Loading map...

1954 Map of Knotts Island

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Knotts Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Knotts Island anchors this coastal landscape where the border between Virginia and North Carolina cuts through the marshy expanse of Knotts Island Bay. The map reveals an intricate network of waterways and low-lying landforms, from the open waters of Back Bay to the protective barrier of False Cape along the Atlantic Ocean. The presence of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge underscores the importance of this ecosystem, which is characterized by a labyrinth of islands like Big Ball Island and Deal Island separated by narrow channels such as Porpoise Slough.

Settlement patterns are concentrated along the few areas of higher ground, most notably at the Knotts Island community, which features the Knotts Island Ch and local cemeteries. Further north, small landings like Campbell Landing and False Cape Landing mark the points where water and land met for local commerce and transport during the mid-20th century. The interior is dominated by the Great Marsh, a complex terrain that reflects the historical challenge of transit before the establishment of the Causeway.