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1944 Map of Tisbury Great Pond

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

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

The south shore of Marthas Vineyard in the mid-1940s is defined by a rhythmic sequence of coastal ponds and finger-like coves. The boundary between the towns of Chilmark, West Tisbury, and Edgartown is traced across a landscape dominated by water and low-lying peninsulas. Tisbury Great Pond sits at the center of this network, fed by numerous branches including Tississa and Deep Bottom Cove. This survey, produced by the Department of Public Works and J.W.V. Somers, captures the area's rural character before extensive modern development.

Transportation follows the grain of the land, with Ridge Highway and the Quansoo Road providing access to isolated points like Scrubby Neck and Cobbs Pt. The map reveals a high concentration of named coastal features like Watcha Pond and Paqua Pond, illustrating the importance of these brackish environments to the local geography. Inland, Nabs Corner serves as a rare landmark in the interior of West Tisbury.