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1952 Map of Newburyport East

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Newburyport East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Newburyport and its coastal neighbors are defined by the intricate movement of water through the Merrimack River and the marshes of the Parker River. This 1952 revision captures the Essex County shoreline as it appeared before mid-century modernization, showing the established communities of Joppa and South Seabrook alongside seasonal coastal outposts like Plum Island. The landscape is dotted with early history, including the First Burial Ground in Newbury Old Town and numerous family-named landmarks like Kents Island and Butlers Toothpick.

Infrastructure of the era is evident in the Boston and Maine Railroad corridor and the Plum Island Turnpike, while religious and civic life is anchored by locations such as the Star of the Sea Chapel and Woodbridge Sch. The southern portion of the map highlights the vast marshlands preserved within the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, where the Plum Island River separates the mainland from the barrier beach.