1887 Map of Provincetown

About this map

Province Lands and the densely clustered settlement of Provincetown define this late 19th-century coastal survey, revised in 1917. The map illustrates a landscape shaped by maritime necessity, with a remarkable density of navigational aids and safety infrastructure protecting the outer arm of Cape Cod. Along the Atlantic shore, a string of facilities including the Highland Life Saving Station and Race Point Life Saving Station stand watch over the dangerous sandbars, while prominent beacons like Cape Cod Light and Race Point Light guide vessels around the hook. Interior features reveal the natural geography of the dunes, from Shank Painter Pond and Duck Pond to the heights of Mt. Ararat and Town Hill. The survey also details the southeastern reaches into Truro, showing the scattered homesteads of North Truro and the winding course of the Pamet R.