Charleston True Meridian Monument - Charleston, SC
Posted by: 
LJParr
N 32° 48.914 W 079° 56.470
17S E 599120 N 3631300
Set in 1849, to calibrate magnetic compasses, the Charleston True Meridian Monument was occupied by the South Carolina Geodetic Survey in 2010 as a control point.
Waymark Code: WMEN5P
Location: South Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 06/17/2012
Views: 6
The Charleston True Meridian Monument is located in Saint Lawrence Cemetery in Charleston, S.C.
Source Information
Description information from NGS datasheet:
TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE JUNCTION OVERPASS OF U.S. HIGHWAYS 17, (EAST BAY STREET) AND MORRISON AVENUE, 2.1 MI (3.4 KM) NORTH-NORTHWEST OF CHARLESTON, GO NORTH-NORTHWEST ON HIGHWAY 52 FOR 0.6 MI (1.0 KM) TO THE JUNCTION OF BRIGADE STREET.
TURN RIGHT ON BRIGADE STREET FOR 0.15 MI (0.2 KM) TO THE JUNCTION OF HUGUENIN AVENUE. TURN LEFT ON HUGUENIN AVENUE FOR 0.25 MI (0.4 KM) TO THE GATED ENTRANCE TO SAINT LAWRENCE CEMETERY. TURN RIGHT ON THE ENTRANCE ROAD FOR 100 FT (30.5 M) TO A PAVED CROSSROAD. TURN LEFT ON THE PAVED ROAD FOR 100 FT (30.5 M) TO A PAVED ROAD LEADING EAST. TURN RIGHT ON THE PAVED ROAD FOR 0.25 MI (0.4 KM) TO THE STATION AHEAD NEAR THE MUSSELMAN HEADSTONE.
STATION IS A PARTIALLY BURIED MONUMENT IS A WHITE MARBLE OBELISK THAT IS 4.3 FT (1.3 M) ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE FOUR-SIDED PYRAMIDAL TOP MEASURES 0.9 FT (0.3 M) ON A SIDE AND IS 0.15 FT (0.0 M) HIGH, THE OBELISK EXTENDS FOR AN ADDITIONAL 1.0 FT (0.3 M) UNDER THE SURFACE BEFORE A FLUTED AND STEPPED BOTTOM, THE FLUTED BOTTOM IS 0.65 FT (0.2 M) HIGH, THE TOTAL HEIGHT OF THE OBELISK IS 5.95 FT (1.8 M), THE MARBLE OBELISK SITS ON A RED-BROWN SANDSTONE BASE THAT IS 0.5 FT (0.2 M) THICK AND 2.25 FT (0.7 M) ON A SIDE, THE ONLY INSCRIPTION ON THE MONUMENT IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE OBELISK 'TRUE MERIDIAN OCT. 1849.' ON A VERTICAL 0.25-FT WIDE RAISED STRIP ON THE FACE, 3.0 FT (0.9 M) NORTH OF THE EXTENDED CENTER OF THE ROAD, 13.0 FT (4.0 M) SOUTH OF THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE GRANITE BASE FOR A HEADSTONE (MUSSELMAN), 13.3 FT (4.1 M) NORTH-NORTHWEST OF THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE GRANITE BASE FOR A HEADSTONE (TALBERT), 20.4 FT (6.2 M) WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE GRANITE BASE FOR A HEADSTONE (KEENAN), 52.5 FT (16.0 M) EAST OF A 5.0-FT LIVE OAK TREE, 10.4 FT (3.2 M) WEST-NORTHWEST OF A PVC WATER SPIGOT PROJECTING 1.0-FT.
TRUE MERIDIAN OCT. 1849.