Essex, Town of Essex.
PublisherPublished by
F. W. Beers & Co.
(American)
Date1874
MediumLithography; black printer's ink and watercolor on wove paper
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (image height x width): 26 1/4 x 14 7/8in. (66.7 x 37.8cm)
Sheet (height x width): 26 1/2 x 15in. (67.3 x 38.1cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number1980.100.18
DescriptionMap of Essex, Connecticut, with a pond to the north, Falls River Cove and the Connecticut River to the east, G. Pratt's estate to the south, and various private residences and estates to the west. Roads are labeled and are lined with residences, businesses and public buildings, all indicated with rectangular shapes and labeled with the owner or occupant's name. Property boundaries are marked with thin, single lines, and churches, schools and cemeteries are colored green, presumably to indicate open spaces.
Label TextUntil 1854, Essex was part of the town of Saybrook, which originally included the towns of Lyme, Old Lyme, East Lyme, Chester, Westbrook, and a part of Salem as well. Essex long had had its own separate identity, however, as the center of a thriving shipbuilding industry. By 1874 when this map was issued, this business was in decline, as steamships superceded sailing vessels for most purposes. However, the presence of a rope walk, a sail loft, and a block and spar factory on the map suggest ongoing involvment in the maritime trades, and the owners of several of the large houses lining Main Street are identified as "Captain." This map was originally part of an atlas published by F. W. Beers & Co.
NotesCartographic Note: Scale: 1 inch equals 20 rodsStatus
Not on view
