U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Benchmark DN1355 - Decatur, TX - U.S. Benchmarks on Waymarking.com

There are three buildings on the Decatur skyline that are hard to miss as one approaches from any direction. One is El Castile, oilman Dan Waggoner's mansion, the second is the old Decatur Baptist College, now the Wise County Museum, and the third is this beautiful courthouse on the town square. The courthouse is as gorgeous inside as it is outside, and tours may be arranged: They'll even take you all the way up to the top for a great view of the area and the surrounding prairie.

01/01/1935 by CGS (FIRST OBSERVED)

DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1935 (CAS) STATION IS THE TOWER ON THE CENTER OF THE WISE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, IN THE TOWN OF DECATUR, TEXAS. THE COURTHOUSE SETS IN THE CENTER OF THE SQUARE AND IS A LARGE GREY STONE BUILDING. THE TOWER IS ABOUT 60 FEET S OF THE CENTER LINE OF WALNUT STREET AND ABOUT 70 FEET E OF THE CENTER LINE OF TRINITY STREET. THE BUILDING WAS ERECTED IN 1895 AND THE TOWER IS VERY PROMINENT. THE BUILDING IS ABOUT 50 FEET HIGH. THE TOWER RESTS ON A ROUND RAILED BASE ABOUT 8 FEET HIGH. THE TOWER IS SQUARE, ABOUT 25 FEET HIGH, AND HAS THREE TALL NARROW GOTHIC OPENINGS ON EACH SIDE, WITH A WHITE CLOCK DIAL ON EACH SIDE OF THE TOWER SET ACROSS THE OPENINGS. ABOVE THIS THERE IS A SMALLER CUPOLA ABOUT 10 FEET HIGH, WITH 3 SMALL ARCHED OPENINGS ON EACH SIDE AND SMALL FOUR-PILLARED BALCONIES AT EACH CORNER. THE FOUR-SIDED BLACK PYRAMIDAL ROOF IS ABOUT 10 FEET HIGH. EACH SIDE HAS A SMALL TRIANGULAR GABLE WITH AN ARCHED OPENING. THERE IS A 5-FOOT FLAGSTAFF AT THE APEX OF THE ROOF. THE TOTAL HEIGHT IS ABOUT 85 FEET.

01/01/1940 by CGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1940 (DW) RECOVERED.

01/01/1946 by CGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1946 (JCP) COURTHOUSE IS CONSTRUCTED OF RED CUT STONE, ABOUT THREE STORIES HIGH, LOCATED IN THE TOWN SQUARE IN THE TOWN OF DECATUR, WISE COUNTY. THE CUPOLA IS BUILT OF CUT STONE AND HAS A CLOCK MOUNTED IN IT. THE POINT INTERSECTED WAS THE CUPOLA, WHICH IS THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE BUILDING.

01/01/1949 by CGS (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1949 (APR) STATION WAS RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION AS DESCRIBED.

01/01/1955 by TXHD (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY TEXAS HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT 1955 (JRM) STATION RECOVERED.

09/27/1997 by USPSQD (GOOD)
RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 1997 RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.

Condition: Mark found in good condition Designation: DECATUR WISE CO CTHSE CUPOLA Benchmark Agency: U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey Monumentation type: other (not any of the below) Monumentation type (if other): Tower County: Wise USGS 7.5' Topographic Quadrangle Name (optional): Decatur 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: DN1355 Benchmark Agency (if other): Not listed Special category (optional): Not listed Special Category (if other): Not listed Local database's URL (optional): Not listed

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