Harbors of Black Rock and Bridgeport
PublisherPublished by
United States Coast Survey
(American, founded 1807)
SurveyorSurveyed by
Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler
(American, 1770 - 1843)
SurveyorTriangulation by
James Ferguson
(American, 1797 - 1867)
SurveyorTopography by
Constant M. Eakin
(French-American, 1794 - 1870)
SurveyorHydrography by
George S. Blake
(American, 1802 - 1871)
Date1848
MediumEngraving; black printer's ink on wove paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 17 1/4 x 14 1/8in. (43.8 x 35.9cm)
Platemark (height x width): 20 5/8 x 17 5/8in. (52.4 x 44.8cm)
Sheet (height x width): 23 x 18 1/2in. (58.4 x 47cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineConnecticut Museum of Culture and History collection
Object number2012.312.93
DescriptionNautical chart of the harbors of Black Rock and Bridgeport, Connecticut, with Bridgeport to the north, the harbor waters to the east and south, and Black Rock to the west. The map depicts water depth and the location of reefs, rocks, buoys, and hard and soft sand. Land features include elevation, conveyed through hachure marks, Fairfield Creek, fields, and stands of trees. Buildings are denoted with black shaded squares. There is a 32-point compass rose with an arrow marking the difference between true north and magnetic north. In the lower right corner there is information about the soundings taken to confirm water depth, the dates of the various surveys, and the tides. Sailing directions for Black Rock and Bridgeport Harbors are written out to the right.
Label TextBy 1848 when this chart was produced, Bridgeport was developing into a major industrial center, and the harbor was an important part of its transportation network with connections to the New York & New Haven Railroad and the Housatonic Railroad. Nearby Black Rock Harbor (in 1848 part of the town of Fairfield, but now part of Bridgeport) was home to a flourishing shipbuilding industry. This chart would have helped mariners to make their way safely in and out of these two harbors.
NotesCartographic Note: Scale: 1:20,000; Nautical miles: 3 9/16 inches equals 1 nautical mileStatus
Not on view
