{"product_id":"old-map-of-kennebunk-maine-by-usgs-1956-wells-biddeford-maine-coast","title":"Old Map of Kennebunk, Maine by USGS, 1956 – Wells, Biddeford \u0026 Maine Coast","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1964 from a 1956 survey, the United States Geological Survey’s “Kennebunk” presents a finely detailed mid-century portrait of Maine’s southern coast at 1:62,500 scale. Centered on Kennebunk and Wells, it extends across a landscape where Atlantic shoreline, inland ponds, roads, wooded uplands, and settled villages meet in the distinctive rhythm of coastal New England. The map’s original title is elegantly direct, yet the terrain it records is richly layered: maritime communities, rural crossroads, tidal edges, and the subtle rise and fall of low hills. Its green color scheme gives the sheet a quietly atmospheric quality, while contour lines, water features, and road networks reveal the practical precision for which USGS mapping became renowned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe United States Geological Survey brought to this map the institutional authority of one of America’s most important scientific agencies. Founded to study the nation’s geology, waters, resources, and hazards, the USGS developed a cartographic language that balanced technical accuracy with remarkable visual clarity. In the “Kennebunk” quadrangle, that tradition is visible in the crisp contour intervals, carefully differentiated roads, blue-marked lakes and ponds, and densely interpreted woodland areas. This was mapping for engineers, planners, hikers, motorists, and local residents alike: a democratic scientific document that made the shape of the land legible. Its disciplined design reflects a period when topographic maps were essential tools for understanding both everyday movement and long-term patterns of settlement.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKennebunk and Wells occupy a particularly evocative coastal setting, and this map captures the interplay between shore, marsh, stream, and upland. The Atlantic Ocean anchors the eastern edge, while inland the landscape opens into ponds, brooks, forested tracts, and gently rolling elevations. Contours trace the modest but meaningful relief of southern Maine, where valleys and low hills define drainage, road placement, and settlement patterns. Blue hydrological markings identify the watercourses and still waters that shaped farming, milling, recreation, and travel. The green terrain treatment emphasizes vegetation and elevation in a way that gives the map both scientific utility and aesthetic depth, turning the familiar New England countryside into a readable composition of natural systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe human geography is equally compelling. Kennebunk appears not only as a coastal community but as a place with deep connections to maritime trade, shipbuilding, and the economic life of the Atlantic seaboard. Wells, Biddeford, North Berwick, York, and Sanford situate the quadrangle within a wider regional network of towns, roads, and rural routes. Major roads are marked in red, standing out against the subdued greens and blues of the terrain, while smaller trails and paths suggest local movement through woods, fields, and coastal margins. Together, these features evoke a region in transition: still strongly shaped by older village patterns and natural corridors, yet increasingly connected by mid-twentieth-century transportation and development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, the map preserves southern Maine at a revealing moment. The 1956 survey captures land use before many later waves of suburban expansion, tourism infrastructure, and coastal development altered the appearance of the region. Forested areas, hills, ponds, and rural roads retain a prominence that speaks to an older balance between settlement and landscape. At the same time, the precision of the USGS style anticipates modern planning, recreation, and environmental analysis, offering a snapshot against which later change can be measured. With its vibrant colorization, clear topographic language, and careful rendering of both natural and built features, “Kennebunk” is a graceful record of place, science, and mid-century American cartography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKennebunk\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWells\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBiddeford\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNorth Berwick\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSanford\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAtlantic Ocean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious lakes and ponds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMajor roads\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTrails and paths\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCoastal features\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNearby forested areas and hills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical 1:62,500 topographical map showing Kennebunk, Wells, and the surrounding area in Maine.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated in 1956 and published with a 1964 imprint.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKennebunk is recognized as a historically significant coastal community with links to maritime trade.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFeatures a rich green color scheme representing terrain elevation and vegetation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClearly marked elevation lines and contour intervals show the area’s topography.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIllustrates elevations, valleys, and hills typical of a New England landscape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCaptures the Kennebunk area during the mid-20th century, reflecting land use and development patterns of the period.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVibrant colorization and clear natural-feature demarcation reflect USGS cartographic techniques used for recreational and practical navigation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith 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 \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/de\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68119595319687,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68119595352455,"sku":null,"price":199.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68119595385223,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":68119595417991,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68119595450759,"sku":null,"price":199.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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