1942 Map of Block Island

About this map

The coastal borderlands of Rhode Island and Connecticut are captured here during the early 1940s, highlighting the strategic maritime importance of the Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. The landscape is dominated by the Pawcatuck River which separates Westerly, Rhode Island, from Stonington, Connecticut. Inland, the industrial and agricultural heritage of the region is evident in the cluster of small settlements along the New York New Haven and Hartford RR, including Shannock, Kenyon, and Carolina. A unique geological feature, Lantern Hill, stands near the Silex Mine, while the southern reaches of the map document the critical navigation aids of the era. The detailed rendering of Block Island and Montauk Point includes several Life Saving Stations, such as New Shoreham LSS and Ditch Plain LSS, alongside historic beacons like the Block Island LH.