Published as “Crisfield” in 1920, using survey data from the same year, this US Geological Survey topographical map presents Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore at the refined scale of 1:62,500. Its focus is the waterfront town of Crisfield, set amid a complex coastal world of coves, sounds, marshes, beaches, and islands. The map captures a landscape where land and water interlace so intricately that settlement, trade, and travel were shaped as much by tide and channel as by road. Pocomoke Sound, Tangier Sound, Somers Cove, Lawson’s Cove, and Island Bay form the map’s blue framework, while the low, carefully contoured land reveals the subtle relief of a maritime environment.

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, brought a new scientific discipline to the mapping of the United States, producing authoritative surveys of terrain, waterways, resources, and hazards. This Crisfield sheet reflects that institutional precision: place names are clearly organized, shorelines are finely traced, and elevation is shown through contouring suited to an exceptionally flat coastal region. In an area where a few feet of height could distinguish habitable ground from marsh or flood-prone land, such detail was more than technical—it was practical knowledge. The map belongs to the great national project of measuring and understanding the American landscape, but its subject is intimate: creeks, coves, working waterfronts, and the delicate boundaries of the Chesapeake tidewater.

Crisfield appears here not as an isolated town, but as the center of a wider amphibious geography. Around it lie Muddy Marsh, Hayes Beach, Hammonds Beach, Green Harbor, Grand Bay, and Terrapin Cove, names that evoke the tidal textures of the lower Chesapeake. Offshore and along the margins are Cedar Island, Fox Island, Bay Island, Random Island, and Chincoteague Island, each positioned within a matrix of shoals, channels, and open sound. To the northeast, Assawoman Bay and the coastal barrier environment suggest the Atlantic-facing edge of the region, while the Pocomoke River anchors the inland drainage. The result is a map of thresholds—between bay and river, marsh and settlement, Maryland and the broader Delmarva coast.

In the early twentieth century, Crisfield was one of the Chesapeake’s notable fishing, crabbing, oystering, and shipping hubs, and the map quietly records the geography that made that prosperity possible. Somers Cove and the surrounding protected waters offered access to rich shellfish grounds and routes through Tangier and Pocomoke sounds. Nearby places such as Little Fox, Copped Hall, Greenbackville, and Point Lookout indicate the broader network of small settlements, landings, and maritime communities that depended on the bay. The map’s hydrographic emphasis—its attention to water bodies, shore forms, and depths—speaks to a world where commerce moved by boat and where local identity was inseparable from tide, harvest, and harbor.

Cartographically, the sheet is restrained and elegant, using a simple color scheme to separate land from water while allowing the fine linework of contours, marsh symbols, and labels to carry the detail. Its beauty lies in clarity: every cove, island, beach, and sound is legible, yet the composition retains the organic intricacy of the coast. The low-lying topographic character is especially compelling, showing a landscape without dramatic mountains or steep valleys, but rich in nuance—subtle rises, wetland edges, tidal flats, and navigable passages. As a historical document, “Crisfield” preserves a moment when the Chesapeake’s working waterfronts were central to regional life, and when scientific mapping translated a living coastal economy into enduring cartographic form.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Crisfield, MD
• Greenbackville, MD
• Little Fox, MD
• Muddy Marsh, MD
• Pocomoke Sound
• Island Bay
• Somers Cove
• Lawson's Cove
• Hayes Beach
• Tangier Sound
• Pocomoke River
• Assawoman Bay
• Random Island
• Cedar Island
• Fox Island
• Chincoteague Island
• Bay Island
• Point Lookout
• Hammonds Beach
• Green Harbor
• Grand Bay
• Copped Hall
• Terrapin Cove

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the US Geological Survey (USGS).
• Produced using survey data from 1920.
• Historical topographical map scaled at 1:62,500.
• Shows Crisfield, Maryland, as the central focus, along with surrounding regions, water bodies, and landmarks.
• The US Geological Survey was established in 1879 to provide reliable scientific information about U.S. natural resources, hazards, and landscapes.
• Features both topographical and hydrographic elements, including contour lines for elevation and water depths.
• Uses a simple color scheme to distinguish land and water, with careful labeling for navigation and interpretation.
• Depicts low-lying coastal geography typical of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, including marshlands, waterways, and islands.
• Highlights geographical features that shaped local development in the early 20th century.
• Reflects Crisfield’s role as a notable fishing and shipping hub during this period.

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.