1954 Map of Plum Island

About this map

Plum Island Restricted dominates this mid-century survey of the maritime threshold between Long Island Sound and Block Island Sound. At the height of the Cold War, the island was home to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (Restricted) Dangerous Animal Diseases facility, a high-security research site that defined the land's restricted status. The map documents a landscape of strategic and natural isolation, where the Plum Island Lighthouse and Orient Pt Lighthouse guided vessels through the turbulent waters of Plum Gut. To the west, the tip of the North Fork is anchored by Orient Beach State Park and the small settlement at Orient Point, which includes the Latham Cem. The surrounding shoals, including Midway Shoal and Middle Shoal Rock, illustrate the navigational hazards that made this stretch of the New York coastline so vital to maritime safety.