USGS "Fayette Meridian 1961" - U.S. Benchmarks on Waymarking.com

First to log/report in 52 years! Disk secure and in perfect shape.

The following description taken from USGS data sheet of 36 Fayettevile quad/book AV 1535a/Line 12/page 18 is still correct:

"Fayetteville,75ft SW. of main entrance to courthouse; in SE end of top step leading to courthouse; standard tablet stamped "FAYETTE MERIDIAN 1961"

According to expert on the geocaching.com benchmark forums, the significance of meridian marks are as follows:

Meridian marks were set by both USC&GS and USGS. The marks were usually set in pairs a couple of hundred feet apart. In many cases they were set on or near the grounds of a county courthouse. The primary function of these marks was to provide an authoritative location where surveyors could come and compare their compasses against a known magnetic bearing (azimuth). Typically the USC&GS/USGS field team would determine the magnetic bearing between the two monuments then perform an astronomic observation, in most cases a solar (sun shot) to determine the "geodetic" or "true" bearing of the line. Surveyors could then set their compass on one station, backsight the other and determine what, if any offset they needed to apply to their instruments. In some communities it was required that surveyors perform this function annually. These stations also served as reference sites for the determination and monitoring of the change in magnetic variation. For many years USC&GS and USGS produced maps of local and regional magnetic variation. As the use of transits and later theodolites replaced the use of the compass for surveys the need for these stations for that application faded away. Today they are a true relic of surveying history.

Condition: Mark found in good condition Designation: FAYETTE MERIDIAN 1916 Benchmark Agency: U.S. Geological Survey Monumentation type: other (not any of the below) Monumentation type (if other): Meridian County: Fayette USGS 7.5' Topographic Quadrangle Name (optional): Fayetteville Find type: Location information obtained from the USGS was used Benchmark Agency (if other): Not listed Special category (optional): Not listed Special Category (if other): Not listed Web address of this benchmark's datasheet (optional): Not listed NGS PID: Not listed Local database's URL (optional): Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/19/2013 DukeRoom visited it