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1985 Map of Ipswich

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of Ipswich
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

The coastal marshes and glacial drumlins of Essex County define this 1985 landscape, where the historic town of Ipswich serves as a central hub between the interior forests and the Atlantic shore. To the east, the complex estuary system of Plum Island Sound and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge protect a labyrinth of tidal creeks like Great Creek and barrier beaches including Plum Island. The presence of Governor Dummer Academy and several religious institutions, such as the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur Novitiate, reflects the area's long-standing educational and spiritual heritage.

Further inland, the terrain transitions into the dense woodlands of the Willowdale State Forest and the Georgetown Rowley State Forest. The Boston and Maine railroad corridor threads through these hills, connecting old settlements like Rowley and Georgetown. Local history is preserved in sites like the Rowley Burial Ground and the unique camp meeting grounds at Asbury Grove, while modern scientific pursuits appear at the USAF Geophysics Lab Radio Observatory near Hamilton.