Essex, CT 1881 Map

This vintage map of Essex, Connecticut was created in 1881 and published by O. H. Bailey & Co. of Boston, Massachusetts. This restored edition brings the historic Essex map to life while preserving the original linework and its villages, winding roads, riverfront docks, ships and steamboats, and the bordering vignettes of local buildings.

About This Historic Map

Drawn from an elevated bird's-eye perspective, this map presents Essex, along with Centerbrook and Ivoryton, in the 1880s, when the area was shaped by its river commerce, shipbuilding, steamboat traffic, and village life. The view sweeps across the town's peninsula and harbor, with hills and farms rolling into the distance and vessels dotting the water below.

Notable places shown on the map include Essex, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton, along with the busy waterfront docks, steamboats, and sailing vessels on the river, and many of the historic roads and homes that shaped life around Essex in the era.

For anyone who grew up along the Connecticut River, launched a boat from an Essex dock, or has family roots in these villages, this map is more than a historic view. It captures the steamboats at the landings, the neat rows of houses climbing the hillsides, and the memories that keep people connected to Essex.

A statement piece for any room, this reproduction is printed using KNOWOL's restored version of the 1881 Essex map, preserving the historic character of the original while adding depth, warmth, and visual clarity. It makes a meaningful addition to a home office, library, den, family room, or local history collection.