1953 Map of North Bay

About this map

Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge anchors this coastal environment, illustrating the complex hydrology of the Virginia shoreline during the early 1950s. The landscape is defined by the narrow Sand Ridge and the broad Wash Flats, which separate the Atlantic Ocean from the brackish waters of North Bay and Back Bay. Inland, small agrarian and maritime communities like Sigma, Eaton, and Dawley Corners sit alongside winding waterways such as Gum Creek and Muddy Creek. Local social centers are marked by Tabernacle Ch and a nearby Cem, reflecting the generational footprint of families in the Charity Neck area. This survey, compiled from 1953 aerial photography and planetable revisions, records a period before heavy modern development, showing the traditional waterfront at Hill Landing and the geographic isolation of landmarks like Porpoise Point and Gall Bush Point.