Zero Milestone (HV1847) - Washington, DC
Posted by: 
Ernmark
N 38° 53.706 W 077° 02.193
18S E 323383 N 4307107
This stone at the N edge of the Ellipse was intended to be the starting point for the measurement of all road distances in the United States. It is also a horizontally & vertically adjusted benchmark.
Waymark Code: WM635W
Location: District of Columbia, United States
Date Posted: 03/24/2009
Views: 99
This monument is engraved on all 4 sides with the following text:
N - ZERO MILESTONE
E - STARTING POINT OF SECOND TRANSCONTINENTAL MOTOR CONVOY OVER THE BANKHEAD HIGHWAY, JUNE 14, 1920
S - POINT FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF DISTANCES FROM WASHINGTON ON HIGHWAYS OF THE UNITED STATES
W - STARTING POINT OF FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL MOTOR CONVOY OVER THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY, JULY 7, 1919
A plaque at the N base of the monument reads as follows:
THE US COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY DETERMINED THE LATITUDE, LONGITUDE AND ELEVATION OF THE ZERO MILESTONE
AUTHORIZED BY ACT OF CONGRESS JUNE 5, 1920
DEDICATED JUNE 4, 1923
The monument is also marked on various maps, including USGS quads.
Recovery information from the NGS database is listed below:
Unknown by PBPP (MONUMENTED)
1/1/1926 by CGS (GOOD)
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1926 AT WASHINGTON. AT WASHINGTON, AT THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ELLIPSE, AT THE JUNCTION OF THE ELLIPSE ROAD AND THE STREET SOUTH OF THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS, BETWEEN TWO CONCRETE SIDEWALKS, AND AT THE ZERO MILESTONE. THE TOP OF A SMALL PYRAMID AT THE CENTER OF A BRONZE COMPASS ROSE ON TOP OF THE MILESTONE. NOTE-- TIDAL STATION PREVIOUSLY DESIGNATED ZERO MILESTONE=NW 2=TIDAL MARK.
1/1/1974 by NGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1974 RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
1/1/1979 by NGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1979 RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
1/1/1984 by NGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1984 RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
6/15/1992 by NGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1992 IN WASHINGTON, D.C., NEAR THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ELLIPSE, AT THE JUNCTION OF THE ELLIPSE ROAD AND THE STREET SOUTH OF THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS, BETWEEN TWO CONCRETE SIDEWALKS, AND AT THE ZERO MILESTONE. THE TOP OF A SMALL PYRAMID AT THE CENTER OF A BRONZE COMPASS ROSE ON TOP OF THE MILESTONE.
6/15/1992 by NGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1992 THE STATION IS AT WASHINGTON, D.C. AT THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ELLIPSE, AT THE JUNCTION OF THE ELLOPSE ROAD AND THE STREET SOUTH OF THE WHITE HOUSE GROUNDS, BETWEEN TWO CONCRETE SIDEWALKS, AND AT THE ZERO MILESTONE. OWNERSHIP--U.S. GOVERNMENT THE STATION IS THE TOP OF A SMALL PYRAMID AT THE CENTER OF A BRONZE COMPASS ROSE ON TOP OF THE MILESTONE.
9/28/1998 by NGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1998 (RLA) RECOVERED AS DESCRIBED.
Condition: Mark found in good condition
Designation: - blank -
Benchmark Agency: National Geodetic Survey
Benchmark Agency (if other): n/a
Monumentation type: other (not any of the below)
Monumentation type (if other): n/a
County: Washington, DC
USGS 7.5' Topographic Quadrangle Name (optional): Washington West Quad - DC/MD/VA
Special category (optional): Not listed
Special Category (if other): n/a
Find type: Coordinates and/or to-reach information from the NGS database (or Geocaching's copy of it) were used
Web address of this benchmark's datasheet (optional): [Web Link]
NGS PID: HV1847
Local database's URL (optional): [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
- A closeup photo of the mark taken by you is required.
- A 'distant' photo including the mark in the view is highly recommended. Include the compass direction you faced when you took the picture.