1984 Map of New London

About this map

The Thames River serves as the central artery for this maritime region, separating the industrial and academic hub of New London from the residential and military landscapes of Groton. Dominating the western bank, the US Coast Guard Academy and Mitchell College stand alongside major rail corridors like the Amtrak and Central Vermont lines. Across the water, the legacy of coastal defense is prominent at Fort Griswold State Park and the sprawling Fort Trumbull USN Res. The map captures a moment when the regional infrastructure was heavily defined by cold war naval operations, evidenced by the Naval Underwater Systems Center on Fishers Island. To the south, the transition from urban density to protected coastal environments is marked by Harkness Memorial State Park and the distinctive peninsula of Bluff Point State Park, protecting the mouth of the Poquonock River.