This map was made to help you get on the The prop-er-tee of William Benton

An uncommon directional guide to a bigwig estate on Long Island Sound.

This fascinating pictorial map was designed expressly to provide personalized directions for friends, clients, and guests traveling to the Southport, Connecticut, home of William Benton. The work reflects the personality and priorities of its patron, presenting a focused route beginning at U.S. Route 1 where it crosses Sasco Brook. Humorous annotations, including the emphatic instruction, “DO NOT TAKE THIS ROAD MARKED TO SOUTHPORT” (likely a warning against a railroad crossing), are among the map’s many custom touches. Another personal flourish is the repeated appearance of the Benton family and their dogs, Piper and Marco, while small vignettes celebrate the area’s natural beauty and tidewater setting, lending the map an inviting charm.

The lower right corner contains a large-scale plan of the Benton estate, adjacent to the Fairfield Country Club, identifying features such as a Revolutionary War-era sign, a badminton court, barns, a gardener’s cottage, and a beach house overlooking Long Island Sound.

William Benton (1900–1973) was an American advertising executive, publisher, diplomat, and U.S. senator from Connecticut. In the early 1930s, he co-founded the influential advertising agency Benton & Bowles and made his home on an expansive estate in Southport, Connecticut. Benton later acquired Encyclopædia Britannica, championed educational publishing, and served in both the Truman administration and the U.S. Senate.