{"product_id":"old-map-of-kingston-rhode-island-by-usgs-1921-point-judith-gilbert-stuart-birthplace","title":"Old Map of Kingston, Rhode Island by USGS, 1921 – Point Judith \u0026 Gilbert Stuart Birthplace","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished in 1921, the United States Geological Survey’s “Charlestown” presents a finely measured portrait of southern Rhode Island at a scale of 1:62,500, with Kingston and its neighboring coastal country rendered in the disciplined visual language of early twentieth-century American topography. The map belongs to the USGS tradition of combining scientific accuracy with practical legibility: brown contour lines describe the rise and fall of the land, blue waters trace ponds, streams, and the Atlantic edge, while roads, rail lines, settlements, and cultural landmarks are carefully distinguished by conventional symbols. It captures a landscape poised between rural continuity and modern transformation, before later suburban growth and the full expansion of the University of Rhode Island reshaped Kingston’s surroundings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKingston appears here as a historic village embedded within a wider matrix of farms, woods, roads, and low New England relief. Today it is closely associated with the University of Rhode Island, whose presence anchors the local economy and civic identity, but the map preserves an earlier moment when the village’s relationship to the surrounding countryside was more immediately visible. Lower Kingston Village, nearby parcels, and connecting routes suggest a settled but still open landscape, where agricultural use, residential clusters, and institutional life coexisted within a compact regional geography. The rail lines and roads are especially evocative, revealing how movement through Washington County was organized before the dominance of later highways and suburban commuting patterns.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe coastal character of the quadrangle gives the map much of its visual and historical interest. Southward, the Atlantic Ocean, Point Judith, beaches, tidal zones, and adjacent ponds establish the dynamic boundary between land and sea. These features are not merely scenic; they speak to centuries of fishing, navigation, coastal settlement, and adaptation to salt marshes, barrier beaches, and storm-shaped shorelines. The USGS depiction of water bodies in blue, set against the precise contouring of uplands and lowlands, makes the region’s environmental contrasts immediately legible. Ponds, coves, and shore features form a delicate coastal system, one that has long influenced local settlement patterns, transportation routes, and the rhythms of work and recreation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a government scientific agency, the United States Geological Survey brought a rigorous national program of measurement to landscapes that had previously been mapped with varying degrees of local emphasis and precision. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS became essential to land management, mineral and water-resource study, infrastructure planning, and the broader understanding of American terrain. This Charlestown sheet exemplifies that mission: it is both a practical document and a historical record of ecological and human geography. The standardized symbols, color hierarchy, and contour interval translate hills, valleys, wetlands, roads, and settlements into a coherent system, allowing the viewer to read the region as an interconnected physical and cultural landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe map’s quiet power lies in its record of change. The Kingston area shown in 1921 predates many of the developments that would later alter the visual and functional character of the region, including suburban expansion and the growth of the University of Rhode Island campus. Farmland and wooded tracts occupy a prominent place in the mapped landscape, while roads and rail corridors hint at the forces that would guide future growth. Landforms, ponds, and coastal features remain enduring anchors, yet the human use of the land has shifted dramatically over the ensuing century. For collectors, the map offers a richly detailed window into Rhode Island’s South County at a pivotal moment between rural past and modern regional identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKingston, RI\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAtlantic Ocean\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePoint Judith\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGilbert Stuart Birthplace\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLower Kingston Village\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNearby lakes and ponds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCoastal features, including beaches and tidal zones\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSurrounding farmland and wooded areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoads and rail lines\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLand parcels designated for agricultural, residential, and other uses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTopographical features, including hills and valleys\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 1921.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical 1:62,500 topographical map of Kingston, Rhode Island and the surrounding area.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUSGS records the publication year as 1921, with no separate imprint year specified.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe USGS is a scientific agency of the United States government known for producing detailed and accurate maps for land management, resource allocation, and geographic analysis.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKingston is notable as the home of the University of Rhode Island, which anchors the local community and economy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map uses color-coded topographical lines and symbols to show landforms, water bodies, and other geographic features.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContour lines represent elevation changes across the landscape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBlue shaded areas indicate water bodies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe map reflects established early 20th-century cartographic conventions.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe landscape shown has changed significantly over time, especially due to suburban development and the expansion of the University of Rhode Island campus.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":68118552609159,"sku":null,"price":85.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68118552641927,"sku":null,"price":227.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":68118552674695,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":68118552707463,"sku":null,"price":85.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":68118552740231,"sku":null,"price":227.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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