Loading map...

1904 Map of Castine

Name: 1904 Topographic Map of Castine
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1904
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1904

About this map

Penobscot River maritime activity and coastal Maine settlements define this turn-of-the-century survey. The historic town of Castine serves as a focal point, showing its defensive history at Ft. George and the lighthouse position at Dice Head. Across the harbor, the long-established Northport Camp Ground and the religious retreat at Temple Heights illustrate the era's flourishing summer colony culture.

The map reveals a complex island geography, tracing the irregular coastlines of Sears Island and North Islesboro, the latter featuring the quiet settlement of Dark Harbor. These waters were vital transit corridors, evidenced by the charted Steamboat Route connecting mainland ports like Belfast and Searsport with remote island landings. From the narrow passage of The Narrows to the tidal power at Goose Falls, the document captures a landscape where commerce, such as the activity at Limekiln Landing, was inseparable from the sea.