1975 Map of Great Barrington

About this map

The valley of the Housatonic River serves as the primary corridor for settlement and transit in this mid-1970s orthophotoquad. Centered on Great Barrington, the imagery reveals the tight relationship between the Berkshire landscape and its waterways. The confluence where the Williams River joins the main branch of the Housatonic highlights the topographical constraints that shaped the town's development. Further south and east, the map captures the transition into more wooded and rural terrain, punctuated by Lake Buel and the small settlement of Hartsville along the Konkapot River. Unlike traditional topographic sheets, this aerial perspective provides a literal view of land use, from the dense village blocks of Great Barrington to the winding, silty path of the Green River as it meanders through open fields west of the town center.