Loading map...

1893 Map of Gay Head

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Gay Head
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1932
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1932

About this map

Gay Head and the southwestern reaches of Marthas Vineyard define this coastal landscape, surveyed in the late nineteenth century. The map illustrates a maritime environment where narrow channels like Robinsons Hole and Quicks Hole thread through the Elizabeth Islands. On the mainland of the Vineyard, the settlement of Chilmark sits among significant topographic features such as Prospect Hill and Peaked Hill, while the western extremity is anchored by the Gay Head Light atop the storied Gay Head Cliffs.

A network of coastal ponds, including Menemsha Pond, Squibnocket Pond, and Chilmark Pond, highlights the region's complex shoreline before twentieth-century developments. Further south, the isolated island of No Mans Land stands alone in the Atlantic Ocean, while to the north, Tarpaulin Cove Light on Naushon Island serves as a vital marker for vessels navigating Vineyard Sound. The detailed topography by E.B. Clark provides a clear record of the cliffs and beaches from Stone Wall Beach to Cedar Tree Neck.