1962 Map of Laurel Bay

About this map

Laurel Bay (Naval Housing Area) dominates the landscape of Port Royal Island in this early 1960s study, showing a developed residential grid complete with Laurel Bay School and School No. 2. The surrounding Lowcountry terrain is defined by an intricate network of tidal waterways, including the wide Broad River and Whale Branch, which separate various islands like Barnwell Island and Cole Island. Genealogists will find several small burial grounds and houses of worship scattered through the rural sections, such as Republican Hall Cemetery near the Seaboard Air Line and Bethlehem Church. The map details a period when maritime and rail access remained vital to the area, evidenced by the Salvesburg Landing and the Atlantic Coast Line railroad cutting across the eastern wetlands near Grays Hill.