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1963 Map of New Bedford South

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of New Bedford South
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The coastal stretch of South Dartmouth and New Bedford reveals a landscape defined by maritime defense and mid-century residential expansion during the early 1960s. The southern tip of the New Bedford peninsula is dominated by the Fort Rodman Military Reservation, while further south along the coast, the Round Hill (US Reservation) occupies a prominent position on the neck. These federal holdings sit alongside established local institutions like the sprawling Rural Cemetery and numerous parish schools such as St Hedwig Sch and St Annes Sch.

Navigation remains central to the area's identity, evidenced by the Butler Flats Lighthouse in the channel and the Padanaram Breakwater Light guarding Apponagansett Bay. Inland, the transition from the dense urban grid of New Bedford to the more distributed settlements of Bliss Corner, Apponagansett, and Potomska highlights the regional shift toward suburban development. Small-scale agriculture is still present, noted by a Cranberry Bog near Wilburite Corner, contrasting with the growing recreational footprint at Demarest Lloyd Memorial State Park.