Published in 1888 under the title “Asbury Park, New Jersey,” this United States Geological Survey map presents the central New Jersey shore at a moment when seaside resorts, rail connections, and coastal communities were rapidly reshaping the region. At a scale of 1:62,500, it encompasses Asbury Park, Ocean Grove, Sea Girt, Spring Lake, Bay Head, Mantoloking, and the surrounding coastal plain, extending inland toward Howell and Brick Township. The map’s refined topographical language—contour lines, marsh symbols, roads, railroads, waterways, and shorelines—captures the landscape before the full intensity of twentieth-century development. It is especially compelling as a record of a coastal world poised between rural settlement, religious retreat, military use, and fashionable beachfront leisure.

The map was produced by the US Geological Survey during the directorship of John Wesley Powell, one of the most influential scientific figures in nineteenth-century America. Powell, famed for his exploration of the Colorado River and Grand Canyon, believed that accurate mapping was essential to understanding the nation’s land, water, and resources. Under his leadership, the USGS expanded its systematic surveys, bringing scientific precision to regions undergoing economic and environmental change. This Asbury Park sheet reflects that mission: it is not merely a guide to towns and roads, but a measured portrait of terrain, drainage, coastline, and human settlement. Its careful depiction of wetlands, rivers, and elevations reveals the Survey’s broader interest in geology, hydrology, and the practical management of land.

Along the Atlantic edge, the map highlights a chain of communities whose identities were already distinct in the late nineteenth century. Asbury Park appears as an emerging resort town, soon to become famous for its beachfront, boardwalk, hotels, and entertainment culture. Just to the south, Ocean Grove stands out for its origins as a Methodist camp meeting ground, its orderly plan, and the Victorian character that would become one of its defining legacies. Spring Lake and Sea Girt occupy the refined shorefront landscape below, while Bay Head and Mantoloking mark the barrier coast near Barnegat Bay. Together, these places evoke the rise of the Jersey Shore as both a spiritual retreat and a fashionable summer destination.

The coastal geography is one of the map’s great attractions. Barnegat Bay, the Manasquan River, the Shrewsbury River, tidal inlets, lakes, marshes, and oceanfront strands are all rendered with the quiet authority of late nineteenth-century topographical mapping. Lake Como and the network of inland waters help reveal a landscape shaped by tides, low relief, sand, and wetlands. The contour lines, though subtle in this coastal plain, indicate changes in elevation across dunes, shore bluffs, and inland rises. The distinctive palette of yellows and greens gives clarity to landforms and settlement patterns, while the map’s roads and railroads show the infrastructure that made seasonal travel to the shore increasingly convenient.

Historically, this map is valuable because it preserves the New Jersey coast before dense suburbanization, highway construction, and modern shoreline engineering transformed much of the region. The placement of railroads and roads shows how access was beginning to organize development, while the expanses of marsh, open land, and lightly settled terrain reveal an environment still closely tied to tidal systems and natural drainage. Sea Girt’s later military associations, Ocean Grove’s religious heritage, Asbury Park’s entertainment fame, and the barrier communities near Bay Head and Mantoloking can all be read here in an earlier stage. As a document of land use and environmental change, the map offers a richly detailed view of a shoreline on the cusp of modernity.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Asbury Park
• Bay Head
• Mantoloking
• Ocean Grove
• Sea Girt
• Spring Lake
• Howell (Monmouth County)
• Brick Township
• Manasquan River
• Barnegat Bay
• Lake Como
• Shrewsbury River
• Tidal inlets
• Coastal shores
• Nearby railroads and roads

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 1888.
• J.W. Powell was director of the USGS at the time.
• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map of Asbury Park, New Jersey and the surrounding coastal region.
• The USGS played an important role in mapping and studying water, ecosystems, and geological processes.
• Asbury Park is notable for its beachfront and historic boardwalk.
• Ocean Grove is known for its Victorian architecture and religious camp meetings.
• Sea Girt has a rich military history.
• The map features a distinctive yellow and green color palette.
• Contour lines are used to show elevation changes, a common feature of topographical maps from this period.
• The map highlights coastal features, wetlands, hilly areas, and the broader coastal plain of New Jersey.
• It captures the area before extensive urban development.
• Valuable for understanding land use changes and environmental transformations over time.

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.