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1953 Map of Quonochontaug

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Quonochontaug
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

The coastal salt ponds of Washington County define this 1953 survey, which documents the shoreline before modern expansion. Quonochontaug Pond and Ninigret Pond dominate the landscape, separated from the Block Island Sound by the narrow barrier sands of East Beach and Weekapaug Beach. This era shows a mix of established summer colonies and post-war recreational development, including the Drive-In Theater along the Shore Rd and several coastal settlements like Shelter Harbor and Shady Harbor.

Strategic military utility is evident at the U.S. Naval Reservation (Auxiliary Landing Field), occupying a significant tract on the north shore of Ninigret Pond. Further inland, the map details the wooded highlands of the Burlingame Management Area and the Woody Hill Management Area, showing the region's preservation of open space alongside its growing maritime communities like Quonochontaug and Charlestown Beach.