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1959 Map of Kiawah Island

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Kiawah Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Kiawah Island is defined by a complex network of coastal waterways and barrier landforms along the South Carolina coast in the late 1950s. The map illustrates a landscape of expansive salt marshes and winding tidal channels, including Kiawah River and Haulover Cr, which separate the primary barrier island from Johns Island to the north. Small named settlements like Scott, Shullbred, and Van are situated along the interior reaches, connected by the simple path of Milley Road.

The eastern end of the island narrows toward Sandy Point near Stono Inlet, where the drainage of Bass Creek and Cinder Cr creates a labyrinthine shoreline. Cultural development is largely concentrated along the southern shore via Ocean Drive, which runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean. This survey preserves the island's character just prior to its significant transformation into a developed resort community, documenting the original topographic relationship between the Tidal Flat zones and the interior maritime forests.