“Holden Beach Quadrangle” presents a finely detailed US Geological Survey portrait of coastal Brunswick County, North Carolina, published in 1962 using cartographic work dated 1943. Centered on Holden Beach and its neighboring barrier-island landscapes, the map captures a stretch of shoreline where Long Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, and where beach, marsh, river, and inland waterway form an intricate coastal geography. Its 1:24,000 scale gives the sheet an intimate precision, showing local roads, trails, elevation points, and waterways with the practical clarity for which USGS quadrangles are renowned. Seen today, it evokes a quieter Holden Beach, before later waves of resort development transformed much of the region’s built landscape.

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the United States’ preeminent authority for systematic topographic mapping, and this quadrangle reflects the agency’s mature mid-twentieth-century style. USGS maps were created not merely as navigational aids, but as national records: tools for engineers, scientists, planners, surveyors, and land managers. In coastal areas such as Brunswick County, their work was especially valuable, documenting fragile environments shaped by tides, storms, erosion, and shifting channels. The Holden Beach sheet belongs to that broader tradition of disciplined observation, translating a dynamic shoreline into a clear, standardized visual language. Its authority lies in the combination of scientific restraint and extraordinary local specificity.

Geographically, the map is anchored by Holden Beach itself, set along the edge of Long Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, with Big Beach and Ocean Isle Beach nearby in the wider coastal sequence. Inland, the Shallotte River and the Intracoastal Waterway provide strong organizing features, tracing the relationship between mainland communities and the barrier coast. Shallotte appears as an important local settlement, connected to surrounding roads and rural landscapes, while Oak Island lies within the broader regional context of Brunswick County’s maritime fringe. The map’s network of channels, beaches, and low-lying terrain speaks to a landscape governed by water, where rivers, sounds, and ocean currents define both movement and settlement.

The cartographic design is classic USGS topographic work: clean, legible, and rich in terrain information. Contour lines describe subtle elevation changes across a largely low coastal plain, revealing how modest rises and depressions shape drainage, roads, and settlement. Greens and blues distinguish land cover and water bodies, while printed symbols identify routes, buildings, shorelines, marshy margins, and other features essential to reading the terrain. Unlike more decorative historical maps, its beauty comes from precision and restraint. The visual rhythm of contouring, waterways, and coastal outlines creates a technical elegance, allowing the viewer to understand the physical character of Holden Beach and its surroundings at a glance.

As a historical document, the map is especially compelling because it preserves the Holden Beach area before extensive modern development altered the coastline and its communities. Barrier islands along the North Carolina coast have long been susceptible to storms, erosion, realignment of inlets, and human intervention, making mid-century topographic records particularly valuable. Roads, settlement patterns, beaches, and waterways shown here offer evidence of land use at a pivotal moment, when tourism and coastal real estate were poised to expand dramatically. For collectors, historians, and admirers of coastal cartography, “Holden Beach Quadrangle” is both a scientific record and a quietly evocative image of the Carolina shore.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Holden Beach
• Long Bay
• Atlantic Ocean
• Big Beach
• Shallotte River
• Intracoastal Waterway
• Shallotte
• Ocean Isle Beach
• Oak Island
• Local roads and trails
• Various elevation points indicated by contour lines

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Holden Beach in North Carolina and the surrounding area.
• The map is dated 1943 and carries a 1962 imprint.
• Published by the US Geological Survey (USGS), a major contributor to geological and topographic mapping in the United States.
• The map prominently features Holden Beach and adjacent waters and landforms in Brunswick County, North Carolina.
• It uses a standard topographic style, with contour lines to depict elevation changes.
• Greens and blues are used to represent different elevations and water bodies.
• The map illustrates coastal terrain, including sandy beaches, inland waterways, and gentle elevation changes.
• It captures the Holden Beach area before significant later development, making it a useful historical reference for studying land use changes over time.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.