1899 Map of Block Island

About this map

New Shoreham serves as the central hub of this island community, which remained remarkably isolated from the mainland in the late nineteenth century. The settlement pattern shows a concentration of activity around the town and the Great Salt Pond, while the surrounding landscape is punctuated by a high density of small water bodies like Sachem Pond, Fresh Pond, and Sands Pond. Coastal navigation is the dominant theme, evidenced by the strategic placement of the Block Island L.H. at Sandy Point and the Block Island S.E. L.H. on the southeastern bluffs.