1943 Map of Harwich

About this map

The glacial kettle ponds of the mid-Cape dominate this landscape during the early 1940s, with Long Pond and Seymour Pond forming a massive freshwater chain between Brewster and Harwich. The map reveals a transition from the denser coastal villages of Harwich Port and West Harwich to the interior pond-strewn woodlands now preserved in Nickerson State Park. Transportation at this time is defined by the New York New Haven and Hartford RR, which snakes through the interior near Pleasant Lake and North Harwich. Local institutions such as the Sea Pine Sch and the Brewster Country Club appear alongside family-named landmarks like Smith Pond and the Dillingham Cem. The map's detail of the Cape's shoreline includes landmarks like Witchmere Harbor and Allens Harbor, reflecting the region's long-standing connection to Nantucket Sound before mid-century development accelerated.