Watch Hill Rhode Island, On Old Maps – Part 1
How was it named and depicted? — Here are some snips of old nautical charts and other maps, from 1709 to recent years.
1734. “Watch Point” is a prominent shoreline feature to mariners sailing between the mainland and Fishers Island. (“Mount Prospect Inlet” is Pawtucket River.)
After a visit to Watch Hill in summer of 2025 I wanted to look up the map history of that locale.
Today it is most famous as the place where Taylor Swift has a grand house, but what about its earlier map history?
The 1734 map by Cyprian Southack shows Watch Point, Fishers Island and Little Narraganset Bay (not named).
Stonington, Connecticut is on the left.
The earliest New England maps were made for sailors, hence notes like “Fishers Ledge” and “Rocky Ground”.
My oldest map naming Watch Point dates to 1706.
It’s part of a map of Long Island.
Note “Stoneing”, “Richardson’s Harbor” and “Narragansett Land”. The Narragansett Indians dominated southern Rhode Island in the early 1700s.
“Watch Hill” will not be named on a map until later.
The ca 1760 Jefferys map of New England labels Watch Point and Beabeecks Pond. is now called Winnipaug Pond.
This land was Indian territory — “Wekapaug Brook the true W. Bounds of the Narragansetts….”.
” Watch Point ” is prominent on the 1781 chart by JFW Des Barres. (The Atlantic Neptune – a large atlas)
It was the only named feature between Point Judith and New London – a testament to its prominence.
See image below.
Des
Barres
The John Reid 1796 state map is the oldest in my collections to label “Watch Hill”.
A German Rhode Island state map adds “Watch Spitze” (Point)
1797
A large New England nautical chart from 1821 labels the light house as well as Watch Hill Point.
The words beneath “Light H.”
are hard to read, but may be “Revolvard Lt” ????
Was the lighthouse atop Watch Hill in 1831 ?.. Or is that some other building?
The Stevens state map tells us that Watch Hill Light revoles in 14 minutes.
Nantigansick Bay ???
Winnipaug Pond is still called Babcocks.
Note the steamship route.
Watch Hill has a building atop it on the 1847 US Coast Survey chart.
And, the name “Watch Hill Point” starts being used on maps.
A nautical chart would be more likely to label the point than the hill.
The 1847 chart shows three other buildings in Watch Hill village.
Also a building at the elbow of the Napatree peninsula, intersecting a map makers navigation line .
The northerly extension of the peninsula is no more today, having been destroyed by the hurricane of 1938.
An 1848 nautical chart depicts the Watch Hill buildings more substantially.
Note that the road goes to the large building atop the hill, not to the harbor houses.
My copy of the 1848 map is weak, but I show it here as it labels Little Narragansett Bay
The 1855 map is of better quality than 1848.
It shows many house and roads in Westerly and, most notably, farm fields / property lines.
The 1855 Walling state map has “Watch Hill House” atop the hill, as well as Watch Hill Light.
See 1831 map above.
Babcocks Pond is now “Wards Pond”
(future Winnipaug Pond)
The Beers atlas map of 1870 has Babcock Pond (Winnipaug).
Roads and 20+ buildings in Watch Hill appear for the first time on the 1889 nautical chart.
The 1889 chart has many more soundings than the older nautical charts.
The depiction of farm fields / property lines on the mainland continues.
in 1901 Brightman’s Pond
is the pond now called Winnipaug.
(color added by “Old Maps”)
“Watch Hill” is expressly labeled on an early USGS map of this area, published in 1891.
USGS maps are made to show detailed land features, unlike nauticals whose focus is the water.
The 1901 nautical chart has contour lines in addition to the property lines.
The blue water is a 2025 addition to make the map easier to read.
The 1921 USGS map shows more houses and roads in Watch Hill, and about 20 houses on Napatree Point.
There are no houses on Napatree today. These were all destroyed by the hurricane of September 1938.
More roads are shown on the 1934 chart.
This is the latest chart I have that shows the pre-hurricane Napatree peninsula.
The USGS Maps were not always frequently updated. This map printed in 1940 still used the data from 1893, so any changes to the peninsula that occurred due to the hurricane two years prior are not shown here.
This post-hurricane chart shows the severed Napatree peninsula.
The 1966 chart shows an eroding Sandy Point island north of Napatree.
Also note the “hook” at the point. It is changing.
The Napatree Point “hook” is closed off on the 2014 USGS map, making a small pond.
That’s pretty much the way it looks today.
Closeup section of the 2014 USGS chart.
This ends my quick review of Watch Hill (or Watch Point) as it appears on maps from 1706 – 2014.
Dave Allen
old-maps.com
