Secrets of the library: Historical map of Culpeper, second edition

On Friday, July 10, cartographer and historian Eugene M. Scheel will discuss how he created the second edition of his historical map of Culpeper in the library meeting room at 3 p.m.

Commissioned by the Friends of Culpeper County Library and the Culpeper Foundation, this new version has some additions and revisions from the first one, which was commissioned by the Second National Bank of Culpeper in 1975. It will include houses, updated graveyard information, and battlefield descriptions in the inset areas.

A resident of Waterford, Va., in Loudoun County, Mr. Scheel is also the author of “Culpeper: A Virginia County’s History through 1920” which was commissioned by the Culpeper Historical Society and published in 1982. He has written eight other Virginia histories and created well over 100 maps that include Virginia, other states and foreign nations. He currently writes articles on historical topics that appear in the Loudoun Extra section of “The Washington Post.“

The first edition of the Culpeper historical map that Scheel created has been used by library staff to answer genealogical questions and to assist researchers with their work. It lists historical markers, churches and graveyards. Scheel painstakingly researched original place names so that those viewing the map can use references in older documents to determine the current location of the sites that are mentioned. For example, the Rappahannock River is also marked “Hedgeman’s River” as it was originally named.

The Library keeps a framed copy of the first edition just outside of the Local History Room. There were so many requests for copies of that edition that the Friends of the library had 2,000 copies of it reprinted in the 1980s.

After realizing that those reprinted copies were almost sold out, library director Susan Keller approached Scheel about having the first edition reprinted again. He mentioned that the old plates would not match the new plates, but more importantly, there were some corrections and additions that could be made to the original map that would vastly improve its usefulness.

Scheel has made a number of changes to the original map, including the addition of houses of significant architectural interest where the first edition marked only churches, schools and public buildings.

The number of graveyards noted is double on the new map and includes about 100 graveyards of slaves where before there were only a handful. Native American village sites have been added. Additional inset information includes Rixeyville, Reva & Shankstown, Snake Castle, Lignum & Maddensville, Richardsville, Norman, Elkwood and much more detail of the downtown area of the Town of Culpeper. A new inset area covers the Civil War battles at Brandy Station and Cedar Mountain. Another significant difference between the first edition and the second edition is that the new edition is completely hand-drawn and hand-lettered while the original was machine-made.

We invite you to hear Mr. Scheel speak and to see this updated and revised version of the historical map of Culpeper. Folded or flat copies of the map may be purchased for $25 either at the program or thereafter at the circulation desk of the library.

Elizabeth Hensley is the Adult Services Coordinator at the Culpeper County Library. She can be reached at or 825-8691.