Titled “Farmville,” this U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle presents the Virginia town and its surrounding countryside through original 1968 survey data, published with a 1975 imprint. At the classic 1:24,000 scale, it captures a finely grained portrait of the landscape: streets, roads, waterways, fields, woods, and contours rendered with the disciplined clarity that made USGS mapping the national standard. The town of Farmville appears not merely as a point on a map, but as a lived-in regional center set within the rolling Piedmont terrain. Its late-1960s date gives the map particular historical resonance, preserving the area at a moment before many subsequent decades of suburban expansion, transportation change, and shifting land use.

The mapmaker, the U.S. Geological Survey, brought to this work nearly a century of scientific cartographic expertise. Founded in 1879, the USGS became synonymous with rigorous topographic mapping, combining field survey, aerial interpretation, and standardized symbology to describe the American landscape in exceptional detail. Here, that tradition is visible in the precise contour lines tracing the rise and fall of the land, the careful differentiation of roads and routes, and the subtle color language of elevation and vegetation. Greens suggest lower or wooded ground, while browner tones and contour density reveal the hilly character of the terrain. The result is both practical and elegant: a technical document with the quiet visual authority of a scientific atlas.

Farmville occupies a historically important position in south-central Virginia, and this map situates it within a network of roads, waterways, and rural settlements. U.S. Route 15 and State Route 460 are prominent transportation corridors, tying the town to broader regional movement and commerce. Smaller routes, including State Route 617, thread through the agricultural landscape, linking farms, wooded tracts, and outlying communities. The map also includes Hampden-Sydney College, one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States, whose presence adds a layer of cultural and historical depth. In this cartographic setting, Farmville reads as both market town and educational center, embedded in a countryside shaped by travel, learning, and local enterprise.

The natural geography of the map is especially compelling, with the Appomattox River and Blackwater Creek providing the principal hydrological structure. Their courses shape the surrounding terrain, guiding drainage, settlement, and road placement through the rolling Piedmont. Smaller unnamed ponds and lakes punctuate the countryside, while wooded areas and farmland suggest a landscape in productive balance between cultivation and natural cover. The contours reveal a terrain of modest but persistent relief: hills, stream valleys, and upland fields that define the region’s visual character. Such details make the map invaluable for understanding how topography influenced patterns of habitation, agriculture, and movement around Farmville in the late twentieth century.

As a historical document, this map offers a richly detailed snapshot of Farmville and its environs during a transitional era. The late 1960s and early 1970s were years of expanding highway use, evolving rural economies, and gradual urban growth, all of which can be read against the map’s depiction of roads, settlement edges, and land cover. For collectors, historians, and those with ties to Prince Edward County and central Virginia, it holds more than geographic information: it preserves a moment in the region’s development. Its disciplined USGS style gives every contour, creek, and roadway a sense of permanence, while also inviting comparison with the changed landscape of today.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Farmville
• Appomattox River
• Hampden-Sydney College
• US Route 15
• State Route 460
• State Route 617
• Blackwater Creek
• Lakes and ponds
• Various rural areas
• Parks and conservation areas
• Nearby elevations and hills

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Farmville, Virginia, and the surrounding area.
• The map is based on original data from 1968 and was published with a 1975 imprint.
• The U.S. Geological Survey is known for authoritative mapping and scientific research, especially relating to natural resources and hazards.
• The map uses standard topographical conventions, including contour lines and symbols for natural and built features.
• Its color scheme represents elevation, with greens indicating lower areas and browns showing higher terrain.
• The landscape is shown as hilly, with a mix of wooded areas, farms, waterways, agricultural land, bodies of water, and transportation routes.
• The map offers insight into the landscape and settlement patterns of Farmville in the late 1960s.
• It serves as a historical reference for studying later changes in urban development, land use, and the environment.

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.