Published in 1921 from 1919 survey work, the US Geological Survey’s “Barnegat” captures a luminous stretch of the New Jersey shore at a moment when its barrier islands, inlets, marshes, and resort settlements were being carefully measured into the national topographic record. At 1:62,500 scale, the map embraces Barnegat Light, Lavallette, Ortley Beach, Seaside Park, and the waters and lowlands that define Ocean County’s coastal character. Its precise contours, hydrographic soundings, marsh symbols, and shoreline detail reveal a landscape poised between natural volatility and growing human occupation. The map is both practical and evocative: a scientific document of tides, shoals, roads, settlements, and sand, yet also a portrait of the Jersey Shore before later waves of development transformed much of its edge.

The United States Geological Survey, founded in 1879, brought a new level of federal rigor to American mapping, uniting field observation, geodesy, geology, and engraving into authoritative topographic sheets. By the early twentieth century, USGS maps had become essential tools for engineers, planners, mariners, scientists, and travelers, offering standardized portrayals of terrain across the nation. In “Barnegat,” that institutional discipline is visible in every measured contour and carefully named feature. Elevation is subtle here, but the cartography is no less sophisticated: the mapmaker’s challenge was not mountains but shifting sand, tidal flats, shallow bays, marsh islands, and narrow coastal settlements. The result is a superb example of coastal topography rendered with scientific restraint and remarkable clarity.

Barnegat Light anchors the northern portion of the map, its famous lighthouse standing near Barnegat Inlet, one of the most consequential navigational passages along this part of the Atlantic coast. The inlet’s treacherous currents and shoals made the lighthouse indispensable to vessels moving between ocean and bay, and the map’s attention to sandbars, channels, and water depths underscores that maritime importance. Southward along Long Beach Island appear places such as Ship Bottom, Beach Haven, Cedar Bonnet Island, Dyer Cove, and Bonefish Point, names that evoke the interwoven worlds of fishing, lifesaving, summer travel, and coastal commerce. The inclusion of an old Coast Guard station hints at the hazards of this shore, where rescue service and navigation were matters of daily consequence.

On the mainland and across the bays, the map records a quieter but equally intricate geography: Forked River, Toms River, Green Island, marshlands, coves, and tidal creeks threading through southern Ocean County. These features give the sheet a richly amphibious quality, with land and water repeatedly interlaced. The low relief of the region is conveyed through delicate contouring rather than dramatic elevation, while the depiction of wetlands and shallow marine areas reveals an environment shaped by tides, storms, sediment, and seasonal change. For collectors interested in environmental history, “Barnegat” offers a valuable baseline: a view of the coast before extensive twentieth-century shore protection, suburban expansion, and resort infrastructure altered many natural shorelines.

Lavallette, Ortley Beach, and Seaside Park appear as emerging seaside communities, their presence reflecting the Jersey Shore’s rise as a recreational landscape in the early 1900s. Rail and road access, beach culture, and the growing appeal of ocean air drew visitors to these barrier beaches, while permanent settlements remained closely tied to fishing, navigation, and coastal service. The map’s elegance lies in its balance between human and natural systems: resort towns are present, but dunes, bays, marshes, inlets, and ocean depths remain dominant. As a historical document, it preserves a particular coastal moment—after the region had become legible to tourists and government surveyors, but before modern development fully remade the shoreline into the familiar shore towns of today.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Barnegat Light
• Lavallette
• Ortley Beach
• Seaside Park
• Barnegat Inlet
• Ship Bottom
• Long Beach Island
• Dyer Cove
• Cedar Bonnet Island
• Forked River
• Ocean County
• Southern Ocean County
• Bonefish Point
• Green Island
• Old Coast Guard Station
• Manasquan River
• Beach Haven
• Toms River

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical topographical map is titled Barnegat.
• The map is dated 1919 and carries a 1921 imprint.
• It was published at a scale of 1:62,500.
• The US Geological Survey was established in 1879 and is known for rigorous scientific accuracy in American topographic mapping and surveying.
• The map uses detailed topographic representation, including contour lines to indicate elevation and depth.
• Color gradients help distinguish changes in elevation while maintaining clarity and ease of navigation.
• Coastal and marine features are clearly depicted, including ocean depths, sandbars, marshlands, and shoreline geography.
• The map serves as a historical record of early 20th-century New Jersey coastal geography.
• It documents development patterns and natural shoreline features that may have changed significantly due to later urbanization and environmental change.

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 18x24in (45x60cm) 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.