Map of Meredith, New Hampshire by USGS, 1987 – Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake & Holderness

Titled “Holderness,” this 1987 United States Geological Survey map presents the Meredith, New Hampshire region with the disciplined precision and quiet beauty characteristic of late twentieth-century American topographic cartography. Issued as a provisional USGS quadrangle, it records the land at a moment when the Lakes Region was balancing long-established rural settlement, recreational growth, and expanding road access. At the detailed 1:24,000 scale, the map gives close attention to the terrain surrounding Meredith, Holderness, New Hampton, and Center Harbor, translating hills, shorelines, roads, and watercourses into a richly legible geographic portrait. Its title evokes Holderness, yet the map’s reach extends across a broader landscape shaped by lakeside villages, wooded uplands, and the intricate margins of New Hampshire’s celebrated inland waters.

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the authoritative cartographic voice of the American landscape, and this map reflects the agency’s mature topographic style. Contour lines articulate the rolling elevations around Meredith and Holderness, allowing the viewer to read the land almost as relief sculpture: ridges gather in tight intervals, slopes soften where lines spread apart, and valleys reveal themselves through the course of roads and streams. The clean typography, systematic symbols, and carefully organized cultural and natural features reflect a practical mapmaking tradition designed for engineers, planners, hikers, surveyors, and local officials. Yet beyond utility, the map possesses an understated elegance, where every road, pond, shoreline, and hill form contributes to a precise visual grammar of place.

Water dominates the character of this landscape, and the map captures the complex hydrological setting that defines central New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. Squam Lake appears as one of the great scenic anchors of the area, its irregular shoreline and island-dotted waters contrasting with the broader presence of Lake Winnipesaukee to the south and east. Jackson Pond and smaller water bodies add to the impression of a terrain shaped by glacial action, drainage basins, and forested watersheds. Around these lakes, the settlements of Meredith, Center Harbor, Holderness, and New Hampton are linked by roads and trails that follow practical passages through hills and shorelands. The result is a map of movement and repose: a region built around water, elevation, and seasonal access.

As a geographic record from 1987, the map is particularly valuable for understanding the evolution of land use in and around Meredith. By the late twentieth century, this portion of New Hampshire had become both a residential and recreational landscape, with lakefront development, road improvements, camps, cottages, and year-round communities increasingly shaping older rural patterns. The USGS treatment preserves these features in measured cartographic form, showing roads and trails alongside wooded slopes, ponds, and contour-defined uplands. For those interested in environmental history, planning, or regional change, the map offers a snapshot before later decades of growth altered many parts of the Lakes Region. It is both a technical document and a historical witness to a landscape in transition.

The map’s “provisional” status adds a distinctive note to its cartographic identity. Provisional USGS maps were often issued to make updated geographic information available quickly, even before every element had passed through the full cycle of final refinement. That gives “Holderness” a particular immediacy: it is a working portrait of the terrain, practical, current to its moment, and rooted in the needs of public mapping. Its beauty lies not in ornament but in precision—the interplay of contour, road, shoreline, and settlement creating an intricate image of New Hampshire’s topography. For collectors drawn to modern historical cartography, this map offers a compelling view of the Meredith area at a recognizable yet already vanished stage in its development.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Meredith, NH
• Holderness, NH
• New Hampton, NH
• Center Harbor, NH
• Squam Lake
• Lake Winnipesaukee
• Jackson Pond
• Roads and trails throughout the mapped area
• Notable natural features such as hills and water bodies around Meredith

Historical context & cartographic details

• Titled “Holderness”
• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Created in 1987
• Provisional USGS topographic map
• Focuses on Meredith, New Hampshire and surrounding areas
• Uses a 1:24,000 scale for detailed topographical information
• Shows elevation changes through contour lines and shading
• Captures landscape and geographic features from 1987, useful for understanding changes in land use and development in the Meredith area

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.