{"product_id":"old-map-of-ogunquit-maine-by-usgs-1944-york-beach-wells-cape-neddick-light","title":"Old Map of Ogunquit, Maine by USGS, 1944 – York Beach, Wells \u0026 Cape Neddick Light","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1944 under the title “York Beach,” this U.S. Geological Survey topographical map captures a distinctive stretch of southern Maine’s Atlantic coast at the height of the Second World War. Produced by the War Department’s Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, it belongs to a period when precise geographic intelligence was indispensable for planning, logistics, coastal defense, and civil administration. At the detailed 1:24,000 scale, the map presents Ogunquit, Wells, York Beach, Cape Neddick, and surrounding shorelands with the disciplined clarity characteristic of mid-century federal cartography. Its careful separation of land, water, roads, settlements, and relief gives the viewer both a practical survey of the terrain and a historically charged portrait of coastal New England in the 1940s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map’s most compelling subject is the meeting of land and sea: Ogunquit Beach, the Ogunquit River, Long Beach, Red Head Cliff, Cape Neddick, and the open Atlantic are rendered as a finely articulated coastal landscape. The sinuous coastline, inlets, beaches, cliffs, and tidal waterways reveal why this region became celebrated for scenic beauty, maritime life, and summer recreation. Cape Neddick Light, one of Maine’s best-loved lighthouses, anchors the offshore and headland geography with a point of navigational and cultural significance. In the same frame, the map records the quieter inland contours and routes connecting Ogunquit, Wells, York, and York Beach, showing how the coast’s famous resorts depended upon a broader network of roads, villages, rivers, and upland terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a topographical work, “York Beach” is especially appealing for its elegant visual language of contour lines, hydrographic detail, and measured symbolization. Elevation is not merely noted; it is sculpted across the sheet, allowing hills, cliffs, river valleys, and low coastal plains to emerge with subtle precision. The contrast between the flat expanses near the beaches and the more pronounced relief around Cape Neddick and inland areas gives the map an almost tactile quality. This was cartography built for use, yet its design possesses an austere beauty: restrained color, crisp typography, and the orderly hierarchy of roads, shorelines, streams, and built places. It is a superb example of the mid-20th-century American topographic tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe presence of Ogunquit is particularly evocative. Long admired for its dramatic shoreline and artistic associations, the town had already established itself as a summer destination by the time this map was made. Its beaches, river mouth, and proximity to the Atlantic are recorded with the same care as roads and elevations, suggesting a place where natural form shaped patterns of settlement and leisure. Wells appears to the north, while York and York Beach mark the southern reach of the mapped area, linking old coastal communities whose histories stretch back to colonial settlement, fishing, shipbuilding, and later tourism. The map therefore captures a transitional coastal world: historic towns and working shorelines increasingly intertwined with recreation, motoring, and seasonal development.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreated in 1944, this map also invites comparison between wartime Maine and the coast familiar today. The region has since experienced changes in infrastructure, land use, housing, conservation, and tourism, making the document a valuable witness to an earlier landscape. Roads, beaches, waterways, and landmarks appear before many later transformations, while the careful depiction of contours and shorelines preserves the physical foundations that still define the area. The War Department imprint adds another layer of meaning, reminding us that even picturesque places such as Ogunquit and York Beach were part of a national mapping effort shaped by military urgency. “York Beach” is thus both a handsome coastal survey and a historically resonant record of Maine’s shore in the mid-20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOgunquit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWells\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCape Neddick\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYork Beach\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLong Beach\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOssipee\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAtlantic Ocean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRed Head Cliff\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConnelly's\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYork\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOgunquit River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOgunquit Beach\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCape Neddick Light (Lighthouse)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious coastline features depicted with contour lines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap name: York Beach\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the U.S. Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCreated in 1944\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the U.S. Geological Survey, specifically the War Department’s Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe USGS played an important role in topographical mapping for government needs, especially during WWII, when military operations required detailed geographical information\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map prominently features Ogunquit, Maine, along with surrounding coastal and land features\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOgunquit is known for its scenic beauty and long-standing popularity as a tourist destination\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCartographic details include contour lines showing terrain elevation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses a mid-20th-century color palette emphasizing distinctions between land and water\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows pronounced elevation features, detailed coastline outlines, and water bodies\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eValuable as a historical document for comparing 1944 geography with later development, land use, infrastructure, and recreational changes\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=\"\/it\/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=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) 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=\"\/it\/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=\"\/it\/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":58802326962560,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58802326995328,"sku":null,"price":202.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58802327028096,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58802327060864,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58802327093632,"sku":null,"price":202.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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