1956 Map of Parris Island

About this map

The Marine Recruit Depot dominates the central landscape of Parris Island, where extensive military infrastructure including the Parade Ground, a Yacht Basin, and the runways of Page Field contrast with the surrounding salt marshes and tidal creeks. This 1956 survey, updated through the late 1970s, captures the specialized geography of the US Naval Reservation alongside the residential and historical pockets of the Sea Islands. To the east on St. Helena Island, the presence of Fort Fremont and the Old Fort point to a long history of coastal defense overlooking the Beaufort River. The map reveals a delicate network of waterways like Archers Creek and Chowan Creek that separate islands such as Cat Island and Capers Island, while the southern reaches show the northern tip of Hilton Head Island near Dolphin Head and the Elliot Cem.