1904 Map of Gardiners Island

About this map

Gardiners Island and the surrounding waters of Block Island Sound define this early 20th-century maritime landscape. The map details a vital corridor of coastal defense and navigation, prominently featuring Fort Terry on Plum Island and the critical light at Race Rock L.H. marking the entrance to The Race. Along the southern shoreline in the township of Easthampton, small coastal settlements and family-named landings such as Springs, Kingstown, Barnes Landing, and Alberts Landing suggest a landscape of local fishing and small-scale agriculture. The intricate network of tidal features, including Bostwick Bay, Tobaccolot Pond, and Napeague Harbor, highlights the complex geography of the Peconic system before modern coastal development altered these shores. Historical steamboat routes crisscross the sounds, connecting Orient Pt. to the wider region during an era when water remained the primary highway for this part of Suffolk County.