1977 Map of Harwich

About this map

Cape Cod narrows here between the northern waters of Cape Cod Bay and the southern reaches of Nantucket Sound. This 1977 orthophotoquad provides a literal photographic record of the landscape, capturing the dense cluster of mid-century residential development and the intricate network of glacial kettle ponds that define this section of the peninsula. Long Pond dominates the central interior, acting as a massive natural anchor between the inland village of Brewster and the more densely settled coastal centers. Along the southern shore, the high-contrast imagery reveals the precise layout of Harwich Port and Dennis Port, where the winding course of the Herring River flows toward the sound. Genealogists and historians can use this aerial perspective to study the established patterns of Harwich and South Chatham before decades of later expansion altered the local tree cover and property lines.