1961 Map of Eastville

About this map

Chincoteague Field Naval Auxiliary Air Station and the barrier islands of the Eastern Shore define this mid-century coastal landscape. The map highlights the critical maritime infrastructure of the era, from the Smith Island Lighthouse to the Janes Island Lighthouse guarding Tangier Sound. The inland spine of the Delmarva Peninsula is a dense network of small agricultural and fishing settlements like Modest Town, Accomac, and Wachapreague, all connected by the Pennsylvania Railroad. This transition period is captured just as aviation and tourism began to reshape the coastline, noted by the Wright Brothers National Memorial and the Wright Memorial Bridge further south. The detailed survey of the coastal marshes, spanning from Chincoteague Bay to Currituck Sound, offers a look at the intricate waterway system before modern development altered the shoreline.