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1944 Map of Provincetown

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Provincetown
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Provincetown occupies the narrow, hooked tip of Cape Cod as it appeared during the Second World War. The town's maritime dependence is visible through the concentration of structures along the inner harbor, supported by the Municipal Wharf and several coastal defense and navigation aids including Race Point Lighthouse, Wood End Lighthouse, and Long Point Lighthouse. Inland, the landscape is defined by the Provincetown Reservation and a complex of freshwater bodies like Shank Painter Pond and Clapps Pond nestled among shifting dunes.

Transportation infrastructure shows the transition between rail and air travel, featuring the terminal tracks of the New Haven and Hartford railroad alongside the Provincetown Airport. Landmarks such as the Pilgrim Monument on Town Hill and elevated points like Mt Ararat and Mt Gilboa overlook the stretch of Pilgrim Beach toward the Provincetown Truro line, documenting a coastal community balanced between its historical harbor roots and modernizing connections.