a landscape that is anything but flat: hills rise and fall in measured intervals, valleys open into corridors of movement, and smaller streams trace the natural drainage of the region. These markings give the viewer an immediate sense of the terrain’s texture and rhythm. The nearby Greenbrier River, one of the defining waterways of the area, adds a broader geographical presence, linking local settlement to the larger Appalachian watershed. The map invites close reading, rewarding attention with subtle shifts in elevation, slope, and landform.

The cartographic design is classic late twentieth-century USGS: practical, restrained, and richly informative. A clear color scheme differentiates terrain types, developed areas, vegetation, water, and transportation features, allowing the eye to move naturally between human infrastructure and the underlying land. Roads such as US Route 219 appear not as isolated lines, but as part of a broader network shaped by topography and settlement patterns. Parks, recreational areas, natural formations, and drainage features contribute to the sense of a lived-in landscape, one used for movement, habitation, and outdoor enjoyment. The topographic contours are among the map’s most compelling features, turning elevation into a visible language and giving the sheet its sculptural quality.

As a historical document, “Lewisburg” records the region as it stood in the late 1990s, a period recent enough to feel familiar yet distant enough to invite comparison. It preserves the arrangement of roads, developed areas, natural features, and open land at a particular moment before subsequent changes in growth, infrastructure, and land use. For those interested in West Virginia, Appalachian geography, or the evolution of small American towns, the map offers a precise and evocative snapshot. Its appeal lies in the union of scientific accuracy and place-based memory: Lewisburg is shown not merely as a name on a map, but as a town embedded in hills, valleys, rivers, and routes that define its character.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Lewisburg
• Greenbrier River
• Various roadways, including US Route 219
• Contour lines indicating elevation changes
• Surrounding hills and valleys
• Natural features and drainage patterns
• Parks and recreational areas in the vicinity

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Lewisburg, West Virginia and the surrounding area
• Includes survey data from 1998 and was published in 2000
• Published by the United States Geological Survey, or USGS
• The USGS is a U.S. government scientific agency known for comprehensive mapping, geographic science, natural resource research, and environmental science
• Clearly defined topographic lines show elevation changes and landforms
• Reflects the geographic features and development of Lewisburg in the late 1990s
• Provides insight into how the area’s urban and natural landscapes may have changed over time
• Uses a well-executed color scheme to illustrate different land uses and terrain types, supporting navigation and study

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.