Titled “Rockland” and published in 1941, this US Geological Survey topographical map presents the coast of midcoast Maine at a scale of 1:62,500, centering on Rockland while extending across Camden, Rockport, Thomaston, South Thomaston, St. George, and the inland town of Hope. Its “advance” designation gives it particular historical interest, suggesting a sheet made available in timely form during a period when accurate terrain and infrastructure mapping carried heightened national importance. The map captures the region just before postwar expansion reshaped patterns of roads, housing, and tourism, preserving an early-1940s view of harbors, peninsulas, rural roads, wooded uplands, and working waterfronts along one of Maine’s most distinctive coastal landscapes.

Produced by the US Geological Survey, the map belongs to a tradition of rigorous federal cartography that transformed American landscape knowledge from the late nineteenth century onward. The USGS was not merely making navigational aids; it was documenting the nation scientifically, with contour lines, hydrography, transportation routes, settlement patterns, and place names brought together in a disciplined visual system. Here, that precision is especially rewarding. The Camden Hills rise above the shore, the contours tightening around high ground such as Beech Hill, while roads and settlements thread between ponds, coves, and rocky points. The result is both a technical document and a finely observed portrait of Maine’s coastal geography.

The map’s coastal detail is particularly evocative, tracing the ragged meeting of land and Atlantic water around Rockland Harbor, Glen Cove, Owls Head, Mussel Ridge, and the island-studded approaches to Muscongus Bay and Friendship Bay. Nautical landmarks such as Owl’s Head Lighthouse, Rockland Breakwater, and Breakwater Light anchor the sheet in the maritime history of the region, where fishing, quarrying, ship traffic, and coastal trade shaped local life. Names like Goose Rocks, Seal Ledge, Curtis Nubble, Davis Point, McGowan Point, and Brooks Island give the shoreline its richly textured identity. These are not generic coastal forms, but a catalog of hazards, havens, and working landmarks known to generations of Mainers.

Inland, the map reveals the quieter structure of the landscape: ponds, rivers, ridges, farms, and village roads extending away from the harbors. Lermond Pond, Little River, and Ducktrap River mark the freshwater systems that drain toward the coast, while the surrounding terrain shows the irregular relief characteristic of this part of Maine. The careful use of contour lines and shading conveys the way hills gather behind Camden and Rockport, offering a dramatic contrast between compact shoreline settlements and the rougher uplands beyond. Places such as Tanglewood, Hope, and Beech Hill suggest a landscape where rural interiors remained closely connected to coastal communities, yet retained their own topographical and cultural distinctiveness.

As a historical record, “Rockland” offers a compelling snapshot of midcoast Maine at the threshold of the 1940s: a region of active harbors, small towns, lighthouses, beaches, coves, and hill country before later waves of suburbanization and seasonal development altered the map. Rockland, Camden, and Rockport appear not simply as scenic destinations, but as functioning communities embedded in a demanding coastal environment. The USGS’s restrained cartographic language—contours, roads, water bodies, named features, and settlement symbols—allows the landscape itself to speak with clarity. For admirers of Maine, maritime history, and American topographical mapping, this sheet combines scientific authority with the unmistakable romance of a rugged Atlantic shore.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Camden
• Rockport
• Rockland
• Thomaston
• South Thomaston
• St. George
• Hope
• Mussel Ridge
• Owls Head
• Goose Rocks
• Davis Point
• Beech Hill
• McGowan Point
• Seal Ledge
• Waterman Beach
• Lermond Pond
• Glen Cove
• Rockland Harbor
• Friendship Bay
• Muscongus Bay
• Prospect Harbor
• Little River
• Ducktrap River
• Tanglewood
• Brooks Island
• Curtis Nubble
• Owl's Head Lighthouse
• Rockland Breakwater
• Breakwater Light

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map of Rockland, Maine, highlighting Camden, Rockport, and the surrounding coastal region.
• Created in 1941 and marked with the special feature note “advance.”
• Produced by the US Geological Survey, known for detailed topographical surveys and geological research in the United States.
• Uses topographic lines and shading to show elevation changes across the Maine coastal landscape.
• Includes detailed annotations of roads, bodies of water, populated places, and notable landmarks.
• Captures varied elevations and distinctive topographic features characteristic of the Maine coast.
• Provides insight into the geographical and infrastructural landscape of the area during the early 1940s, before later changes in urban density 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 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.