Titled “Edgartown,” this 1944 U.S. Geological Survey topographic map captures the eastern portion of Martha’s Vineyard with a clarity that is both scientific and evocative. Drawn at a 1:31,680 scale using 1944 survey data, it presents Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Katama, Vineyard Haven, and the surrounding coastal landscape in the disciplined visual language of mid-century American cartography. Roads, boundaries, ponds, beaches, and shorelines are rendered with the practical precision for which USGS maps are renowned, while contour lines reveal the island’s subtle elevations and low-lying terrain. The result is a richly detailed portrait of a maritime place shaped by tides, settlement, summer travel, and centuries of New England coastal life.

Edgartown, the map’s principal settlement, appears as a historic harbor town set amid ponds, coves, and open coastal approaches. Once one of New England’s great whaling ports, Edgartown is famed for its stately white Greek Revival houses built by prosperous sea captains, many of which still define the town’s architectural identity. The map situates this refined village within its broader natural setting: Edgartown Great Pond to the south, Katama beyond, and Chappaquiddick Island across the narrow harbor. These names evoke a landscape where working waterfronts, sheltered anchorages, salt ponds, and ocean beaches all meet, offering a cartographic glimpse of Martha’s Vineyard before later waves of development reshaped parts of the island.

To the north, Oak Bluffs brings a different but equally distinctive history into view. Known for its colorful “gingerbread” cottages, Methodist camp meeting origins, and lively beach culture, Oak Bluffs developed as one of the island’s most vibrant summer resorts. Nearby Eastville, Vineyard Haven, and the waters of Nantucket Sound underscore the importance of ferry routes, shore roads, and coastal access to island life. The map also shows Sengekontacket Pond and Joseph Sylvia State Beach, a narrow and beloved barrier beach separating protected lagoon waters from the sound. These features speak to the Vineyard’s delicate coastal geography, where recreation, settlement, and environmental change have long been intertwined.

The cartographic style is classic USGS: restrained, legible, and information-rich. Contour lines model the modest rises and depressions of the island, revealing how gentle topography influences roads, ponds, and settlement patterns. Color-coding differentiates landforms, water bodies, and cultural features, while the network of roads and other route markings provides a snapshot of mobility in the 1940s. Great Pond, Red Pond, Sengekontacket Pond, and the edges of the Atlantic Ocean and Nantucket Sound are especially important visual anchors, emphasizing that Martha’s Vineyard is defined as much by water as by land. The map’s precision gives it enduring value not only as a navigational document, but as a historical record of coastal form.

Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, this map belongs to a broader tradition of American topographic mapping that supported planning, resource management, scientific study, and emergency response across the country. In 1944, amid the demands of the Second World War, accurate mapping of coastlines, roads, and terrain carried both civilian and strategic importance. Today, the sheet offers a fascinating comparison with the modern Vineyard, where population growth, changing infrastructure, conservation efforts, and shoreline erosion have altered the island’s appearance. Yet many essentials remain recognizable: Edgartown’s harbor, Oak Bluffs’ resort landscape, the sweep of Katama, the quiet ponds, and the surrounding sea that has always shaped the island’s history.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Edgartown
• Oak Bluffs
• Katama
• Vineyard Haven
• Great Pond
• Red Pond
• Nantucket Sound
• Atlantic Ocean
• Eastville
• Sengekontacket Pond
• State Forest
• Joseph Sylvia State Beach
• Manter’s Point
• Chappaquiddick Island
• Nearby islands
• Roads and railways throughout the illustrated areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:31,680 topographical map showing Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and the surrounding Massachusetts coastal area.
• Made using survey data from 1944.
• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), known for extensive mapping and scientific research.
• The USGS played an important role in developing U.S. topographic maps for planning, resource management, and emergency response.
• Edgartown is known for historic whaling captain’s homes and its scenic waterfront.
• Oak Bluffs is known for colorful gingerbread cottages and vibrant beach culture.
• Uses a classic topographic style with color-coding to show elevation and terrain features.
• Boundary lines and roads are clearly marked for navigational and geographic detail.
• Contour lines show varying elevations, including hills and low-lying land.
• Water bodies are clearly shown, emphasizing the area’s coastal geography.
• Since 1944, the region has seen infrastructure and population changes, as well as environmental changes affecting coastline and land use.

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.