Published in 1967 from 1941 cartographic data, the US Geological Survey’s “Castine” presents a richly detailed mid-century portrait of Maine’s Penobscot Bay country at a scale of 1:62,500. Centered on the historic town of Castine, the map extends across a rugged coastal landscape of peninsulas, coves, islands, harbors, and tidal rivers. Its topographical style distinguishes land and water with crisp, vivid color, while contour lines, marsh symbols, road networks, place names, and shoreline detail combine to evoke the texture of a working maritime region. The result is not merely a geographic record, but a precise visual document of coastal Maine before later decades of development reshaped many roads, settlements, and shorefronts.

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became one of the defining institutions in American scientific mapping, translating field surveys into authoritative topographic sheets used by engineers, planners, navigators, and citizens. This map reflects the USGS tradition of clarity and utility: measured contours reveal the rise and fall of the coastal terrain, while hydrological features trace the complex relationship between land and sea. Around Castine, elevation shifts are modest but meaningful, shaping roads, settlement patterns, and harbor approaches. The map’s careful notation of vegetation, shorelines, islands, and inland waters captures the environmental character of Maine’s coast, where granite headlands, forested slopes, tidal flats, and sheltered inlets create a geography of remarkable intricacy.

Castine itself is one of Maine’s most historically resonant towns, settled by Europeans in the 17th century and contested by French, Dutch, British, and American interests because of its strategic position near the mouth of the Bagaduce River. The map shows Castine Harbor, Fort George, and the surrounding waterways that made the town both defensible and commercially valuable. Nearby Penobscot and East Penobscot appear within the broader network of roads and rural settlement, while the Bagaduce River winds inland as a defining feature of the sheet. In this mapped landscape, military history, maritime trade, agriculture, and coastal village life are all quietly encoded in place names, road junctions, and the contours of the shore.

To the south and east, the map opens onto the island-studded waters of Blue Hill Bay and Eggemoggin Reach, two of the most beautiful and navigationally important passages on the Maine coast. Deer Isle, Little Deer Isle, Long Island, Saddleback Island, and Isle au Haut appear amid a constellation of points and coves, including Great Head, Turtle Head, Marshall Point, Perry’s Point, Turner’s Point, and Perpendicular Point. These names speak to a seafaring culture in which every promontory, reach, and harbor carried practical meaning. Brooksville, Sedgwick, Northport, and Stonington anchor the human geography of the sheet, connecting fishing communities, farms, ferry routes, and shore roads across a deeply indented coastline.

As a historical document, “Castine” preserves a moment when Maine’s coastal towns remained closely tied to fishing, small-scale industry, farming, and seasonal travel, yet before the full expansion of modern tourism and shoreline development. Places such as Long Cove, Sandy Point, Houghton Point, Spruce Head, Hatch Cove, Bexley Harbor, and Nebo’s Point appear as part of a finely grained landscape where local names matter. The map’s topographic language allows the viewer to read both natural form and cultural use: hills descending toward tidal water, roads following ridges and coves, villages gathered around harbors. Elegant, practical, and historically layered, it offers a compelling view of Castine and its maritime surroundings in the mid-20th century.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Castine
• Penobscot
• Brooksville
• Deer Isle
• Northport
• East Penobscot
• Sedgwick
• Isle au Haut
• MOOC's Point
• Long Island
• Great Head
• Little Deer Isle
• Saddleback Island
• Bagaduce River
• Blue Hill Bay
• Castine Harbor
• Eggemoggin Reach
• Fort George
• Marshall Point
• Perpendicular Point
• Turner's Point
• Perry's Point
• Turtle Head
• Long Cove
• Sandy Point
• Houghton Point
• Spruce Head
• Moosabec Reach
• Stonington
• Nebo's Point
• Hatch Cove
• Bexley Harbor

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical topographical map shows Castine, Maine and the surrounding coastal area.
• The map is dated 1941 and carries a 1967 imprint.
• Scale: 1:62,500.
• The USGS is a scientific agency of the U.S. government, known for its mapping and geospatial data work.
• Castine is known for its historical significance and scenic views, with settlement history dating back to the 17th century.
• The map uses a topographical style with vibrant colors to distinguish landforms and water bodies.
• It displays elevation changes, vegetation, and hydrological features typical of Maine’s coastal environment.
• The map captures Castine and its surroundings as they appeared in the mid-20th century, reflecting land use and development patterns of the period.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed 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.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every 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.

With 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 rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.