1972 Map of Tisbury Great Pond

About this map

The south shore of Marthas Vineyard is defined by a complex network of coastal ponds and fingers of water reaching inland during the early 1970s. The central feature, Tisbury Great Pond, is fed by the Tiasquam R and surrounded by a series of distinct coves including Deep Bottom Cove and Thumb Cove. This landscape illustrates the unique geological formation of the outwash plain, where narrow points like Plum Bush Pt and Scrubby Neck separate the brackish ponds from the Atlantic Ocean. Inland, the settlement pattern is sparse, concentrated around junctions such as Nabs Corner and the small cluster at Tississa. The map details the coastal topography across the town boundaries of Chilmark, West Tisbury, and Edgartown, showing a rural island character before significant modern development altered these traditional land divisions and road networks.