“Plan of Princess Ann and Norfolk counties”

I’m from the area. I’ve examined a lot of maps of Hampton Roads. Nothing prepared me for this 1780s map. This map is upside-down!

Maps typically place the north compass point at “the top of the page.” When that’s the case, the coastline of Virginia Beach is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the right. You’d find Portsmouth on the west side of the Elizabeth River and you’d find Norfolk on the east side of the Elizabeth River. But in this map Norfolk and Portsmouth have switched places and the Atlantic Ocean is depicted on the left

When you link to this map at the Library of Congress website, use the rotational arrows to orient yourself i.e. place north at “the top of the page.” You might also want to download the TIFF file for a clear view of the details.

Text from the catalog record indicates that this map is actually two sheets pasted together. Another digital image of the original is in the William Clements Library at the University of Michigan where it’s described as “Finished, topographical, pen and ink map showing the primary roads, rivers, and towns, with the namse (sic) of some plantation owners.”

Accessed July 12, 2021