Cecil County Map – 1794

The late 18th century Cecil County Map is part of Dennis Griffith’s much larger product produced for the General Assembly in 1794. The detailed map was a remarkable achievement for its time and is often considered the first official state map of Maryland.

As was common practice at the time, this portable map was divided into rectangular quadrants, backed with linen, and fitted for the marble book boards still attached. The owner was no doubt left with the all too familiar complication of folding the map back down to pocket size. Griffith’s map was a remarkable achievement for its time

The first edition of the map was dated June 20th, 1794, and was published June 6th, 1795. The map content on the second edition was identical to the first. The publication date on the second edition was changed to read May 28, 1813.

Notes:

Source: Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries; available online https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/handle/1774.2/59090

This is a particularly rare, valuable map. To access it, a visit to an archive or major special collections library was usually required, but now Hopkins has made this resource available on the Internet to researchers. Most rare maps are now available digitially with public institutions providing free access online.

Cecil County Map 1794
Part of Dennis Griffiths 1794 map show Cecil County.

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