Published in 1966 using survey data from 1958, the USGS quadrangle titled “Keene” presents a finely detailed portrait of southwestern New Hampshire at a moment when postwar development was beginning to reshape New England’s smaller cities and rural valleys. Centered on Keene, the map extends across Cheshire County and neighboring communities including Westmoreland, Swanzey, Richmond, Stoddard, Walpole, and Harrisville. At 1:62,500 scale, it balances regional breadth with intimate topographic precision, showing roads, settlements, streams, lakes, wooded uplands, and elevation changes with the clarity for which the U.S. Geological Survey is renowned. The result is both a practical geographic record and a quietly evocative historical document, preserving the landscape as it stood before later suburban expansion, changing land use, and modern infrastructure altered the texture of the region.

The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language that made its topographic series indispensable to engineers, planners, geologists, conservationists, and outdoor travelers. Established in the nineteenth century to classify and understand the nation’s terrain and resources, the USGS became the authoritative cartographic voice of the American landscape. Here, contour lines and elevation markings articulate the complex relief around Keene with measured elegance, while the vivid green treatment of wooded terrain lends the sheet both beauty and interpretive power. Rather than simply naming places, the map explains how they sit within the land: roads following valleys, streams carving passage through lowlands, settlements gathering near water and level ground, and hills rising in rhythmic forms across the countryside.

Water gives the Keene quadrangle much of its character. The Ashuelot River winds through the region as one of the defining geographic features of Cheshire County, linking communities and shaping corridors of settlement, agriculture, and transportation. Farther west, the Connecticut River marks one of New England’s great natural boundaries, historically significant as a route of travel, commerce, and settlement. Lakes and ponds punctuate the uplands, including Spofford Lake, Dublin Lake, Goose Pond, and Upper Monadnock Pond, each set within the wider pattern of forest, ridge, and village. Their depiction on the map invites an appreciation of southwestern New Hampshire as a landscape of water and elevation, where small basins and river valleys create pockets of habitation amid rugged terrain.

The map’s topographic drama culminates around Mount Monadnock, one of the most famous and frequently climbed mountains in the northeastern United States. Its presence, along with Monadnock State Park, gives the quadrangle particular appeal, for the mountain has long held cultural as well as geographic importance. Celebrated by writers, artists, hikers, and naturalists, Monadnock rises as a landmark of regional identity, visible across miles of surrounding countryside. Nearby features such as Murdock Hill and Home Hill add further texture to the relief, their contours revealing the folded and varied uplands of the Monadnock region. The map captures not only the mountain itself, but the broader setting that makes it so commanding: lakes, rural roads, wooded slopes, and scattered New Hampshire settlements.

As a historical record, “Keene” offers a fascinating view of a transitional landscape. The 1958 data preserve a pre-digital, mid-century geography in which Keene functioned as the principal urban center amid smaller towns, farms, forests, and mill villages. Since then, the area has experienced changes in residential development, road patterns, conservation priorities, and recreational land use, while natural processes have continued to alter wetlands, forests, and waterways. The map’s carefully layered information makes those later transformations legible by contrast. Its vivid vegetation coloring, precise contours, and dense place-name detail create a richly informative image of southwestern New Hampshire, one that speaks equally to collectors of American cartography, admirers of New England landscapes, and anyone drawn to the enduring presence of Monadnock country.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Keene, New Hampshire
• Cheshire County
• Westmoreland
• Swanzey
• Richmond
• Stoddard
• Walpole
• Spofford Lake
• Ashuelot River
• Connecticut River
• Harrisville
• Monadnock State Park
• Dublin Lake
• Murdock Hill
• Goose Pond
• Home Hill
• Upper Monadnock Pond
• Mount Monadnock

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
• Uses data from 1958 and carries a 1966 imprint.
• The USGS is known for comprehensive mapping of the United States, supporting environmental management, resource allocation, and urban planning.
• Uses rich green coloring to denote vegetation and terrain, reflecting characteristic USGS cartographic style.
• Features clear contour lines and elevation markings.
• Provides a highly detailed topographic representation of elevation changes, water bodies, and vegetation areas at a 1:62,500 scale.
• Serves as a historical record of the region, with later changes likely including urban development, altered land use, and shifts in natural landscapes.

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.