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Jefferson Pier, Jefferson Stone, or the Jefferson Pier Stone, (pronounced pie-er, like radials of a pie)^{[citation needed]} in Washington, D.C., marks the second prime meridian of the United States^[1] even though it was never officially recognized, either by presidential proclamation or by a resolution or act of Congress.

Location and inscription

Location of Jefferson Pier on 1800 map (top) and modern satellite image (bottom).

The stone is on the National Mall almost due south of the center of the White House and the midline of 16th Street, NW, about due west of the center of the United States Capitol building, almost due north of the center of the Jefferson Memorial and 391 ft (119 m) WNW of the center of the Washington Monument.^[2]^[3]^{[note 1]}

The monument is a 2.25-by-2.25-foot (0.7 m × 0.7 m), 3-foot (0.9 m) tall granitic monolith with crossing longitudinal and latitudinal lines engraved on its upper surface and with a defaced inscription engraved on its west face that states:

POSITION OF JEFFERSON
PIER ERECTED DEC 18, 1804.
RECOVERED AND RE-ERECTED
DEC 2, 1889.
[fifth line chiseled out]
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA^[3]^[4]

The chiseled-out fifth line reportedly once incorrectly stated: "BEING THE CENTRE POINT OF THE".^[5]^[6]

Plan of Washington, D.C.

According to a notation on Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant's 1791 "Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government of the United States ... " (see L'Enfant Plan), Andrew Ellicott measured a prime meridian (longitude 0°0') through the future site of the U.S. Capitol.^[7]^[8] (Shortly after L'Enfant prepared this plan, its subject received the name "City of Washington".) Thomas Jefferson, who at the time was serving as the United States Secretary of State, supervised Ellicott's and L'Enfant's activities during the initial planning of the nation's capital city. Jefferson hoped that the United States would become scientifically as well as politically independent from Europe. He therefore desired that the new nation's capital city should contain a new "first meridian".

A prominent geometric feature of L'Enfant's plan was a large right triangle whose hypotenuse was a wide avenue (now part of Pennsylvania Avenue, NW) connecting the "President's house" (now the White House) and the "Congress house" (now the U.S. Capitol building).^[9] To complete the triangle, a line projecting due south from the center of the President's house intersected at a right angle a line projecting due west from the center of the Congress house.^[9] A 400 feet (122 m)-wide garden-lined "grand avenue" would travel for about 1 mile (1.6 km) along the east–west line.^[9] L'Enfant chose the west end of the "grand avenue" (at the triangle's southwest corner) to be the location of a future equestrian statue of George Washington for which the Continental Congress had voted in 1783.^[9] (Although the planned "grand avenue" became the portion of the National Mall that is now between the Capitol's grounds and the Washington Monument, neither the avenue nor Washington's equestrian statue were ever constructed.

Planning for Washington Monument

In 1804, Jefferson requested a survey of a meridian through the President's house while living in the house when serving as the President of the United States. It is not known why Jefferson requested a survey of a new meridian after he had previously directed a survey of a different one while serving as Secretary of State eleven years earlier.

In accordance with Jefferson's request, Isaac Briggs used a transit and equal altitude instrument^[10] to survey a new meridian line extending south from the center of the President's House that intersected a line extending due west from the planned center of the Capitol building.^[11]^[12] On October 15, 1804, Nicholas King, Surveyor of the City of Washington, erected at the intersection "a small pier, covered by a flat free stone, on which the lines are drawn." ^[12] This established the Washington Meridian (sometimes termed the "16th Street Meridian"), now at a longitude 77°2'11.56" (NAD 83) west of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.^[2] The pier and stone were located at the point that L'Enfant's plan had identified as being the future site of George Washington's equestrian statue. A pier is a massive pillar capable of supporting a great weight.^[13] Most of the length of a surveying pier is buried vertically in the ground for stability. Free stone is fine grained stone soft enough to carve with a chisel, yet has no tendency to split in any preferential direction.

Another stone, the Capitol Stone, was erected where the north–south line from the President's house intersected a line extending west from the south end of the Capitol, and a third stone, the Meridian Stone, was erected on the north–south meridian two miles north on Peters Hill, now Meridian Hill. Neither of the two latter stones survives. Due to errors either when the Jefferson Pier was initially surveyed or when it was replaced, its center is now 2.23 ft (0.680 m) south of the Capitol's centerline.^[14]

The 1804 stone marker replaced one of two wooden posts driven into the ground in 1793 at its site.^[15] The marker was originally located on the south bank of Tiber Creek,^[12] near the creek's confluence with the Potomac River. The area of the present National Mall west of the marker was under water until an engineering project that Peter Conover Hains directed from 1882 to 1891 created West Potomac Park.^[16] East of the marker, Tiber Creek was transformed into the Washington City Canal.

During Washington Monument's construction

Barges used the marker as a mooring post during and after the first phase of Washington Monument's construction, which began in 1848.^[15] However, that usage was not the reason that the stone was named a "pier", because the surveyor who erected it had already used that term himself. The developers of the Washington Monument originally wanted the memorial to be located at the site of the Jefferson Pier. However, concerns about the bearing capacity of the soil prevented that from occurring. The marker served as benchmark when the Monument's construction began, but later disappeared from view.^[15]

Without recognizing the significance of the stone, the United States Army Corps of Engineers removed the original marker during 1872–1874 as part of a cleanup and grading of the grounds around the stump of the Washington Monument, which had not yet been finished. As part of this project, the Corps of Engineers filled in gullies, planted trees and constructed ornamental ponds and a broad carriage road around the stump.^[15]^[17] The project left in place about 20 inches of the stone's foundation.

After Washington Memorial's completion

Inscription on west side of Jefferson Pier

On December 2, 1889, John Stewart, a draftsman acting on the instructions of Colonel O. H. Ernst, Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds, erected a replacement marker above the recovered foundation of the original marker. According to 1898 and 1899 reports, an inscription on the west side of the replacement marker stated: "Position of the meridian post, erected September 20, 1793, and position of the Jefferson stone pier, erected December 18, 1804, and recovered and reerected, December 2, 1889."^[15]^[18] (Silvio Bedini has written that these reports did not accurately describe the inscription.^[19]) The marker was lowered to within 8 inches of its top, so that the inscription was not visible above ground.^[15] In 1899, the ground on the west side of the pier was sloped so as to show the inscription on the Pier.^[20]

The meridian of the United States was changed to the center of the small dome of the Old Naval Observatory in 1850 (see Old Naval Observatory meridian) and finally replaced by the Greenwich Meridian as the legal prime meridian for both boundaries and navigation in 1912.

In 1920, Congress approved the placement of a new delineation stone on the Ellipse, the Zero Milestone, which is an itinerary marker from which official mileages from Washington would be determined.^{[note 2]} The new marker, a gift of the Lee Highway Association, was for some reason placed one foot west of the original meridian line extending north–south from the center of the White House.

In 1943, the Jefferson Memorial was completed due south of the White House on the Washington Meridian.^{[note 1]}^[21] As a result, the Jefferson Pier now stands on a north–south line that passes near the centers of the "President's house" and the memorial dedicated to the president for whom the Pier is named.

Maintenance

An artifact sometimes confusing to and often overlooked by tourists, Jefferson Pier is maintained today by the National Park Service under its National Mall and Memorial Parks administrative unit. In 1890 a new monument, the Ellipse Meridian Stone, was placed by the Coast and Geodetic Survey in the center of the Ellipse in President's Park about 1,506 feet (459 m) north of the Jefferson Pier in a more protected area.^{[note 3]} Theodolite measurements showed the new Ellipse Meridian Stone stood 26 inches (0.66 m) from the longitudinal line of the replacement Jefferson Stone, indicating one of the two markers was improperly located.

Coordinates

Map this section's coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

^ ^a ^b
Coordinates for:
- Center of the White House: 38°53′51″N 77°02′12″W / 38.8976056°N 77.0365834°W / 38.8976056; -77.0365834 (Center of White House)
- Center of United States Capitol: 38°53′23″N 77°00′33″W / 38.889810°N 77.009060°W / 38.889810; -77.009060 (Center of United States Capitol)
- Center of Jefferson Pier: 38°53′23.29463″N 77°2′11.56″W / 38.8898040639°N 77.0365444°W / 38.8898040639; -77.0365444 (Center of Jefferson Pier)
- Center of Jefferson Memorial: 38°52′53″N 77°02′12″W / 38.8813788°N 77.0365459°W / 38.8813788; -77.0365459 (Center of Jefferson Memorial)
^ Coordinates of Zero Milestone 38°53′42″N 77°02′12″W / 38.895108°N 77.036548°W / 38.895108; -77.036548 (Zero Milestone) (NGS says this should be correct with a couple of centimeters as of 2002^[update].)
^ Coordinates of Ellipse Meridian Stone 38°53′38″N 77°02′12″W / 38.893936°N 77.036544°W / 38.893936; -77.036544 (Ellipse Meridian Stone) (NGS says this should be correct within a centimeter as of 2002)

Notes

^ David R. Doyle, National Geodetic Survey. "Where Freedom Stands". Retrieved April 20, 2006.
^ ^a ^b Jefferson Pier, NGS Data Sheet
^ ^a ^b Pfanz, Donald C., National Park Service, National Capital Region (December 2, 1980). "Jefferson Pier Marker". National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Washington Monument. United States Department of the Interior: National Park Service. p. Continuation Sheet, Item No. 7, p. 4.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Photographs of Jefferson Pier and nearby landmarks:
° Browne, Allen (March 26, 2011). "Landmarks: The Jefferson Pier". Retrieved March 1, 2012.
° Miller, Richard E. (December 4, 2010). "Jefferson Pier — [Washington Monument] —". HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
^ Geyer (2001), pp. 84.
^ Browne, Allen (March 26, 2011). "Landmarks: The Jefferson Pier". Archived from the original on April 30, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
^ Pierre Charles L'Enfant's 1791 "Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government ...." in official website of the U.S. Library of Congress, retrieved August 13, 2008. Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C., contains an inlay of the central portion of L'Enfant's plan. A legend in the inlay states that Andrew Ellicott measured a meridian with a longitude of 0°0' through the future site of the "Congress house".
^ L'Enfant identified himself as "Peter Charles L'Enfant" during most of his life, while residing in the United States. He wrote this name on his "Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government of t(he) United States ...." (Washington, D.C.) and on other legal documents. However, during the early 1900s, a French ambassador to the U.S., Jean Jules Jusserand, popularized the use of L'Enfant's birth name, "Pierre Charles L'Enfant". (See: Bowling, Kenneth R (2002). Peter Charles L'Enfant: vision, honor, and male friendship in the early American Republic. George Washington University, Washington, D.C.) The National Park Service identifies L'Enfant as Major Peter Charles L'Enfant and as Major Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant on its website. The United States Code states in 40 U.S.C. § 3309: "(a) In General.—The purposes of this chapter shall be carried out in the District of Columbia as nearly as may be practicable in harmony with the plan of Peter Charles L'Enfant."
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d High resolution image of central portion of "The L'Enfant Plan for Washington" in Library of Congress, with transcribed excerpts of key to map and enlarged image in official website of the U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved October 23, 2009.
^ "Transit and Equal Altitude Instrument". Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
^ A Brief Construction History of the Capitol In 1804, the original north (Senate) wing of the Capitol was complete, construction of the original south (House) wing had just begun, and a gap existed between the two wings where the dome would later be built. The east-west line passed through the center of this gap.
^ ^a ^b ^c Letter of "Nicholas King, Surveyor of the City to Thomas Jefferson, October 15, 1804": its first page has the date and its purpose, its last page mentions "pier", and its back has two annotations by later archivists, one of whom calls it "a record of the demarcation of the 1st Meridian of the US". URLs accessed on April 28, 2006.
^ Glossary of Medieval Art and Architecture: Pier
^ Washington Monument GPS project (PDF, 1.29MB)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bingham, Theo. A (1898). "Appendix CCC: Improvement and Care of Public Buildings and Grounds in the District of Columbia — Washington Monument". Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1898. II (Part 6). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office: 3670–3671. Retrieved February 29, 2012 – via Google Books.
^ Arlington National Cemetery. "Peter Conover Hains". Retrieved April 20, 2006.
^ Albert E. Crowley, A City for the Nation: The Army Engineers and the Building of Washington, D.C., 1790–1967 ([1979?]), SuDoc D103.43:870-1-3, p.26.
^ Stewart, John (1899). "Early Maps and Surveyors of the City of Washington, D.C." Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 2. Washington, D.C.: Columbia Historical Society: 70. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
^ Bedini 1999, p. 111
^ Bingham, Theo. A (1899). "Appendix CCC: Improvement and Care of Public Buildings and Grounds in the District of Columbia — Washington Monument". Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1899. II (Part 6). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office: 3833. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
^ "Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C." National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2009.

References

Bedini, Silvio A. (1999). The Jefferson Stone: Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States. Frederick, MD: Professional Surveyors Publishing Co. ISBN 0-9665120-1-4. OCLC 492992312. Note: King's letter is transcribed in an appendix.
- Toscano, Patrick (January 2000). "Book Review: Bedini, Silvio A. (1999), The Jefferson stone: Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States, Frederick, MD: Professional Surveyors Publishing Co". Professional Surveyor Magazine. 20 (1). Frederick, MD: Flatdog Media, Inc. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2016.
- Waff, Craig B. (May 2001). "A Prime Meridian for the United States? Essay Review of Bedini, Silvio A. (1999), The Jefferson stone: Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States, Frederick, MD: Professional Surveyors Publishing Co". Journal for the History of Astronomy. 32, Part 2 (106). Cambridge, England: Science History Publications, Ltd.: 157–159. Bibcode:2001JHA....32..157W. doi:10.1177/002182860103200209. ISSN 0021-8286. S2CID 220268689. Note: Contains much information from book.
- Geyer, Martin (2001). "Reviewed work: The Jefferson Stone. Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States, Silvio A. Bedini". Washington History. 13 (2). Historical Society of Washington, D.C.: 84–86. JSTOR 40073383.

External links

1855 Colton map of Washington Jefferson Pier would have been on seawall at edge of water at the entrance to Washington City Canal
2014 National Park Service Map of National Mall
National Park Service Tour of the National Mall: Stop 4: A Watery Past

38°53′23.29463″N 77°2′11.56″W / 38.8898040639°N 77.0365444°W / 38.8898040639; -77.0365444

[coords-4] Coordinates for:
Center of the White House: 38°53′51″N 77°02′12″W / 38.8976056°N 77.0365834°W / 38.8976056; -77.0365834 (Center of White House)

Center of United States Capitol: 38°53′23″N 77°00′33″W / 38.889810°N 77.009060°W / 38.889810; -77.009060 (Center of United States Capitol)

Center of Jefferson Pier: 38°53′23.29463″N 77°2′11.56″W / 38.8898040639°N 77.0365444°W / 38.8898040639; -77.0365444 (Center of Jefferson Pier)

Center of Jefferson Memorial: 38°52′53″N 77°02′12″W / 38.8813788°N 77.0365459°W / 38.8813788; -77.0365459 (Center of Jefferson Memorial)

[2] Center of the White House: 38°53′51″N 77°02′12″W / 38.8976056°N 77.0365834°W / 38.8976056; -77.0365834 (Center of White House)

[3] Center of United States Capitol: 38°53′23″N 77°00′33″W / 38.889810°N 77.009060°W / 38.889810; -77.009060 (Center of United States Capitol)

[4] Center of Jefferson Pier: 38°53′23.29463″N 77°2′11.56″W / 38.8898040639°N 77.0365444°W / 38.8898040639; -77.0365444 (Center of Jefferson Pier)

[5] Center of Jefferson Memorial: 38°52′53″N 77°02′12″W / 38.8813788°N 77.0365459°W / 38.8813788; -77.0365459 (Center of Jefferson Memorial)

[22] Coordinates of Zero Milestone 38°53′42″N 77°02′12″W / 38.895108°N 77.036548°W / 38.895108; -77.036548 (Zero Milestone) (NGS says this should be correct with a couple of centimeters as of 2002^[update].)

[24] Coordinates of Ellipse Meridian Stone 38°53′38″N 77°02′12″W / 38.893936°N 77.036544°W / 38.893936; -77.036544 (Ellipse Meridian Stone) (NGS says this should be correct within a centimeter as of 2002)

[1] David R. Doyle, National Geodetic Survey. "Where Freedom Stands". Retrieved April 20, 2006.

[NGS-2] Jefferson Pier, NGS Data Sheet

[register-3] Pfanz, Donald C., National Park Service, National Capital Region (December 2, 1980). "Jefferson Pier Marker". National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Washington Monument. United States Department of the Interior: National Park Service. p. Continuation Sheet, Item No. 7, p. 4.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[5] Photographs of Jefferson Pier and nearby landmarks:
° Browne, Allen (March 26, 2011). "Landmarks: The Jefferson Pier". Retrieved March 1, 2012.
° Miller, Richard E. (December 4, 2010). "Jefferson Pier — [Washington Monument] —". HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database. Retrieved March 1, 2012.

[FOOTNOTEGeyer200184-6] Geyer (2001), pp. 84.

[7] Browne, Allen (March 26, 2011). "Landmarks: The Jefferson Pier". Archived from the original on April 30, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2016.

[8] Pierre Charles L'Enfant's 1791 "Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government ...." in official website of the U.S. Library of Congress, retrieved August 13, 2008. Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C., contains an inlay of the central portion of L'Enfant's plan. A legend in the inlay states that Andrew Ellicott measured a meridian with a longitude of 0°0' through the future site of the "Congress house".

[9] L'Enfant identified himself as "Peter Charles L'Enfant" during most of his life, while residing in the United States. He wrote this name on his "Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government of t(he) United States ...." (Washington, D.C.) and on other legal documents. However, during the early 1900s, a French ambassador to the U.S., Jean Jules Jusserand, popularized the use of L'Enfant's birth name, "Pierre Charles L'Enfant". (See: Bowling, Kenneth R (2002). Peter Charles L'Enfant: vision, honor, and male friendship in the early American Republic. George Washington University, Washington, D.C.) The National Park Service identifies L'Enfant as Major Peter Charles L'Enfant and as Major Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant on its website. The United States Code states in 40 U.S.C. § 3309: "(a) In General.—The purposes of this chapter shall be carried out in the District of Columbia as nearly as may be practicable in harmony with the plan of Peter Charles L'Enfant."

[L'Enfant_Plan-10] High resolution image of central portion of "The L'Enfant Plan for Washington" in Library of Congress, with transcribed excerpts of key to map and enlarged image in official website of the U.S. National Park Service. Retrieved October 23, 2009.

[11] "Transit and Equal Altitude Instrument". Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2012.

[12] A Brief Construction History of the Capitol In 1804, the original north (Senate) wing of the Capitol was complete, construction of the original south (House) wing had just begun, and a gap existed between the two wings where the dome would later be built. The east-west line passed through the center of this gap.

[King-13] Letter of "Nicholas King, Surveyor of the City to Thomas Jefferson, October 15, 1804": its first page has the date and its purpose, its last page mentions "pier", and its back has two annotations by later archivists, one of whom calls it "a record of the demarcation of the 1st Meridian of the US". URLs accessed on April 28, 2006.

[14] Glossary of Medieval Art and Architecture: Pier

[15] Washington Monument GPS project (PDF, 1.29MB)

[Bingham1-16] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Bingham, Theo. A (1898). "Appendix CCC: Improvement and Care of Public Buildings and Grounds in the District of Columbia — Washington Monument". Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1898. II (Part 6). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office: 3670–3671. Retrieved February 29, 2012 – via Google Books.

[17] Arlington National Cemetery. "Peter Conover Hains". Retrieved April 20, 2006.

[18] Albert E. Crowley, A City for the Nation: The Army Engineers and the Building of Washington, D.C., 1790–1967 ([1979?]), SuDoc D103.43:870-1-3, p.26.

[Stewart-19] Stewart, John (1899). "Early Maps and Surveyors of the City of Washington, D.C." Records of the Columbia Historical Society. 2. Washington, D.C.: Columbia Historical Society: 70. Retrieved February 29, 2012.

[20] Bedini 1999, p. 111

[21] Bingham, Theo. A (1899). "Appendix CCC: Improvement and Care of Public Buildings and Grounds in the District of Columbia — Washington Monument". Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1899. II (Part 6). Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office: 3833. Retrieved February 29, 2012.

[23] "Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C." National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2009.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
-[[File:Jefferson Pier and Washington Monument.jpg|thumb|right|300px|West side of Jefferson Pier with Washington Monument in background]]
+[[File:Jefferson Pier and Washington Monument.jpg|thumb|right|300px|West side of Jefferson Pier with Washington Monument in background (April 2011)]]
-'''Jefferson Pier''', '''Jefferson Stone''', or the '''Jefferson Pier Stone''', in [[Washington, D.C.]], marks the second [[Washington meridians|prime meridian of the United States]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/freedom_stands.html| title=Where Freedom Stands| author=David R. Doyle, National Geodetic Survey| accessdate=April 20, 2006}}</ref> even though it was never officially recognized, either by presidential proclamation or by a resolution or act of [[United States Congress|Congress]].
+'''Jefferson Pier''', '''Jefferson Stone''', or the '''Jefferson Pier Stone''', (pronounced pie-er, like radials of a [[pie]]){{citation needed|date=January 2023}} in [[Washington, D.C.]], marks the second [[Washington meridians|prime meridian of the United States]]<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/freedom_stands.html| title=Where Freedom Stands| author=David R. Doyle, National Geodetic Survey| access-date=April 20, 2006}}</ref> even though it was never officially recognized, either by presidential proclamation or by a resolution or act of [[United States Congress|Congress]].
 ==Location and inscription==
+[[File:DC-old-and-new-Jefferson-Pier.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Location of Jefferson Pier on 1800 map (top) and modern satellite image (bottom).]]
-The stone is on the [[National Mall]] almost due south of the center of the [[White House]] and the midline of [[16th Street Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|16th Street, NW]], about due west of the center of the [[United States Capitol]] building, almost due north of the center of the [[Jefferson Memorial]] and {{convert|391|ft|m|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} WNW of the center of the [[Washington Monument]].<ref name=NGS>[http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=UA0024 Jefferson Pier, NGS Data Sheet]</ref><ref name=register>{{cite web|url=http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/66000035.pdf|page=Continuation Sheet, Item No. 7, p. 4|title=Jefferson Pier Marker|work=National Register of Historic Places Inventory &ndash; Nomination Form: Washington Monument|publisher=[[United States Department of the Interior]]: [[National Park Service]]|last=Pfanz|first=Donald C., National Park Service, National Capital Region|date=December 2, 1980|accessdate=February 13, 2012}}</ref><ref group=note name="coords">Coordinates for:
+The stone is on the [[National Mall]] almost due south of the center of the [[White House]] and the midline of [[16th Street Northwest (Washington, D.C.)|16th Street, NW]], about due west of the center of the [[United States Capitol]] building, almost due north of the center of the [[Jefferson Memorial]] and {{convert|391|ft|m|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} WNW of the center of the [[Washington Monument]].<ref name=NGS>[http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds2.prl?retrieval_type=by_pid&PID=UA0024 Jefferson Pier, NGS Data Sheet]</ref><ref name=register>{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=66000035}}|page=Continuation Sheet, Item No. 7, p. 4|title=Jefferson Pier Marker|work=National Register of Historic Places Inventory &ndash; Nomination Form: Washington Monument|publisher=[[United States Department of the Interior]]: [[National Park Service]]|last=Pfanz|first=Donald C., National Park Service, National Capital Region|date=December 2, 1980}}</ref><ref group=note name="coords">Coordinates for:
 * Center of the White House: {{coord|38.8976056|-77.0365834|format=dms|scale:2000|name=Center of White House}}
 * Center of United States Capitol:  {{coord|38.889810|-77.009060|format=dms|scale:2000|name=Center of United States Capitol}}
@@ Line 13: / Line 14: @@
 <blockquote>
-Position of Jefferson<br>
+POSITION OF JEFFERSON<br>
-Pier erected December 18, 1804.<br>
+PIER ERECTED DEC 18, 1804.<br>
-Recovered and Re-erected<br>
+RECOVERED AND RE-ERECTED<br>
-December 2, 1889.<br>
+DEC 2, 1889.<br>
 <span class="history-deleted">[fifth line chiseled out]</span><br>
-District of Columbia<ref name=register/><ref>Photographs of Jefferson Pier and nearby landmarks:<br>° {{cite web|last=Browne|first=Allen|url=http://allenbrowne.blogspot.com/2011/03/jefferson-pier.html|title=Landmarks: The Jefferson Pier|date=March 26, 2011|accessdate=March 1, 2012}}<br>° {{cite web|last=Miller|first=Richard E.|url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=38804|title=Jefferson Pier — [Washington Monument] —|publisher=[http://www.hmdb.org/ HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database]|date=December 4, 2010|accessdate=March 1, 2012}}</ref>
+DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA<ref name=register/><ref>Photographs of Jefferson Pier and nearby landmarks:<br>° {{cite web|last=Browne|first=Allen|url=http://allenbrowne.blogspot.com/2011/03/jefferson-pier.html|title=Landmarks: The Jefferson Pier|date=March 26, 2011|access-date=March 1, 2012}}<br>° {{cite web|last=Miller|first=Richard E.|url=http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=38804|title=Jefferson Pier — [Washington Monument] —|publisher=[[Historical Marker Database|HMdb.org: The Historical Marker Database]]|date=December 4, 2010|access-date=March 1, 2012}}</ref>
 </blockquote>
-The chiseled-out fifth line reportedly once incorrectly stated: "BEING THE CENTRE POINT OF THE".<ref>[https://www.jstor.org/stable/40073383 Geyer, p. 84].</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Browne|first=Allen|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20140430072358/http://allenbrowne.blogspot.com/2011/03/jefferson-pier.html?showComment=1331157095747|archivedate=April 30, 2014|url=http://allenbrowne.blogspot.com/2011/03/jefferson-pier.html|title=Landmarks: The Jefferson Pier|date=March 26, 2011|accessdate=January 31, 2016}}</ref>
+The chiseled-out fifth line reportedly once incorrectly stated: "BEING THE CENTRE POINT OF THE".{{sfnp|Geyer|2001|pp=84}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Browne|first=Allen|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430072358/http://allenbrowne.blogspot.com/2011/03/jefferson-pier.html?showComment=1331157095747|archive-date=April 30, 2014|url=http://allenbrowne.blogspot.com/2011/03/jefferson-pier.html|title=Landmarks: The Jefferson Pier|date=March 26, 2011|access-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref>
 ==Plan of Washington, D.C.==
+According to a notation on [[Pierre Charles L'Enfant|Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant]]'s 1791 "''Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government of the United States ... ''" (see [[L'Enfant Plan]]), [[Andrew Ellicott]] measured a [[prime meridian]] (longitude {{nowrap|0°0'}}) through the future site of the U.S. Capitol.<ref>[https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tri001.html Pierre Charles L'Enfant's 1791 "''Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government ....''"] ''in'' [https://www.loc.gov official website of the U.S. Library of Congress], retrieved August 13, 2008. [[Freedom Plaza]] in downtown Washington, D.C., contains an inlay of the central portion of L'Enfant's plan. A legend in the inlay states that Andrew Ellicott measured a meridian with a longitude of {{nowrap|0°0'}} through the future site of the  "Congress house".</ref><ref>L'Enfant identified himself as "Peter Charles L'Enfant" during most of his life, while residing in the United States. He wrote this name on his [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3850.ct000512 "Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government of t(he) United States ...."] (Washington, D.C.) and on other legal documents. However, during the early 1900s, a French ambassador to the U.S., [[Jean Jules Jusserand]], popularized the use of L'Enfant's birth name, "Pierre Charles L'Enfant". (See: Bowling, Kenneth R (2002). ''Peter Charles L'Enfant: vision, honor, and male friendship in the early American Republic.'' George Washington University, Washington, D.C.) The [[National Park Service]] identifies L'Enfant as ''[http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/Wash/text.htm#washington Major Peter Charles L'Enfant]'' and as '' [http://www.nps.gov/history/Nr/travel/presidents/washington_monument.html Major Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant]'' on its website. The United States Code states in {{USC|40|3309}}: "(a) In General.—The purposes of this chapter shall be carried out in the District of Columbia as nearly as may be practicable in harmony with the plan of Peter Charles L'Enfant."</ref> (Shortly after L'Enfant prepared this plan, its subject received the name [[History of Washington, D.C.|"City of Washington]]".) [[Thomas Jefferson]], who at the time was serving as the [[United States Secretary of State]], supervised Ellicott's and L'Enfant's activities during the initial planning of the nation's capital city. Jefferson hoped that the United States would become scientifically as well as politically independent from Europe. He therefore desired that the new nation's capital city should contain a new "first meridian".
-[[File:DC-old-and-new-Jefferson-Pier.jpg|thumb|220px|left|Location of Jefferson Pier on 1800 map (top) and modern satellite image (bottom).]]
+A prominent geometric feature of L'Enfant's plan was a large [[right triangle]] whose [[hypotenuse]] was a wide avenue (now part of [[Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Pennsylvania Avenue]], NW) connecting the "President's house" (now the White House) and the "Congress house" (now the U.S. Capitol building).<ref name="L'Enfant Plan">[https://web.archive.org/web/20200113100318/http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/62wash/62locate1.htm High resolution image of central portion of "The L'Enfant Plan for Washington" in Library of Congress, with transcribed excerpts of key to map] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20120112225822/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/62wash/62images/62map1.pdf enlarged image] ''in'' [http://www.nps.gov official website of the U.S. National Park Service]. Retrieved October 23, 2009.</ref>   To complete the triangle, a line projecting due south from the center of the President's house intersected at a [[right angle]] a line projecting due west from the center of the Congress house.<ref name="L'Enfant Plan"/> A {{convert|400|ft|0}}-wide garden-lined "grand avenue" would travel for about {{convert|1|mi|1}} along the east–west line.<ref name="L'Enfant Plan"/>  L'Enfant chose the west end of the "grand avenue" (at the triangle's southwest corner) to be the location of a future equestrian statue of George Washington for which the [[Continental Congress]] had voted in 1783.<ref name="L'Enfant Plan"/> (Although the planned "grand avenue" became the portion of the [[National Mall]] that is now between the Capitol's grounds and the Washington Monument, neither the avenue nor Washington's equestrian statue were ever constructed.
-According to a notation on [[Pierre Charles L'Enfant|Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant]]'s 1791 "''Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government of the United States...''", [[Andrew Ellicott]] measured a [[prime meridian]] (longitude {{nowrap|0°0'}}) through the future site of the U.S. Capitol.<ref>[http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tri001.html Pierre Charles L'Enfant's 1791 "''Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government ....''"] ''in'' [http://www.loc.gov official website of the U.S. Library of Congress], retrieved August 13, 2008. [[Freedom Plaza]] in downtown Washington, D.C., contains an inlay of the central portion of L'Enfant's plan. A legend in the inlay states that Andrew Ellicott measured a meridian with a longitude of {{nowrap|0°0'}} through the future site of the  "Congress house".</ref><ref>L'Enfant identified himself as "Peter Charles L'Enfant" during most of his life, while residing in the United States. He wrote this name on his [http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3850.ct000512 "Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the government of t(he) United States ...."] (Washington, D.C.) and on other legal documents. However, during the early 1900s, a French ambassador to the U.S., [[Jean Jules Jusserand]], popularized the use of L'Enfant's birth name, "Pierre Charles L'Enfant". (See: Bowling, Kenneth R (2002). ''Peter Charles L'Enfant: vision, honor, and male friendship in the early American Republic.'' George Washington University, Washington, D.C.) The [[National Park Service]] identifies L'Enfant as ''[http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/Wash/text.htm#washington Major Peter Charles L'Enfant]'' and as '' [http://www.nps.gov/history/Nr/travel/presidents/washington_monument.html Major Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant]'' on its website. The United States Code states in {{USC|40|3309}}: "(a) In General.—The purposes of this chapter shall be carried out in the District of Columbia as nearly as may be practicable in harmony with the plan of Peter Charles L'Enfant."</ref> (Shortly after L'Enfant prepared this plan, its subject received the name [[History of Washington, D.C.|"City of Washington]]".) [[Thomas Jefferson]], who at the time was serving as the [[List of Secretaries of State of the United States|United States Secretary of State]], supervised Ellicott's and L'Enfant's activities during the initial planning of the nation's capital city. Jefferson hoped that the United States would become scientifically as well as politically independent from Europe. He therefore desired that the new nation's capital city should contain a new "first meridian".
-A prominent geometric feature of L'Enfant's plan was a large [[right triangle]] whose [[hypotenuse]] was a wide avenue (now part of [[Pennsylvania Avenue (Washington, D.C.)|Pennsylvania Avenue]], NW) connecting the "President's house" (now the White House) and the "Congress house" (now the U.S. Capitol building).<ref name="L'Enfant Plan">[http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/62wash/62locate1.htm High resolution image of central portion of "The L'Enfant Plan for Washington" in Library of Congress, with transcribed excerpts of key to map] and [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/62wash/62images/62map1.pdf enlarged image] ''in'' [http://www.nps.gov official website of the U.S. National Park Service]. Retrieved October 23, 2009.</ref>   To complete the triangle, a line projecting due south from the center of the President's house intersected at a [[right angle]] a line projecting due west from the center of the Congress house.<ref name="L'Enfant Plan"/> A {{convert|400|ft|0}}-wide garden-lined "grand avenue" would travel for about {{convert|1|mi|1}} along the east-west line.<ref name="L'Enfant Plan"/>  L'Enfant chose the west end of the "grand avenue" (at the triangle's southwest corner) to be the location of a future equestrian statue of George Washington for which the [[Continental Congress]] had voted in 1783.<ref name="L'Enfant Plan"/> (Although the planned "grand avenue" became the portion of the National Mall that is now between the Capitol's grounds and the Washington Monument, neither the avenue nor Washington's equestrian statue were ever constructed (see: [[National Mall]])).
 ==Planning for Washington Monument==
+[[File:Jefferson Pier by Matthew Bisanz.JPG|thumb|right|200px|West side of the Jefferson Pier, showing  crossed longitudinal and latitudinal lines on top of the monument (September 2009)]]
 In 1804, Jefferson requested a survey of a meridian through the President's house while living in the house when serving as the [[President of the United States]]. It is not known why Jefferson requested a survey of a new meridian after he had previously directed a survey of a different one while serving as Secretary of State eleven years earlier.
-In accordance with Jefferson's request, [[Isaac Briggs]] used a transit and equal altitude instrument (''see [[Theodolite]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/surveying/type.cfm?typeid=18|title=Transit and Equal Altitude Instrument|publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] [[National Museum of American History]]|accessdate=March 12, 2012}}</ref> to survey a new meridian line extending south from the center of the President's House that intersected a line extending due west from the planned center of the Capitol building.<ref>[http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/capitol_construction.cfm A Brief Construction History of the Capitol] In 1804, the original north (Senate) wing of the Capitol was complete, construction of the original south (House) wing had just begun, and a gap existed between the two wings where the dome would later be built. The east-west line passed through the center of this gap.</ref><ref name=King>Letter of "Nicholas King, Surveyor of the City to Thomas Jefferson, October 15, 1804":
+In accordance with Jefferson's request, [[Isaac Briggs]] used a [[Theodolite|transit and equal altitude instrument]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/surveying/type.cfm?typeid=18|title=Transit and Equal Altitude Instrument|publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] [[National Museum of American History]]|access-date=March 12, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122062202/http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/surveying/type.cfm?typeid=18|archive-date=January 22, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref> to survey a new meridian line extending south from the center of the President's House that intersected a line extending due west from the planned center of the Capitol building.<ref>[http://www.aoc.gov/cc/capitol/capitol_construction.cfm A Brief Construction History of the Capitol] In 1804, the original north (Senate) wing of the Capitol was complete, construction of the original south (House) wing had just begun, and a gap existed between the two wings where the dome would later be built. The east-west line passed through the center of this gap.</ref><ref name=King>Letter of "Nicholas King, Surveyor of the City to Thomas Jefferson, October 15, 1804":
 [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mtj3&fileName=mtj3page058.db&recNum=130 its first page] has the date and its purpose, [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mtj3&fileName=mtj3page058.db&recNum=135 its last page] mentions "pier", and [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mtj3&fileName=mtj3page058.db&recNum=136 its back] has two annotations by later archivists, one of whom calls it "a record of the demarcation of the 1st Meridian of the US". URLs accessed on April 28, 2006.</ref> On October 15, 1804, Nicholas King, Surveyor of the City of Washington, erected at the intersection "a small pier, covered by a flat free stone, on which the lines are drawn."  <ref name=King/> This established the [[Washington meridian#White House meridian|Washington Meridian]] (sometimes termed the "16th Street Meridian"), now at a longitude 77°2'11.56" (NAD 83) west of the [[Royal Observatory, Greenwich]].<ref name=NGS/> The pier and stone were located at the point that L'Enfant's plan had identified as being the future site of George Washington's equestrian statue. A [[Pier (architecture)|pier]] is a massive pillar capable of supporting a great weight.<ref>[http://www.pitt.edu/~medart/menuglossary/PIER.HTM Glossary of Medieval Art and Architecture: Pier]</ref> Most of the length of a surveying pier is buried vertically in the ground for stability. Free stone is fine grained stone soft enough to carve with a chisel, yet has no tendency to split in any preferential direction.
-Another stone, the [[Capitol Stone]], was erected where the north-south line from the President's house intersected a line extending west from the south end of the Capitol, and a third stone, the [[Meridian Stone]], was erected on the north-south meridian two miles north on Peters Hill, now Meridian Hill. Neither of the two latter stones survives. Due to errors either when the Jefferson Pier was initially surveyed or when it was replaced, its center is now {{convert|2.23|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} south of the Capitol's centerline.<ref>[http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/WashMon.pdf Washington Monument GPS project] (PDF, 1.29MB)</ref>
+Another stone, the [[Capitol Stone]], was erected where the north–south line from the President's house intersected a line extending west from the south end of the Capitol, and a third stone, the [[Meridian Stone]], was erected on the north–south meridian two miles north on Peters Hill, now Meridian Hill. Neither of the two latter stones survives. Due to errors either when the Jefferson Pier was initially surveyed or when it was replaced, its center is now {{convert|2.23|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=3}} south of the Capitol's centerline.<ref>[http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PUBS_LIB/WashMon.pdf Washington Monument GPS project] (PDF, 1.29MB)</ref>
-The 1804 stone marker replaced one of two wooden posts driven into the ground in 1793 at its site.<ref name=Bingham1>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PaMdAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA3670#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Appendix CCC: Improvement and Care of Public Buildings and Grounds in the District of Columbia — Washington Monument|last=Bingham|first=Theo. A|journal=Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1898|volume=II|number=Part 6|publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Printing Office]]|pages=3670–3671|year=1898|location=Washington, D.C.|accessdate=February 29, 2012}}</ref> The marker was originally located on the south bank of [[Tiber Creek]],<ref name=King/>  near the creek's confluence with the [[Potomac River]]. The area of the present National Mall west of the marker was under water until an engineering project that [[Peter Conover Hains]] directed from 1882 to 1891 created [[West Potomac Park]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/pchains.htm| title=Peter Conover Hains| author=Arlington National Cemetery | accessdate=April 20, 2006}}</ref>  East of the marker, Tiber Creek was transformed into the [[Washington City Canal]].
+The 1804 stone marker replaced one of two wooden posts driven into the ground in 1793 at its site.<ref name=Bingham1>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PaMdAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA3670|title=Appendix CCC: Improvement and Care of Public Buildings and Grounds in the District of Columbia — Washington Monument|last=Bingham|first=Theo. A|journal=Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1898|volume=II|number=Part 6|publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Printing Office]]|pages=3670–3671|year=1898|location=Washington, D.C.|access-date=February 29, 2012|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> The marker was originally located on the south bank of [[Tiber Creek]],<ref name=King/>  near the creek's confluence with the [[Potomac River]]. The area of the present National Mall west of the marker was under water until an engineering project that [[Peter Conover Hains]] directed from 1882 to 1891 created [[West Potomac Park]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/pchains.htm| title=Peter Conover Hains| author=Arlington National Cemetery | access-date=April 20, 2006}}</ref>  East of the marker, Tiber Creek was transformed into the [[Washington City Canal]].
 ==During Washington Monument's construction==
 Barges used the marker as a mooring post during and after the first phase of Washington Monument's construction, which began in 1848.<ref name=Bingham1/> However, that usage was not the reason that the stone was named a "pier", because the surveyor who erected it had already used that term himself.  The developers of the Washington Monument originally wanted the memorial to be located at the site of the Jefferson Pier. However, concerns about the [[bearing capacity]] of the soil prevented that from occurring. The marker served as [[Benchmark (surveying)|benchmark]] when the Monument's construction began, but later disappeared from view.<ref name=Bingham1/>
-Without recognizing the significance of the stone, the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] removed the original marker during 1872–1874 as part of a cleanup and grading of the grounds around the stump of the Washington Monument, which had not yet been finished. As part of this project, the Corps of Engineers filled-in gullies, planted trees and constructed ornamental ponds and a broad carriage road around the stump.<ref name=Bingham1/><ref>Albert E. Crowley, ''A City for the Nation: The Army Engineers and the Building of Washington, D.C., 1790–1967'' ([1979?]), SuDoc D103.43:870-1-3, p.26.</ref> The project left in place about 20 inches of the stone's foundation.
+Without recognizing the significance of the stone, the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] removed the original marker during 1872–1874 as part of a cleanup and grading of the grounds around the stump of the Washington Monument, which had not yet been finished. As part of this project, the Corps of Engineers filled in gullies, planted trees and constructed ornamental ponds and a broad carriage road around the stump.<ref name=Bingham1/><ref>Albert E. Crowley, ''A City for the Nation: The Army Engineers and the Building of Washington, D.C., 1790–1967'' ([1979?]), SuDoc D103.43:870-1-3, p.26.</ref> The project left in place about 20 inches of the stone's foundation.
 ==After Washington Memorial's completion==
 [[File:Jefferson-pier.jpg|thumb|right|Inscription on west side of Jefferson Pier]]
-On December 2, 1889, John Stewart, a draftsman acting on the instructions of Colonel O. H. Ernst, Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds, erected a replacement marker above the recovered foundation of the original marker. According to 1898 and 1899 reports, an inscription on the west side of the replacement marker stated: "Position of the meridian post, erected September 20, 1793, and position of the Jefferson stone pier, erected December 18, 1804, and recovered and reerected, December 1, 1889."<ref name=Bingham1/><ref name=Stewart>{{cite journal|last=Stewart|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgULOzNSafMC&pg=PA70#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Early Maps and Surveyors of the City of Washington, D.C.|year=1899|journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society|publisher=[[Historical Society of Washington, D.C.|Columbia Historical Society]]|location=Washington, D.C.|volume=2|page=70|accessdate=February 29, 2012}}</ref> ([[Silvio Bedini]] has written that these reports did not accurately describe the inscription.<ref>{{harvnb|Bedini|1999|p= 111}}</ref>)  The marker was lowered to within 8 inches of its top, so that the inscription was not visible above ground.<ref name=Bingham1/> In 1899, the ground on the west side of the pier was sloped so as to show the inscription on the Pier.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j5cdAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA3833#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Appendix CCC: Improvement and Care of Public Buildings and Grounds in the District of Columbia — Washington Monument|last=Bingham|first=Theo. A|journal=Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1899|volume=II|number=Part 6|publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Printing Office]]|page=3833|year=1899|location=Washington, D.C.|accessdate=February 29, 2012}}</ref>
+On December 2, 1889, John Stewart, a draftsman acting on the instructions of Colonel O. H. Ernst, Officer in Charge of Public Buildings and Grounds, erected a replacement marker above the recovered foundation of the original marker. According to 1898 and 1899 reports, an inscription on the west side of the replacement marker stated: "Position of the meridian post, erected September 20, 1793, and position of the Jefferson stone pier, erected December 18, 1804, and recovered and reerected, December 2, 1889."<ref name=Bingham1/><ref name=Stewart>{{cite journal|last=Stewart|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GgULOzNSafMC&pg=PA70|title=Early Maps and Surveyors of the City of Washington, D.C.|year=1899|journal=Records of the Columbia Historical Society|publisher=[[Historical Society of Washington, D.C.|Columbia Historical Society]]|location=Washington, D.C.|volume=2|page=70|access-date=February 29, 2012}}</ref> ([[Silvio Bedini]] has written that these reports did not accurately describe the inscription.<ref>{{harvnb|Bedini|1999|p= 111}}</ref>)  The marker was lowered to within 8 inches of its top, so that the inscription was not visible above ground.<ref name=Bingham1/> In 1899, the ground on the west side of the pier was sloped so as to show the inscription on the Pier.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j5cdAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA3833|title=Appendix CCC: Improvement and Care of Public Buildings and Grounds in the District of Columbia — Washington Monument|last=Bingham|first=Theo. A|journal=Annual Reports of the War Department for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1899|volume=II|number=Part 6|publisher=[[United States Government Publishing Office|Government Printing Office]]|page=3833|year=1899|location=Washington, D.C.|access-date=February 29, 2012}}</ref>
 The meridian of the United States was changed to the center of the small dome of the [[Old Naval Observatory]] in 1850 (''see [[Washington meridian#Old Naval Observatory meridian|Old Naval Observatory meridian]]'') and finally replaced by the [[Prime Meridian|Greenwich Meridian]] as the legal prime meridian for both boundaries and navigation in 1912.
-In 1920, Congress approved the placement of a new delineation stone on the Ellipse, the [[Zero Milestone]], which is an itinerary marker from which official mileages from Washington would be determined.<ref group=note>Coordinates of Zero Milestone {{coord|38.895108|-77.036548|format=dms|scale:2000|name=Zero Milestone}} (NGS says this should be correct with a couple of centimeters {{as of|2002|lc=y}}.)</ref>  The new marker, a gift of the Lee Highway Association, was for some reason placed one foot west of the original meridian line extending north-south from the center of the White House.
+In 1920, Congress approved the placement of a new delineation stone on the Ellipse, the [[Zero Milestone]], which is an itinerary marker from which official mileages from Washington would be determined.<ref group=note>Coordinates of Zero Milestone {{coord|38.895108|-77.036548|format=dms|scale:2000|name=Zero Milestone}} (NGS says this should be correct with a couple of centimeters {{as of|2002|lc=y}}.)</ref>  The new marker, a gift of the Lee Highway Association, was for some reason placed one foot west of the original meridian line extending north–south from the center of the White House.
-In 1943, the Jefferson Memorial was completed due south of the White House on the Washington Meridian.<ref group=note name=coords /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nR/travel/presidents/thomas_jefferson_memorial.html |title=Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C. |publisher=National Park Service |accessdate=December 2, 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105162047/http://www.nps.gov/history/nR/travel/presidents/thomas_jefferson_memorial.html |archivedate=November 5, 2012}}</ref>  As a result, the Jefferson Pier now stands on a north-south line that passes near the centers of the "President's house" and the memorial dedicated to the president for whom the Pier is named.
+In 1943, the Jefferson Memorial was completed due south of the White House on the Washington Meridian.<ref group=note name=coords /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nR/travel/presidents/thomas_jefferson_memorial.html |title=Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C. |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=December 2, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105162047/http://www.nps.gov/history/nR/travel/presidents/thomas_jefferson_memorial.html |archive-date=November 5, 2012}}</ref>  As a result, the Jefferson Pier now stands on a north–south line that passes near the centers of the "President's house" and the memorial dedicated to the president for whom the Pier is named.
 ==Maintenance==
-An artifact sometimes confusing to and often overlooked by tourists, Jefferson Pier is maintained today by the [[National Park Service]] under its [[National Mall and Memorial Parks]] administrative unit. In 1890 a new monument, the [[Ellipse Meridian Stone]], was placed by the Coast and Geodetic Survey in the center of [[the Ellipse]] in [[President's Park]] about {{convert|1506|ft|m}} north of the Jefferson Pier in a more protected area.<ref group=note>Coordinates of Ellipse Meridian Stone {{coord|38.893936|-77.036544|scale:2000|name=Ellipse Meridian Stone}} (NGS says this should be correct within a centimeter as of 2002)</ref>  [[Theodolite]] measurements showed the new Ellipse Meridian Stone stood {{convert|26|in|m|2}} from the longtitudinal line of the replacement Jefferson Stone, indicating one of the two markers was improperly located.
+An artifact sometimes confusing to and often overlooked by tourists, Jefferson Pier is maintained today by the [[National Park Service]] under its [[National Mall and Memorial Parks]] administrative unit. In 1890 a new monument, the [[Ellipse Meridian Stone]], was placed by the Coast and Geodetic Survey in the center of [[the Ellipse]] in [[President's Park]] about {{convert|1506|ft|m}} north of the Jefferson Pier in a more protected area.<ref group=note>Coordinates of Ellipse Meridian Stone {{coord|38.893936|-77.036544|format=dms|scale:2000|name=Ellipse Meridian Stone}} (NGS says this should be correct within a centimeter as of 2002)</ref>  [[Theodolite]] measurements showed the new Ellipse Meridian Stone stood {{convert|26|in|m|2}} from the longitudinal line of the replacement Jefferson Stone, indicating one of the two markers was improperly located.
 ==Coordinates==
-{{GeoGroupTemplate|section=Coordinates}}
+{{GeoGroup|section=Coordinates}}
 {{Reflist|group=note}}
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 ==References==
-* {{cite book|last=Bedini|first=Silvio A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=57saAQAAIAAJ|title=The Jefferson Stone: Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States|place=Frederick, MD|publisher=Professional Surveyors Publishing Co.|year=1999|isbn=0-9665120-1-4|oclc=492992312|authorlink=Silvio Bedini|ref=harv}} Note: King's letter is transcribed in an appendix.
+* {{cite book|last=Bedini|first=Silvio A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=57saAQAAIAAJ|title=The Jefferson Stone: Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States|place=Frederick, MD|publisher=Professional Surveyors Publishing Co.|year=1999|isbn=0-9665120-1-4|oclc=492992312|author-link=Silvio Bedini}} Note: King's letter is transcribed in an appendix.
-** {{cite journal|last=Toscano|first=Patrick|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129124255/http://archives.profsurv.com/magazine/article.aspx?i=541|archivedate=January 29, 2016|url=http://archives.profsurv.com/magazine/article.aspx?i=541|title=Book Review: Bedini, Silvio A. (1999), ''The Jefferson stone: Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States'', Frederick, MD: Professional Surveyors Publishing Co.|journal=Professional Surveyor Magazine|place=Frederick, MD|publisher=Flatdog Media, Inc.|date=January 2000|volume=20|issue=1|accessdate=January 31, 2016}}
+** {{cite journal|last=Toscano|first=Patrick|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129124255/http://archives.profsurv.com/magazine/article.aspx?i=541|archive-date=January 29, 2016|url=http://archives.profsurv.com/magazine/article.aspx?i=541|title=Book Review: Bedini, Silvio A. (1999), ''The Jefferson stone: Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States'', Frederick, MD: Professional Surveyors Publishing Co.|journal=Professional Surveyor Magazine|place=Frederick, MD|publisher=Flatdog Media, Inc.|date=January 2000|volume=20|issue=1|access-date=January 31, 2016}}
-** {{cite journal|last=Waff|first=Craig B.|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6exUn7uEB|archivedate=2016-01-31|url=http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2001JHA....32..157W|title=''A Prime Meridian for the United States?'' Essay Review of Bedini, Silvio A. (1999), ''The Jefferson stone: Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States'', Frederick, MD: Professional Surveyors Publishing Co.|journal=Journal for the History of Astronomy|volume=32, Part 2|number=106|pages=157–159|issn=0021-8286|place=Cambridge, England|publisher=Science History Publications, Ltd.|date=May 2001|accessdate=January 31, 2016|bibcode=2001JHA....32..157W}} Note: Contains much information from book.
+** {{cite journal|last=Waff |first=Craig B. |title=''A Prime Meridian for the United States?'' Essay Review of Bedini, Silvio A. (1999), ''The Jefferson stone: Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States'', Frederick, MD: Professional Surveyors Publishing Co. |journal=Journal for the History of Astronomy |volume=32, Part 2 |number=106 |pages=157–159 |issn=0021-8286 |place=Cambridge, England |publisher=Science History Publications, Ltd. |date=May 2001 |doi=10.1177/002182860103200209 |bibcode=2001JHA....32..157W |s2cid=220268689 |doi-access=free }} Note: Contains much information from book.
-** {{cite journal|last=Geyer|first=Martin|jstor=40073383|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40073383||title=Review of Bedini, Silvio A. (1999), ''The Jefferson Stone. Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States''|pages=84–86|journal=Washington History|volume=13|number=2|date=2001–2002|publisher=[[Historical Society of Washington, D.C.]]}}
+** {{cite journal|last=Geyer|first=Martin|jstor=40073383|title=Reviewed work: The Jefferson Stone. Demarcation of the First Meridian of the United States, Silvio A. Bedini|pages=84–86|journal=Washington History|volume=13|number=2|date=2001|publisher=[[Historical Society of Washington, D.C.]]}}
-{{refend}}
 == External links ==
 {{commons category|Jefferson Pier}}
-*[http://www.davidrumsey.com/maps3573.html 1855 Colton map of Washington] Jefferson Pier would have been on seawall at edge of water at the entrance to Washington City Canal
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160201011252/http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~1673~130032%3AGeorgetown-And-The-City-Of-Washington 1855 Colton map of Washington] Jefferson Pier would have been on seawall at edge of water at the entrance to Washington City Canal
-*[http://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/upload/NACCmap1.pdf National Park Service Map of National Mall]
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20141013164005/http://www.nps.gov/nama/planyourvisit/upload/NAMAUnigridMAP-01.jpg 2014 National Park Service Map of National Mall]
-*[http://www2.nature.nps.gov/views/Sites/NAMA/HTML/ET_NamaTour4.htm National Park Service Tour of the National Mall: Stop 4: A Watery Past]
+*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150324224153/http://www.nature.nps.gov/views/sites/nama/html/ET_NamaTour4.htm National Park Service Tour of the National Mall: Stop 4: A Watery Past]
 {{Coord|38|53|23.29463|N|77|2|11.56|W|display=title}}
@@ Line 82: / Line 81: @@
 {{Thomas Jefferson}}
 {{Washington DC landmarks|state=expanded}}
+{{authority control}}
 [[Category:1804 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]
 [[Category:National Mall]]
 [[Category:Obelisks in the United States]]
-[[Category:Surveying]]
+[[Category:Surveying of the United States]]
 [[Category:1804 sculptures]]
 [[Category:Monuments and memorials in Washington, D.C.]]

v t e Thomas Jefferson
3rd President of the United States (1801–1809) 2nd Vice President of the United States (1797–1801) 1st United States Secretary of State (1790–1793) U.S. Minister to France (1785–1789) Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1783–1784) 2nd Governor of Virginia (1779–1781) Delegate to the Second Continental Congress (1775–1776) Delegate, Fifth Virginia Convention (1776)
Founding documents of the United States	A Summary View of the Rights of British America (1774) Olive Branch Petition (initial draft; 1775) Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms (1775) Declaration of Independence (1776) Committee of Five authored physical history "All men are created equal" "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" "Consent of the governed" Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1777 draft and 1786 passage Freedom of religion Land Ordinance of 1784 Land Ordinance of 1785 Northwest Ordinance (1787)
French Revolution	Co-author, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)
Presidency	Transition Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves Louisiana Purchase Lewis and Clark Expedition Corps of Discovery timeline Empire of Liberty Dunbar and Hunter Expedition Red River Expedition Pike Expedition Cumberland Road Embargo Act of 1807 Chesapeake–Leopard affair Non-Intercourse Act First Barbary War Native American policy Burr conspiracy Marbury v. Madison West Point Military Academy State of the Union Addresses 1801 1802 1805 Cabinet Federal judicial appointments
Other noted accomplishments	Early life and career Franco-American alliance Founder, University of Virginia history Ratification Day Anti-Administration party Democratic-Republican Party Jeffersonian democracy First Party System republicanism Plan for Establishing Uniformity in the Coinage, Weights, and Measures of the United States (1790) Residence Act Compromise of 1790 Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions A Manual of Parliamentary Practice (1801) American Creed Jefferson disk Swivel chair Megalonyx
Jeffersonian architecture	Barboursville Farmington Monticello gardens Poplar Forest University of Virginia The Rotunda The Lawn Jefferson Hall Virginia State Capitol White House Colonnades
Other writings	The Papers of Thomas Jefferson Notes on the State of Virginia (1785) Proposals for concerted operation among the powers at war with the Pyratical states of Barbary (1786) European journey memorandums (1787) Indian removal letters The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (c. 1819) Jefferson manuscript collection at the Massachusetts Historical Society Founders Online
Related	Age of Enlightenment American Enlightenment American Philosophical Society American Revolution patriots Member, Virginia Committee of Correspondence Committee of the States Founding Fathers of the United States Historical reputation Jefferson and education Religious views Jefferson and slavery Jefferson and the Library of Congress Jefferson Pier Pet mockingbird National Gazette Sally Hemings Jefferson–Hemings controversy Betty Hemings Separation of church and state The American Museum magazine Tufton Farm Governor's Palace (Williamsburg, Virginia) Virginia dynasty Ward republic
Elections	Presidential elections 1796 1800 1804
Legacy and memorials	Bibliography Jefferson Memorial Mount Rushmore Birthday Thomas Jefferson Building Jefferson River Jefferson Territory Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression Jefferson Lecture Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service Statues Karl Bitter statues Hempstead statue Louisville statue University of Virginia statue David d'Angers statue Jefferson Literary and Debating Society Thomas Jefferson Foundation Jefferson Lab Monticello Association Jefferson City, Missouri Jefferson College Thomas Jefferson School of Law Thomas Jefferson University Washington and Jefferson National Forests Peaks and mountains Jefferson Rock Other placenames Jefferson–Jackson Day Currency depictions Jefferson nickel Two-dollar bill Louisiana Purchase Exposition gold dollar Mount Rushmore Anniversary coins 250th Anniversary silver dollar U.S. postage stamps Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence
Cultural depictions	The Patriots (1946 play) Ben and Me (1953 short) 1776 1969 musical 1972 film Jefferson in Paris (1995 film) Thomas Jefferson (1997 film) Liberty! (1997 documentary series) Liberty's Kids (2002 animated series) John Adams (2008 miniseries) Jefferson's Garden (2015 play) Hamilton 2015 musical 2020 film Washington (2020 miniseries) Wine bottles controversy Cultural depictions of Sally Hemings
Family	Martha Jefferson (wife) Martha Jefferson Randolph (daughter) Mary Jefferson Eppes (daughter) Harriet Hemings (daughter) Madison Hemings (son) Eston Hemings (son) Thomas J. Randolph (grandson) George W. Randolph (grandson) Ellen Randolph Coolidge (granddaughter) Cornelia Jefferson Randolph (granddaughter) Francis Eppes (grandson) John Wayles Jefferson (grandson) Sarah N. Randolph (great-granddaughter) T. Jefferson Coolidge (great-grandson) Frederick Madison Roberts (great-grandson) Peter Jefferson (father) Jane Randolph Jefferson (mother) Lucy Jefferson Lewis (sister) Randolph Jefferson (brother) Peter Carr (nephew) Samuel Carr (nephew) Dabney Carr (nephew) Dabney S. Carr (grand-nephew) Isham Randolph (grandfather) William Randolph (great-grandfather) Henry Soane (2nd great-grandfather)
← John Adams James Madison → ← John Adams Aaron Burr → Category

v t e Landmarks of Washington, D.C.
Memorials	Adams African American Civil War American Veterans Disabled for Life Belmont–Paul Women's Equality National Monument Mary McLeod Bethune Boy Scout James Buchanan John Carroll D.C. War Albert Einstein Emancipation Dwight D. Eisenhower John Ericsson David Farragut First Division Thomas Gallaudet James A. Garfield Kahlil Gibran Samuel Gompers Ulysses S. Grant Holocaust Museum Holodomor Genocide Andrew Jackson Japanese American Patriotism During World War II Jefferson Memorial Lyndon Baines Johnson Grove John Paul Jones Marquis de Lafayette Law Enforcement Officers Lincoln Memorial statue Martin Luther King, Jr. Korean War Veterans George Mason George B. McClellan George Meade Peter Muhlenberg National Statuary Hall Collection Navy – Merchant Marine Nuns of the Battlefield Peace Monument John J. Pershing Second Division Signers of the Declaration of Independence The Extra Mile Three Soldiers Jean de Rochambeau Franklin Delano Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Island Taras Shevchenko Statues of the Liberators Oscar Straus Robert A. Taft Titanic United States Navy Victims of Communism Vietnam Veterans Vietnam Women's Washington Monument Daniel Webster World War I World War II Rainbow Pool
Other	Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Blair House Capitol Reflecting Pool Congressional Cemetery DAR Constitution Hall Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Exorcist steps Ford's Theatre Petersen House Healy Hall Islamic Center Jefferson Pier John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Library of Congress Jefferson Adams Madison National Arboretum National Capitol Columns National Building Museum National Gallery of Art Lincoln's Cottage at Soldiers' Home Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool National Archives National Cathedral National Mall Octagon House Old Post Office Old Stone House Smithsonian Institution St. John's Episcopal Church The Arts of War and The Arts of Peace Tidal Basin Treasury Building Freedman's Bank Building Tudor Place Union Station United States Capitol Capitol Hill Dome Rotunda United States Supreme Court Building Watergate complex White House Willard Hotel
Parks and plazas	Constitution Gardens Dupont Circle East Potomac Park Farragut Square Freedom Plaza Lafayette Square L'Enfant Plaza Meridian Hill Park National Arboretum Pershing Park Rock Creek Park The Ellipse Union Square United States Botanic Garden West Potomac Park
Boundaries	Anacostia River Arlington Memorial Bridge Boundary markers of the original District of Columbia Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Constitution Avenue Francis Scott Key Bridge Pennsylvania Avenue Potomac River Zero Milestone
Nearby landmarks	Arlington National Cemetery Tomb of the Unknown Soldier John F. Kennedy gravesite Arlington House Marine Corps War Memorial Mount Vernon Netherlands Carillon Pentagon Pentagon Memorial United States Air Force Memorial Women in Military Service for America Memorial
Planned	Adams Memorial National Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial National Liberty Memorial Peace Corps Commemorative
Canceled	George Washington Memorial Building Gold Star Mothers National Monument Mammy memorial National Slave Memorial
Related	National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission National Mall and Memorial Parks List of National Historic Landmarks in Washington, D.C. National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C.
Public art in Washington, D.C. (American Revolution Statuary, Civil War Monuments, Commemorating African-Americans, Outdoor sculpture)