USDI/NPS Benchmark (Gettysburg Town Sign) - Gettysburg, PA - U.S. Benchmarks on Waymarking.com

There is a sizable collection of these benchmarks about the park. I have found almost two dozen There are certainly more but they are yet unfound. Given their age, condition and anonymity, I doubt there is an official list or spreadsheet available to know how many of these markers exist for sure. Like all the medallions, this marker rests in a concrete, prism-shaped monument, a few inches high & set into the ground. The monument is in pretty good condition except for a green patina which has plagued almost anything bronze installed from the early 20th century. It was probably installed when this battlefield gained official historic district status although the greening of the disc may indicate a much older benchmark. The marker simply reads USDI - NPS. The letters stand for U.S. Department of Interior - National Park Service. Sometimes they are numbered but lately, most of the new ones I have been discovering are unnumbered. One of the monuments in this series actually has a numerical-letter designation so I do not know what the thinking was when these were surveyed and installed. There are slight variations in some of these things.

The benchmark is located on the right or east side of South Washington Street/Route 134 if traveling north. The benchmark is on the outer border of the National Cemetery, situated exactly where the wrought iron fence gives way to afield stone wall. The marker is 63 feet north of the Gettysburg town sign and 48 feet to the south of the 73rd Ohio Infantry Monument (MN287-B). Another similar benchmark is located diagonally southwest across the road to the rear of the Reliance Mine Saloon. Endless parking is available directly across the street in the oft empty Quality Inn Gettysburg Motor Lodge. I visited this benchmark on Monday, July 1, 2013 on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg @ 12:17 PM, EDT & @ an altitude of 584 feet, ASL. As always, I used my trusty and oft abused Canon PowerShot 14.1 Megapixel, SX210 IS digital camera for the photos.

1. A closeup photo of the mark taken by you is required.
2. A 'distant' photo including the mark in the view is highly recommended. Include the compass direction you faced when you took the picture.