'b V ll "^ o f: ^^ •^^. .0 ,0 <^ ■^ o « •■ <^> .y<' ^'^'" "*^ -J • A^' "' .-^ .0^ '/^!r^^ ^v ^oV" ^5si. » ^4>^^ ^-L ' %'^-^/ \;^^\/ -o^-^-^'.,o^ ^- to o - • . '^V ^ NAT. GEOG. MAG. VOL. VI, 1894, PL. 9. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. The figure.s on the border show the numbers of the milestones marUinsr the lioiimiary ami their ilistanees apart in feet. One mile equals 5,28t) feet. A = Capitol stone.— South of the White House and west of the south end of the old Caintol. . Un- dressed and unmarked sandstone, about 4 feet high, set in 1804, now gone and site unmarked. B = Jefferson stone. -South of center of White House and west of center of Capitol. A "freestone obelisk," set in 1804, 175 feet S% inehe.s north of the Capitol stone : said to be now used as a hitching post at the Reform school. Site now marked by a granite post tiush with sod in the Monument lot. (; = Center of the original Disirict of Columbia.— It is near the corner of Seventeenth and C streets, being 1,305 feet north and 1,579 feet west of the Washington monument. D = Stake at intersection of " Sixteenth and northern edgr of north I street " — Set in ISiil. Whether still in |ilace is not known. Meridian Hill—".\. freestone obelisk," set in 1804, " to mark the initial meridian for longitudes in the United States." Stone gone and site unmarked. Stone said to tie in use as a carriage step at Fijin-toMith and R streets; also Hiud to be in use a'; a hitchin;; po-^t at the Heform school. ' \ \ Vol. VI, pp. 149-178, PL. 9 November i, 1894 THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE SURVEYS AND MAPS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MARCUS BAKER (Presented before the Society March 23, 1S94.) On the loth of ApriL 1791, there was Laid, with solemn and elaborate masonic ceremonial, the corner stone of the District of Columbia. This stone, still standing, though hidden from view, forms a part of the foundation wall of the lighthouse at Jones point, near Alexandria, Virginia. It is under the gateway in front of the south door of the lighthouse. The long and tedious discussion which led to the selection of a district, not to exceed ten miles square, on the banks of the Potomac, between its Eastern branch and the Conogocheague, does not belong to the present theme. It suffices to say that selection had been made by act of Congress July 16, 1790. Under this authority President Wash- ington directed a preliminary or provisional survey of the area to be taken for the Federal Government. This preliminary survey he directed should begin at a point on Hunting creek determined 21— Nat. Geoo. Mag., vol. VI, 1894. (149) loO M. linker — Sutvci/k and Mapfi, District of Columbia. liy vunnini:; a line from Alexamlria rourthou.'^e soiitlnvcstward half a mile and thence southeastward to the northern shore of Hunting creek. From the point so found a tract substantially like the District of Columbia as it existed prior to the retroces- sion of Alexandria county to Virpinia, in 1846, was selected; but this tract included a portion of Maryland lying sotdh of the Eastern branch of the Potomac, or Anacostia river, and could not be taken under the terms of the act, which provided that the Federal territory should lie wholly north of the Eastern l)ranch. This Itcing reported to Congress, an amended act was promptly passed authorizing the boundaries of the District as originally laid out. Washington then gave directions for running the de- finitive Ijoundary lines. As is well known, ^Vashi^gton was a surveyor, and therefore well qualified to draw uj) instructions to surveyors. It is interesting to (juote his language : Now, therefore, for the imriioee of amending and completing tlie loca- tion of the whole of said territory of ten miles square, in conformity with the said amendatmy act of Congress, I do hereby declare and make known that the whole of said territory shall l)e located and included within the four lines following, that is to say : Beginning at Jones point, being the U])per cape of Hunting creek, in Virginia, and at an angle in the outset of forty-five degrees west of the north, and running in a direct line ten miles, for the first line; then beginning again at the same Jones point and running another direct line, at a right angle with the first, across the Potomac ten miles, for a second line; thence from the termination-of said first and second lines, running two other lines of ten miles each, the one crossing the J'^astern branch aforesaid and the other the Potomac, and meeting each othei' in a point. To take charge of the newly created territory, supervise its survey, and attend to the business growing out of its con- demnation for public use, Washington appointed, Januar}^ 22, 1791, three commissioners, Thomas Johnson, Daniel Carroll, then a mend)er of Congress from Maryland, and Dr David Stuart. Two months later, ^Nlarch 28, 1791, Washington arrived in Georgetown from Philadelphia, and the next day made a tour of inspection of the District in compan}^ with the three com- missioners and two surveyors, Andrew Ellicott and Major Peter Charles L'Enfant. Tlu; connnissioners held their first meeting on the 12th of April following, in Ceorgetown, and three days The fir d Sarvci/ of iJic District. 151 later, namely, the loth of April, 1791, as already mentioned, the corner stone at Jones point was laid with solemn masonic cere- monial, in the presence of a large gathering of citizens, cinefly from Alexandria. The survey then proceeded, and in Sei)tem- ber following the commissioners decided upon the name which was to be given to this new Federal territory and the city to be created within it. They ordered that the title of the map pre- pared by Major EUicott should be "A map of the city of Wash- ington, in the Territory of Columbia." Before this time the future city was referred to as the Federal city. How the boundaries of the District were run I do not know, but suppose that it was done with transit and chain. As the country was timbered, and as the boundary crossed the Potomac twice and the Eastern branch once, it will be seen that the task was not a perfectly simple one. It appears that the work of measuring and staking out the outline of the District was com- pleted in 1791 ; that during the following year the line was cleared of timber to the width of 20 feet on each side ; and that in this 40-foot lane through the woods stone mileposts were erected. These posts are two feet high and one foot square. They are marked on the District side, "JURISDICTION of the UNITED STATES,'' followed by an inscription showing the dis- tances from that corner of the District from which they are num- bered, such as "il/if'/e-s J," ^^ Miles 6 &: lo P.," etc; on the opposite side, '■'■Maryland " (or '' VIRGINIA") ; on the third side, the year '■''iyg2 " (except the Virginia stones, marked '■^lygi ") ; and on the fourth side, the variation of the compass. The stones are numbered from 1 to 9 on each line, from south to west, west to north, etc.''^ About ten years ago the Coast Survey executed a triangula- tion for the purpose of determining the geographic positions of * Since the foregoing was written I have i:)ersonally visited and ins^iected most of the boundary monuments of the original District of Columbia, set in 1791 and 1792. Tliough tliis inspection is still incomplete, it is deemed advisable to print here the following table, siiowing the condi- tion of the monuments so far as inspected, and especially to print the variation of the compass recorded upon them. These variations are the earliest ones observed and recorded for the District of Columbia, and the only record of them known to me is upon these boundary monu- ments. These monuments are of Aquia creek sandstone and were sawed out. Through abuse and exposure to the weather the inscriptions are becoming obscured, a few being already totally lost. 152 M. linker — Sanri/s dnd Maps, Dldrid of Colatnbhi. the coriKTs of tlie oriniiml District, as well as some other points. The work wiis clone by Mr C. H. Sinclair, of the United States Coast and Geo- detic Survey. To hi.s courtesy and that of the Coast Survey oflice I am indel>ted for the following facts respecting the boundary line. The District is not an exact square or spherical quadrilateral. Its distortion, much exaggerated, is shown in figure 1. Tlie northern point is not exactly FiGURK 1. — District of Cohimhia. north of the southern point, but bears 5' 19".7 west of north of it. Boundary Moxuments of the District of Columbia. Erected in 1791-'92. Condition in 1894. Monu- ment. Varia- tion. Condition, etc. Monu- ment. Varia- tion. Condition, etc. s. 9 Invisible ; built into L. N. 1°2?' E. Fair condiiion ; erect. H. wall. N.E.I 1° OG' E. Fair condition ; leaning. S. W. 1 0° 30' W. Erect; good condition. 2 1° 12' E. Fair condition ; erect. 2 ■) •> Stone gone. 3 0° 18' W. Fair condition ; erect. 3 ■> ■>. E. Very bad condition ; 4 0° 25' W. Good condition ; erect figures illegible. 5 0° 22' E. Leaning; fair condition. ■1 G 7 0° 51' E. 1° 08' E. Erect; very good condi- 5 tion. G Erect; seamed; in 7 0° 05' E. Leaning; bad condi- woods. tion ; open field. 8 (J° 24' E. Erect; good condition. 8 9 E. S. E. 1 0° 19' E. 0° 10' E. I'oor condition ; erect. and Maps, Dldrkl of Colaiuhia. or l)u(liliiii;ton i);isture. The town laid out in tlie hitter i):irt of 1770, near the dce[>est water of the Eastern braneh, was d()u))tless named after Daniel Carroll, an extensive land owner on Capitol liill. The suttdivision was made under a deed of trust reeorderl at Marlltorouudi, Maryland, Noveml)er 2, 1770. llaniltur!j;h is or was the name of a town surveyed and laid oil" in town lots l)y its owner, Jaeol) Funk, whose plat is recorded at Marlborough, Maryland, Oetol)er 28, 1771. The tract eni- hraced 12) acres and was divided into 2S7 lots. The town was located with reference to deep water in the Potomac, and occu- l)ied in i)art the site of the old Naval Observatory. It was some- times called Funkstown, after its owner. The U Enfant and EUicott 3Iaps. — Preceding and during the surveys already described, a French engineer. Major Peter Charles L'Enfant, was engaged under Washington's direction in planning the future capital. Tlie maj^ which he prepared may be ealled a paper map — that is, it was a project in which the city was laid out on paper. Tliis, the first map of Washington, is now in the custody of the commissioner of public buildings and grounds, in the War Department. Having become much faded and worn with use, it was a few years since sent to the Coast Survey office, where it was very carefully traced and a photolithograpliic copy of it prc|>ared. After the approval of L'Enfant's plan, the next step was to lay out the streets, parks, reservations, etc, upon the ground. This work was entrusted to Major Andrew Ellicott, and his mai) ai)|)ears to have l)een first engraved in 1792. The manner in wliieh the city was laid out is told in a note upon the map itself, which is as follows : In or.li'i- to execute this phin, INIr EUicott drew :i true meridional line l)y celestial olj.servatioii, which passes throuj^h tlie area intomlctl for the Capitol; this line he cTossed by another due east and west, which i)asses throujih the same area. These lines were accurately measured and made the base on which the whole plan was executed, lie ran all the lines by a- (raiisit iiislriunent and determined the acute angles by actual measure- ment, and left nothing to the uncertainty of the compass. Near the intarseotion of North Capitol and R streets is, or till recently was, a monument, which I have not seen, said to be some fifteen feet high, on land owned by a Mr Beall. I have been unable to secure definite information as to the purpose of this monument or its use. It seems probable that it was a mon- The government Surveij of Vacancies. 155 utnent erected by Mr EUicott as an azimuth mark, and its recent destruction is therefore regretable. The boundary line, as has been seen, was run out in 1791. It was cleared of timber and most of the milestones set during the following year, 1792, and it is probable that during this same year EUicott produced the general topographic map of the entire Dis- trict, the date of publication of which is uncertain. The only copy of this map of the District known to me is in the Library of Congress, entitled " Territory of Columbia, drawn by Andrew EUicott." Its conjectural date, added in pencil, is 1793. This ma]) was republished in 1852, the republication being seemingly a facsimile in all respects, except the omission of the phrase " drawn by Andrew EUicott." Reduced copies of it have been several times published. Down to the ])ublication of Boschke's map of the District at the outbreak of the war, this to])ographic map of the District by EUicott is apparently the only one ever made. Land Office Surveys. — In the surveying division of the General Land Office is a not very large package of papers relating to sur- veys by the United States of public lands in the District of Columbia. The ragged and yellow label, written in a large, fair hand, runs thus : " Papers relating to applications to appropriate certain lands in the District of Columbia under the provisions of the joint resolution of Congress of February 16, 1839," etc. This package contains all the papers in the General Land Office relating to public land surve3^s in the District of Columbia, the history of which is briefly this : After the settlement of the District of Columbia had progressed for some years or decades, it was found tliat here and there errors had been made by sur- veyors in staking out or marking the boundaries of lots, farms, and estates. In some cases a tract might by the terms of its description be counted in two adjoining tracts, and so two people might claim the same tract. In other cases tracts su}»poscd to adjoin were found not to touch, and there would thus be a tract lying between which had no private owner. This tract then belonged to the United States. The person discovering this error naturally wished to acquire possession of this now valuable land. That he might do so, congressional authority was necessary. Accordingly, on. February 16, 1839, a joint resolution was passed by Congress permitting purchase under the old Mar3dand law of 1801, which provided for the sale of " vacancies " — i.e., un- 150 }[. Baker — S)irrri/ft and Maps, Dii^fricf of Cohimhia. oroupied or unclainied land, ruder tliis [Ji-ovision tlw (loniM'al I>aiid Odice acted as the local laml oHico for the District of Culunibia, and whenever vacanci.'.s were discovered and reported a request for survey was presented. A deposit of three shillings and six pence per acre. Maryland money, was required, and an additional charge of four shillings was afterward required to complete the purchase, Avhich thus cost the purchaser seven shillings and six pence, or one dollar, [)er acre. It is interesting to note that under this law the (leneral T,and Office has received a]q)lications for and has made surveys of al)out 60 tracts in the District of Columbia. Perhaps the most noteworthy case M^'as that of the Kidwell bottoms, or Potomac flats, as we now call them. T/ie Boschke Maps. — xVlbert Boschke was a German emplo3^ed in the Coast Survey before the war. He conceived the idea of making a very accurate map of Washington and of the District of Columbia, with the hope of selling to the Government. He was at the time employed in the drawing division of the Coast Survey, and while so employed organized a corps of sur- veyors at his OAvn expense to do the fieldwork. This gradually absorbed his time and thought, led to irregular attendance at the office, and finally to his enforced resignation from the survey. Two maps resulted from his work, one a map of the whole District, the other a map of the city. The map of the District is usually spoken of as the Boschke map. It was engraved upon copper by Mr David McClelland, and was just about to l)e pub- lished — indeed, a few copies or proofs had been printed — when, the war breaking out, the Government seized the map and plates. The map of the city was produced first and published in 1857. It is interesting from the foct that the houses were drawn from actual tape-line measures in the field and drawn with scrupulous painstaking. It is also interesting as l:)eing one of the early pieces of work of the well-known firm of lithogra])hers, Bien ct Company, of New York. The field-work of the District maj) was based jn-imarily ui)()n a line from the dome of the Capitol to the NavaPObservatory. The data was taken from the Coast Survey Report for 1851, and the position of the observatory as there given was assumed by Boschke to refer to the transit circle. It subsequently appeared that it referred to the station on tbe roof from which angles had been measured, and his l)ase line The Confiscation of Boschkc^s Map. 157 was thus in error l:)y about eight feet. This small error is still in the niaj). The roads were meandered by two parties, one with transit and chain, the other with a level. Their results being platted, the plats were taken to the field and the contours and other details sketched in. The Virginian part of the District, it will be remembered, had been ceded back to Virginia in 184(5. Boschke's map did not, therefore, include any of the topography in Alexandria county. That which now ai)pears on the so-called Boschke map was added by two Coast Survey officers, Messrs Dorr and Rockwell, in the first year of the war. At the outbreak of the war the United States had no topographic map of the District, the only topographic map existing being the manuscript produced by Boschke. He sold his interest in it to Messrs Blagden, Sweeney, and McClelland. Mr McClelland is an engraver, now seventy- four years old, living in Le Droit park. He engraved the Boschke map, which was executed on two plates. With his partners, he agreed to sell the manuscript and plates to the Government for $20,000. Secretary of War Stanton, not a])parently understand- ing the labor and expense of a topographic map, thought tliat $500 was a large sum. There was, therefore, a disagreement as to price. After some negotiations, Mr McClelland and his part- ners offered all the material, copper-plates and manuscript, to the Government for $4,000, on condition that the plates, with the copyright, should be returned to them at the close of the war. This offer also was refused. There then appeared at Mr McClel- land's house in Le Droit park a lieutenant, with a squad of soldiers and an order from the Secretary of War to seize all the material relating to this map. Mr McClelland accordingly loaded all the material into his own wagon and, escorted by a file of soldiers on either side, drove to the War Department and left the material. While the war was still in progress, after further con- ference. Secretary Stanton agreed to refer the question of pay- ment for this })roperty to the Committee on War Claims. That committee recommended a payment of $8,500, and the owners, regarding this amount in cash as worth more than future uncer- tainties, decided to accept it. Thus all the material became Government property at a cost of $8,500, and the plates, two in number, are now in possession of the War Department. Electro- plate copies of them are also in the possession of the Coast 22— Nat. Geog. Mag., vol. VI, 1804. 1;")8 31. Bahcr — Siirvn/.<^ and Mapsi, DiMrid of Coluriihia. Survey. A sul)se({uc'nt claim f'oi- tlie (lillercucc lictwcen S8/)00 and $"2(),0()0, the price asked, was presented to Congress, whieli decided that the acceptance of the $8,500 settled the claim, and no more has ever been allowed. United States Geological Survey Map. — In 1885-'86 the United States Geological Survey made a contour topographic maj) of the District and surrounding country in Maryland and Virginia. This ma\) is a part of the general topographic map of the United States which that survey has in hand. The hill forms are shown by means of contours with intervals of twenty feet. The scale is one mile, approximately, to one inch. Existing maps Avere used in its prei)aration so far as they were available, and for the rest the work was done in the field. The method iollowcd was largel}^ that of traversing, the traverse lines l)eing controlled ])y triangulation. United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Map. — A very elal)orate and detailed topographic survey of the District of Colum])ia was institutetl in 1881. In the District of Columbia appropriation bill for the fiscal year 1880-'81 there was inserted an item appro- priating .$5,000 " for surveys of the District of Columbia, with reference to the future extension of various avenues to the Dis- trict line." Under the authority thus given, topographers from the Coast Survey Avere detailed to execute the Avork. It Avas arranged that the map should be on a scale of 1:4800, or 400 feet to an inch. This is a scale of about 13 inches to the mile. The work Avas planned to be most accurate and detailed, and the relief Avas to be expressed in contours, Avith a five-foot interval. The survey thus planned and begun is now completed, and covers the entire District outside the original limits of Washing- ton and GeorgetoAvn — that is, it covers an area of 48.2 square miles. Work vA^as in progress during the ten years, 1881-1891, in Avhich tliercAvas specifically approjiriated for it S05,(')00. Tlie resulting niai) sheets are not yet ])ubli8hod. Some ])liotolitho- graphic sheets have been issued from time to^time, but they do not cover the entire area. The Avork is being engraved upon copper and printed in four colors — l)lack for culture. 1>lue for Avater, In-oAvn for hill forms, and green for woodland. A fcAv such sheets have been issued, each sheet covering about one square mile. It Avill be seen that this survey is one of the most de- tailed, elaborate, and careful pieces of topograpli}^ that has been executed in this country up to date, and its publication is llic first Meridian. 159 awaited witli interest.* It is proposed to number the sheets con- secutively from 1 to 109. If the original District of ten miles square be subdivided into 100 square miles there will l)e one atlas sheet to each square mile. Beginning at the northern corner of the District and running southeastward, the sheets will be numbered 1, 2, 3, etc, up to 10 ; thence returning to the north- western side, the next row will be numbered 11, 12, 13, etc, to 20, and so on to complete the entire District. The First Meridian. — Old residents of ^yashington and some of the modern ones also know the term Meridian hill. The story of this name is a story of surveying and thus a part of our theme. A hundred years ago it was the custom of various nations to reckon longitude from their own capitals— a bad custom not yet quite dead. Our grandsires, proposing to follow this practice, gave early attention to establishing a first meridian. Joined to it was the idea of a national observatory and American ephem- eris, to the end that the young republic might in these respects as well as in all others be quite free from dependence on foreign nations. The complete story of this first meridian seems to be still unwritten. On L'Enfant's plan for the Federal city the letter B appears on the site of the Emancipation statue in Lincoln park, about a mile east of the Capitol. A marginal note indicates the plan proposed for this place, to wit : An historic column ; also intended for a mile or itinerary column, from whose station (a mile from tlie Federal house) all distances of places through the continent are to be calculated. This a]3pears to indicate that L'Enfant planned to have the primary meridian of the United States pass through a point ex- actly one mile east of the Capitol. Still this is not certain, as the only evidence discovered is the marginal note just cited. On the same map the longitude of the Capitol is given as 0° 0', /. e., according to this note the first meridian was to pass through the Capitol, or Congress house, as it was then called. As a first meridian could not at the same time pass through the Congress house and a point one mile east of the Congress liouse, it seems likely that the eastern one never got beyond the suggestion or proposal on the original plan. * Since this was written and while this article is in jji-ess the Coast Survey has issued a map of the District of Columbia in five sheets. It is a black photolithograph ; scale, 1:9600, or 800 feet to an inch. 1()0 M. Pxiktr — Siirrcj/fi dud Maps, Dldr'ni of t'olmithiu. When in 17'.n-"02 Klliooii laid olV the streets, avenues, reser- vations (or a])[)r()|)riations, as they were then called), lie l)e.ijjan by drawini!: ''a true meridional line l)y celestial observation, which passes tlirougb the area intended lor the Congress bousi' ; this line he crossed bj"- another due east and west, which passes through the same area. These lines were accurately measured and made the bases on which the whole i)lan was executed." This line of EUicott's is probably, perhaps surely, the first meridian laid doAvn on the ground in the District of Columl)ia, and may have been designed for two purposes : first, to serve locally as a reference or base-line from which to lay out the then imaginary city, and second, to serve as a. first meridian from which to reckon longitudes in the very young and very patriotic republic. Now Meridian hill is not north of the ('a})itol, Ijut north of the White House, at the head of Sixteenth street, and so we have another meridian to consider. In the State Department is a letter from Nicholas King, S. C. W. (which I take to mean surveyor city of Washington), to the President of the United States (Jefferson) relative to a meridian line through the President's house. It is dated October 15, 1804, and upon it are two endorsements. The first is " Nicholas King. 15 Oct'. 1804. Meridian Line through the centre of the Presi- dent's house." The second is " King Nich'. Surveyor's olhce Oct. 15, 04. rec'\ Oct. 15. to be filed in the office of state as a record of the demarcation of the 1''. meridian of the U. S." This is an important letter,* and as it appears not to have been published, I have appended a copy of it to this paper. It appears that Mr King, under the direction of a Mr Briggs, laid out a meridian line along Sixteenth street in 1804. Who orchn-ed this w^ork done I do not know ; but as Mr King, who ran the line, made a report to President Jefferson, and as this re- l)()rt was sent to the State Department and endorsed to l)c liled as a record of the demarcation of the first meridian of the United States, I infer that the work was done at the instigation of Presi- dent Jefferson and for the |)urpose of marking the initial me- ridian line from which longitudes were to l)e counted in the United States. * I am indebted to the courtesy of Mr Fred L. Harvey, formerly secre- tary of the Washington National Monument Association, for call hig my attention to and furnishing me with ii copy of this letter. TJic Survey ofthcjird Meridian. 161 Thus I infer tliat L'Enfant planned to have the first meridian pass through a jioint exactly one mile east of the Capitol; that President Jefferson planned to have the first meridian pass through the President's house, about one and one-half miles west of the Capitol, whereas the meridian afterward ado[)ted by Congress was that of the Capitol itself The meridian through the President's house was, as already indicated, run out in 1804 b}^ Nicholas King. Setting u}) his transit at the northern door of the White House and pointing to the star " in the tail of the constellation Ursa Minor at its eastern elongation," he then depressed the telescope to sight a mark at the intersection of Sixteenth and north I streets. This mark was an Argand lamp placed on a very low stand. Over the lamp was a tin cylinder with a slit in it. The offset or distance from this mark westward to the true meridian line was then calculated and very carefully measured, and the meridian " line marked on the head of a post firmly driven into the ground " at the intersection of Sixteenth street with the northern side of north I street. No surface marks now show the place of this historic post. Is it or its decayed remains still in place l)eneatli the pavement or was it removed long ago ? The telescope was now elevated and pointed due north " to the top of a hill near two miles north of the President's house, on the lands of Mr Robert Peter, where temporary posts were fixed and the line marked upon them." Early in September of 1804 Mr King, with the consent of Mr Peter, " planted a small obelisk of freestone, prepared by Mr Blagden, on the height where the stakes (or posts) had been fixed." The apex of this stone was in the true meridian from the center of the northern door of the White House. The line was extended southward across Tiber creek and two stones planted near the site of the future Washington monu- ment. It was planned to set a stone exactly south of the center of the President's house and exactly west of the center of the Capitol. The surveyor, on reaching this spot and finding the Ca]ntol invisiljle, prolonged the line and set a stone at the inter- section of the meridian and a line due west from the southern end of the old Capitol. This stone was standing when I came to Washington, some twenty years ago ; I have seen it many times. It was a rough brownish sandstone or freestone about 10 inches square and 3 to 4 feet high. I do not remember any marks or JOii J/. Ihihcr — Sitrt'ci/s and Mapa, Dislrkt of CoUnnhla. inscription ui)()n it. It was always })ointL'(l out to niu as tlie center of the District. In tlie recentl}'' published centennial histor}^ of AV^ishington tliis is called the Capitol stone. It is now gone and its site is unmarked. After establishing tlie Capitol stone Mr King measured back toward the White House 175 feet 82 inches, a distance just one- half of the length of the Capitol as it then existed, and here erected a monument. Of the spot and its mark he says : It is oil the south bank of Tyber creek, and marked by the erection of a small pier, covered by a flat freestone, on which the lines are drawn. Ex-Commissioner Webb, in his centennial histor}'' of Wash- ington, already mentioned, page 28, calls this the Jefferson stone or Center stone and describes it, as also its removal in 1872 by order of General Babcock, who seems not to have been aw^are of its character or history. It seems probable that this Jefferson stone was removed when grading was in progress and the Capitol stone carefully preserved ; that later the relation of these stones, as has been described above, became known to the engineers, who then set a new stone in jilace of the removed Jefferson stone, and then removed the Cai»itol stone. The more or less exact site of the Jefferson stone is now marked by a cut granite stone (or post) planted nearly flush with the ground and marked by a deep cut across, north and south by east and west. It may be seen on the green lawn on the eastern side of and near to the driveway west-northwest from the Monument. Recapitulating, then, we find that along the meridian line through the White House, run in 1804, were three stone monu- ments — INIeridian stone, Jefferson stone, and Capitol stone, and a wooden post at I street north. The Meridian stone is gone and its site is unmarked. The Capitol stone is gone and its site is unmarked. The Jefferson stone is gone, but its site is marked. Some suitable label or inscription would, however, add greatly to the interest of this mark, whicli is, as it now stands, meaning- less to most people. And, lastly, the forgotten post on I street. Of this we have no present knowledge. A word now about the stone on Meridian hill. It will be re- meuiljcrcd that Commodore (afterward Admiral) Porter had a mansion on the old Peter place, at the head of Sixteenth street. Its main entrance was duo north of the main entrance to the The present location of tlic Meridian Ston.e. 103 White House. Iilxactly in line between these doorways, on the hiwn south of the house, stood a low sandstone bloek, on which was placed a brass sun-dial. The stone was carved in cylindrical form on its northern side. This stone, so the story goes, was removed when Sixteenth-street hill was cut down some twenty years ago, and is now doing duty as a carriage step at the corner of Fourteenth and R streets. On talking with the owner of the place at Fourteenth and R streets, however, he denied vigorously that this was the Meridian stone. He described the Meridian stone as similar to the Capitol stone; and Mr King, who set the Meridian stone and the Capitol stone in 1804, also describes them as similar. I infer, therefore, that two stones at the head of Sixteenth street have been called Meridian stone. The original one, still extant, is said to be now serving as a hitching post in front of the Reform school. The carriage step at Fourteenth and R streets is probably a later stone set up as a base or support for a sun-dial, and came to be known as the Meridian stone to the exclusion of the original freestone obelisk. The Center of the District. — It is commonly stated and believed that the Jefferson stone was established at the exact center of the original District, and that the Washington monument, which is less than 200 feet therefrom, practically marlcs such center. Unless I am mistaken, this is an error, and the center of the original District is nearly half a mile (2,04S feet N. 501° W.) northwest from the monument. When Ellicott marked out the District boundary he had to find a true meridian line astronomically. This he did at Jones point, but I do not know of anything to show that he ran this " true meridional line " through the present Washington. It is stated in the recent centennial history that he did, but on what evidence does not appear. It is also stated that this line ran exactly through the middle of the White House and up Sixteenth street, but the surveys now available show that the meridian of Jones point passes west of the State, War, and Navy building and nearly along Eighteenth street. It seems to have been assumed that because Ellicott determined the meridian at -lones point that he ran that meridian through Washington, and that the terms Meridian stone, Merictian hill, Meridian hill farm, etc, are derived from his wairk, whereas the facts seem to show that these names are due to the work of anotlier surveyor, working thirteen years later, under different 1('>4 ^f. Jiaker — Survcij.'^ (iml Ma/is, ])istrtvl of Cnhnnhia. iiislructioiis, on a diirci-ciit pri)Iil('iii, and for a (|uit(' distinct jmrpose. In short, the Sixteenth-street meridian, established in 1804, is quite independent of the center of the District and (|nitc indej)endent of Ellicott's survey. The location of the center of the original District is one })roof of this. This central point is at the intersection of the diagonals. The latitudes and longitudes of the four original corners and of the Washington monument cnal)le us to make the following comparison : Latitude n(n-th. Longitude west of Greenwich. Center of District 38° 53' 34^^915 38° 53' 22^^02 77° 02' 27". 745 Washington monument 77° 02' 07". 78 Difference 12''. 895 19".965 It thus appears that the center of the District is 12". 895 or 1,305 feet farther north and 19". 935 or 1,579 feet farther west than the monument. This locates it on or near C street north. _ l)etween Seventeenth and Eighteenth streets west. This is the center of tlie oriuinal District. APPENDIX. Surveyor's Office, 15th Oct.r., 1804. Sni: Being requested by Mr Briggs to assist him in running a true meridian Hue which should pass through tlie center of the President's house, and to ijerpctuate the same, as also the point of intersection by a due west line drawn from the center of the Capitol by fixing permanent marks thereon, and as the pressure of other olficial engagements pre- ventcnl Ins attention to more than ascertaining tin; meridian line and mai'king it tem})orarily, it devolves on me to describe the nuide pursued in ascertaining the line and the required intersections, that otlu'rs may know what dependence is to be placed on their accuracy. In running the mei'idian line I acto 1 only in the capacitj' of assistant, ccmforming entirely to the instructions of Mr Briggs, and executing with all tlie care in my power the marking of his temporary line, agreeably to his signals and instructions, in giving wliich 1 believe he used all the accura(ty of which the instrument was capable. Tlic Survey of fh.c Meridian Line. 165 With a new transit instruiuent, executed by Voigt of riiiladrlphia, he ascertained the place of the star, in the tail of the constellation Ursa Minor, on its greatest eastern elongation, and, continuing the vertical circle to the surface of the ground by the instrument, he determined the bearing, in the line of which on a very low stand was placed one of Argand's lamps covered by a tin cylinder, in which a small slit was made for a sight, and the line from tlie light toward the instrument was drawn upon the stand. Knowing the radius of the circle described by the stai', or half the angle formed by its greatest elongations, east and west, and the altitude of the pole, he by calculation deduced the horizontal angle made by two vertical circles, one of which is the meridian passing through the pole; the other through the star's place when farthest east. This liorizontal angle being found, and the base line measured from the place of the instrument (the north door of the President's house) to where it is intersected by an east-and-west line from the place of the light or sight used (the north side of north I street), aflbrded the necessary data for calculating the distance to be measured west from the place of the sight to the true meridian line, which offset was very carefully made and the line marked on the head of a post firmly driven into the ground. The meridian being thus fixed and a point found due north from tlie place of observation, the line was continued by the instrument at one sight and tested by reversing the telescope at an intermediate sta- tion in the line to the top of a hill nearly two miles north of the Presi- dent's house, on the lands of Mr Robert Peter, where temporary posts were fixed and tlie line marked upon them, according to the instructions by signal from INIr Briggs at the instrument. From the President's house the line was reversed by the instrument and continued south across the Tyber creek and marked in the same manner on the head of posts driven in the public appropriation called the mall. Having obtained the permission of Mr Peter, early in September I planted a small obelisk of freestone, prepared by Mr Blagden, in the meridian line north of the President's house, on the height where the stakes had been fixed under the direction of Mr Briggs. The apex is in the true meridian from the center of the north door. In perpetuating the south line it was deemed best to place the stone where the meridian line should be intersected by a west line from the Capitol. Tbe surface of the ground, however, being unfavorable — the Capitol not being visible at the point of intersection — it suggested the planting an obelisk similar to that on the north line at a point on the meridian west from the south end of the Capitol and where the building was distinctly seen, and from thence find the intersection of the center line by measuring northwards half the length of the Capitol. Although the bod\f of the building was in full view, yet intervening trees prevented my seeing with the necessary distinctness the south end of the Capi- tol ; and I had to find the required point on the meridian by setting off tlie angle included between the northwest corner of the building and the center of the President's house. This angle I had previously calcu- lated, from the distance, 7,690.8 feet, and the length of the Capitol, 351 23— Nat. Gkog. Mao., vol. VI, 1894. I'lO M. linker — Snrvc)/s and Map.'^, District of Columbia. fiH't ") inclu's, to bo 87° 2'.)' (/'.8. For the greater arciiracy I measured tliis aujile IVoiu ditlereiit parts of tlie cirele of a theodolite, made by A(hims, y;oinia various maps have been exam- ined. As no list of such maps is known to be in print, it is deemed worth whilo to print this list, which inay serve as a useful beginning for the future bibliographer. The titles have been prepared by the compiler himself, unless otherwise indicated. The places where the maps were seen is also indicated for those which are not common. L. C. = Library of Congress. G. S. = " " Geological Survey. C. S. = " " Coast and Geodetic Survey. 1791. L'Enfant (Peter Charles). Plan of the city intended for the permanent seat of the Government of t[lie] United States. Projected agreeable to the direction of the President of the United States in pursu- ance of an act of Congress passed the sixteenth day of July, MDCCXC, establishing the permanent seat on the bank of the Potomac. By Peter Charles L'Enfant. Size, 30 X 45 inches. Scale, 4 inches to one mile, or 1:15840. Colored pliotolithograph maile by C. & G. S. in 1887 from original in " Office of Commissioner of Public Buildings, D. C." This is No. 303ja of the C. S. eatalogue of charts, 1893. 1792. Ellicott (Andrew). Plan of the city of Washington, in the terri- tory of Columbia, ceded by the states of Virginia and Maryland to the United States of America, and by them -established as the seat of their government after the year MDCCC. Engraved by Thackara & Vallance , Philada., 1792. Size, 21 x29 inches. Scale, 103 poles to one inch, or IjlOSOO. Black. Engraved on copper. Original copper plate said to be in possession of the C. & G. S. This map is No. 3035 of C. & G. S. catalogue of charts, 1S93, where its date is given as 1800. Copies seen, L. C. and C. S. [1732 ?J Ellicott (Andrew). Plan of the city of Wiishington, in the territory of Columbia, ceded by the states of Virginia and Maryland to the United States of America, and by them established as the seat of their government after MDCCC. Size, 17 X 20 inches. Scale, 100 poles to one inch, or 1:19800. Black. Engraved on copper. [//I Maps of the District of Columbia and city of Washington and plais of the squares and lots of tlie city of Washington. Printed in pursuance of a resolution (1G7) 1G8 M. lUihif — Sarvciji< and Majis, I)is(ru:l af Coltuiihld. of tho Soimto of tlio Unitoil Statos. Sm. fol., Wasliiiigtou, iirinteil by A. Boyd Hamilton, isr>2.1 Tliis is map No. 3043 of the C. & G. S. catalogue of charts for 1893, where its date i>. irivcii as isoii. Oiiirinal ooppor plate said to bo in possession of the C. & G. S. [1792?] EUicott (^Andrew). Plan of the i-ity of \Vasirm,-;t<)ii, in tho territory of Cohunbia, ceded by the sUites of Virginia and Maryland to" tlie United States of America, and by them established as the seat of government after the year MDCCC. Engraved by Sam'l Hill, Boston. Size, 17 X 2(1 inches. Scalv, lOi) poles to one inch, or 1:19800. Blaok. Engraved on copper. Three copies of this map in L. C. Apparently same as preceding, dittering only by the added words, " Engraved by Sam'l Hill, Boston." [179-?] Reid (I.) Tlan of the city of Washington, in the territory of Columbia, ceded by the states of Virginia and Maryland to the United States of America, and by them established as the seat of their govern- ment after the year 1800. Rollinson, sculi)., N. York. Publisli'd by I. Keid. Size, 10 X 21 inches. Scale, 100 poles to one inch, or 1:19800. Black. Engraved on copper. Evidently a copy of Ellicott's map. Copies seen, L. C. [1793 ?] Ellicott (Andrew). Territory of Columbia. Drawn jjy Andw. Ellicott. Size, 22 X 22 inches. Scale, 2 inches to one mile, or 1:31080, Black. Engraved on copper. The Only copy of this map known to me is the very yellow and soiled one now in the Library of Congress. It was reproduced in 1852, omitting the words, " Drawn by Andw. Ellicott." It is the firxt topographic map of the District of Columbia, and was the only one down to about 18(50. All the maps of the District of Columbia I have seen published between 1793 and 18(11 appear to have been copied from this one. 1793. Bent (W.) Plan of the city of Washington now building for the metropolis of America, and established as the permanent residence of Congress after the year 1800. B. Baker, sculp. size, M)}4 X 133^ inches. Black. [/« Universal (The) Magazine. S° Loutlon, W. Bent, 171)3, vol. ;i:!, July, 17'J3, facing p. 41.] Copy seen, L. C. 1794. Gotha Almanac. Plan <2 X 213^ inches. Scale, about :5.17 inches, equal to one niilf , or 1:18300. Black. Engraved on copper. Copies seen, L. C. 1830. Bussard (William). A map of Georgetown, in the District of Colunihia, hy William Bussard, 1830. Engd. by W. Harrison, Washn. Size, 24 X 27 inches. Scale, 100 yards to an inch, or 1:3600. Very ragged, worn, and yellow copy in office of city surveyor. Another copy owned by W. II. Lowdermilk. 1846. McClelland (David). Map of the city of AVashington, established as the permanent seat of the Government of the United States of America, 1846. Engraved and published by D. McClelland. Size, 11 .X 17X inches. Scale, 15 inches to one mile, or 1:31130. Black. Engraved on copper. .\ siib-sketch consists of a reduced copy of Ellicott's map of tlie District of Co- lumbia of 1793. Scale, 3% inches, equal to 10 miles, or 1:188000. Copies seen, L. C. 1851. Van Derveer (Lloyd). Map of the t-ity of Washington, D. C, established as the permanent seat of the Ciovcrnment of tlie U. S. of Am. James Keily, surveyor. Lloyd Van Derveer, publisher, Camden, N. Jersey, 1851. Size, 30 X 42 inciies. Scale, (1% inoluis to one mile, or 1:9750. Colored, glazed, on roller. Contains views of (1) Capitol, (2) President's hou-se, (3) Greenough's statue of Washington, (4) Patent Office, (5) Observatory, (6) Monument. (7) City Hall, (8) Gen. eral Vo<\, Office, (D) Smithsonian Institution, (10) Treasury Department, and (II) Statistics from census of IS.iO. Alsocoutain.S sub-sketch of the District of Columbia from Ellicoit's map. Copies seen, L. C. List of the Map ^ of the I) isf rid. 171 1852. U. S. Senate. Territory of Columbia. Size, 22 X 22 inche?. Scale, 2 inches to one mile, or 1:31680. Black. Engraved on stone ? [In Maps of tlie District of Columbia and city of Washington and plats of the squares and lots of the city of Washington. Printed in puri^uance of a resolution of the Senate of the United States. Sm. fol., Washing;ton, printed Ijy A. Boyd Hamilton, ]8o2.] This is a r«»production of Ellieott's map of 1793. Copies seen, L. C, C. S., G S., and engineer's oflBce, War Dept. 1852. U. S. Senate. ]Map of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, established as the permanent seat of the government of the United States of America. W. J. Stone, sc, Washn. Size, 20 X .31 inches. Scale, 5 3-lG inches to one mile, or l:lr^^OO. Black. Engraved on copper. [/n Maps of the District of Columbia and city of Washington and plats of the squares and lots of the city of Washington. Printed in pursuance of a resolution of the Senate of the United States. Sm. fol., Washington, A. Boyd Hamilton, 1852.] This is chart or map No, 3036 of the C. & G. S. catalogue of charts for 18ti3, where the date of the chart is given as 18G3. 1852. U. S. Senate. Reproduction of Ellieott's map of [1702?], which is No. 3043 of the C. & G S. chart catalogue, 1893. 1357. Boschke (Albert). Map of Washington city, District of Colum- bia, seat of the Federal government. Respectfully dedicated to the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of North America. Surveyed and published by A. Boschke, C. E., 1857. Size. 56 .X 60 inches. Scale, 500 feet to one inch, or 1:6000. Colored. Lithograph of J. Bien, 00 Fulton St., N. Y. Copyright, 1857, by A. Boschke. Ornamental border and 18 marginal pictures. An original and excellent map. The best map of Washington, in my judgment, that has ever been made. Copies seen, L. C. and C. S. 1858. Bohn (Casimir). Map of the city of Washington, established as the permanent seat of the government of the United States of America. 1858. Published by C. Bohn. Copyright by C. Bohn, 1858. .^ize, 13 X 17 inches. Scale, 2 15-10 inches to one mile, or 1:!31600. Black. Engraved on copper ? {In Bohn (Casimir.) Handbook of Washington, etc. 10°, Washington, ISGOi ad flnl\ This is a rcpi-oduction of McClelland's map of 1840. Copies seen, L. C. 1861. Boschke (Albert). Topographical map of the District of Colum- bia, surveyed in the years 1856, '57,. '58 & '59 by A. Boschke. Pub- lished by D. McClelland. Blanchard & Mohun, Washington, D. C, 1861. Engraved by D. McClelland, Washington, D. C. Copyright, 1861, by D. McClelland, Blanchard & INIohun, Hugh B. Sweeney and Thos. Blagden. Size, 40 X 40 inciies. Scale, 4 inches to one mile, or 1:1584:0. Black. Engraved on copper. The first contour topographic map of the District of Columbia. An excellent map. The original copper plates seized by the United States in 1861 and now in possession of the War Department. Electroplate copies in possession of the C. & G. S. Copies seen, G. S., C. S., and Morrison's boolvstore. 172 -1/. Baker — Survey!^ and ^faj).'<, [)txfricl of ('nhunhUi. 1862. McDowell (( iencral Irviii). Siirvt\vs for militiiry dcfi'iiscs. Majt of N. (.'astern Vir>iinia ami vicinity of Wasliiii'^toii, coiiipilod in Idjii)- {jraphii-al eiii^ineer'.s oliice, at division liead'inartors of (u-neral Iivin IMcDowell, Arlington, January 1, 18()2, from published and manuscript niap.s corrci-terl by recent surveys and reconnais-.inces. ]*]ngraved on stone ])y J. Schedler, No. 120 Pearl St., N. Y. size, .jO .V 1)7 inches. Scale, one incli to tlip mile, or I:(j33i»1). Bhick. Lithograph. 13S2. Colton (G. Woolwortli). Topou'raphical mai) of the original Dis- trict of Cohunbia ami cnviron.s: showing the fortifications around tiie city of Washington. By E. G. Arnold, C. K. rnblishcd by G. Wool- worth Colton, 18 Beekman St., New York, 1S()2. Copyright l)y -Vrnold, 1S02. size, 32 X 3:5 inehe.s. Scale, 2 infihe,< to one mile, or 1:31680. Colored. Lithograph. Topography shown by haohures. .\Lainly copied from Bo.schke'.s map. One of the maps issued by Colton was seized by order of Secretary Stanton, and this is ])ri)l)ali'v the one. Copies seen, Ij. C. 1867. Carpenter (B. D.) Map of tiie roads in Washington county, D. C, 1867. B. D. Carpenter, surve3^or of Washington county, D. C. size, 31 X 40 inches. Scale, 4 inclies to one mile, or 1:1584:0. Black, with certain roads colored. Lithograi>h liy J. P. Gedney, 303 Pennsyl- vania Ave., Washington. Copies seen, fj. S. 1868. Wysth (S. D.) Map of tl\e city of Wasliingtcjn, District of C(tluud)ia. size, X 7% inches. Scale, none. Purple. [In Wyetli (S. D.) The Federal city, etc. 3d cd., 8°, Washington, D. C, Gibson Brothers, 1808, pp. 34, 35.] Very crude and poor. Copies seen, L. C. 1868. Johnson (A. J.) Johnson's Washington and Georgetown, i>ub- lislied by A. J. Johnson, New York. Copyright 1868. size, 13 X 17 inches. Scale, 2 9-10 inches to one mile, or 1:34700. Colored. [In .Johnson's new illustrated famil3' atlas of the world, etc, fob, Niiw York, A. J. Johnson & Co., ISS'i, map 48.] 1870. Forsyth (William). Plan of the city of Washington, in the Dis- trict of Columbia, established as the permanent seat of government oi the United States, extended to embrace its suburban towns, vilhiges, &c, and the city of Georgetown, and showing original and other valu- able data not to be found on anj'^ maps heretofore i)ublished. Also a diagram of the avenues, showing their true courses and distances, and a plan of Alexandria. By William Forsyth, formerly surveyor of Washington city. 1870. Copyright 1870. size, GO X OS inches, in six sheets. Scale, ."JOO feet to one inch, or 1:6000. Colored, glazed, on rollers. Photolith. by the N. Y. Lithographing, Kngraving k Printing Co. ; Julius Bien, sup't. There are said to bo two editions of this map Copies seen, city surveyor's otliee and L. C. Lid of lite Maps of the District. 173 [1872.] Forsyth (William). Map of Georgetown, in the District of Co- lumbia, prepared from surveys and other data under an act of the legis- lature approved Deer. 2,Sth, 1S71. Wm. Forsj-th, surveyor District of Columbia. Size, 47 -x 56 inches. Scale, 200 feet to one inch, or 1:34:00. Colored, glazed, on rollers. Copies seen, city surveyor's office. 1872. Petersen (A.) and Enthoffer (J.) Map of the city of Washington, sliowing the subdivisions, grades, and the general configuration of the ground in equidistances from 5 to 5 feet altitude. Compiled, with the assistance of the city sur., P. H. Donegan, by A. Bastert and J. Enthoffer. Published by A. Petersen and J. Enthoffer, of 'the U. S. Coast Survey, 1872. For sale by Philip & Solomons. Size, 86 X 106 inches. Scale, 250 feet to one inch, or 1:3000. Black. Engraved on copper. Copies seen, F. W. Pratt, Sun building. 1873. Enthoffer (J.) Map of the city of Washington, showing the pro- gress of buildings up to October 1st, 1873. Compiled 1)y J. Enthoffer, top. engineer. Copyright, 1873. size, 22 X 25 inches. Scale, 1,000 feet to one inch, or 1:1'3000. Pliotograpli. May never have been pulilished. Has 10-foot contours, and classifies buildings as " houses, shanties, churches." Copies seen, L. C. 1874. Faehtz (E. F. M.) and Pratt (F. W.) Sketch of Washington in embryo, viz. , previous to its survey by Major L'Enfant. Compiled from the rare historical researches of Dr Joseph M. Toner, who by special favor has permitted the use of his labor and materials for the publica- tion of a grand historical map of this District now in progress bj' his efforts, combined with the skill of S. R. Seibert, C. E. Compilers, E. F. M. Faehtz & F. AV. Pratt, 1874. Size, 16 X 21 inches. Scale, about 33^ inches to one mile, or 1:18500. Black. Photolith. by N. Peters, Washington, D. C. {In Faehtz (E. F. M.) and Pratt (F. W.) Washington in embryo, etc, fob, Wash- ington, 1874, facing p. 32.] Copies seen, L. C. 1882. Ward (Lester Frank). Map of Washington and vicinity. I're- pared in the office of the U. S. Geological Survey, 1882. Size, 24 X 30 Inches. Scale, about 0.58 inches to one mile, or 1:109000. Black. Photolithograph. {In Ward (L. F.) Guide to the flora of Washington and vicinity, being Bu lletin 22, U. S. National IVTuseum. 8°, Washington, 1882.] 1882. U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Washington and George- town harbors. District of Columbia, 1882. Size, 18 X 29 inches. Scale, 4 inches to one mile, or 1:15840. Colored. Photolithograph. This is C. S. chart 301a, issued July, 1882. Drawn by A. and H. Lindenkohl. Land, buff; water, green, and city, shaded ; has 10-foot contours. 24— Nat. Gkog. Mag., voi,. VI, 1894. 1 I I .1/. I>iihr — Snrrrys (ind Mdpx. ]>/stricf (>( ( oln mhia. 1882. Boyd ( Williaiu II.) I'.oy.l's map of tlie city of Wasliiii-tdii and sal)arl)y, Di.strict of Coluinl)ia, 1SS2. I'liblislu'il 1)y AVm. 11. I'oyd, directory imlilislicr, Washington, 1). C Coi)yriglit LSSL'. Size, 1.') X l,s inohes. Scale, 1,000 feet to one inch, or ItS^SOO. lihuU IMiiitulitlioirnipli liy .Am. I'hotolitli. Co.. New York. 1884. Commissioners, District of Columbia. To])ogra|ihical map of the Di.strict of CohimMa and a portion of Virginia, compiled under the direction of Major (i. J. Lydecker, corp.s of engineers, Engineer Coni- mi.s.sioner, D. C. By Captain F. V. Greene, corps of engineers, 18S4. Drawn by W. T. O. Bruff. Size, :^1 .\ -21 inches. Scale, 2 inches to one mile, or 1:31G80. Black. Lithograph by .IiiliiLs Bien & Co., New Yorlv. Contour interval, 20 feet. Copie.s seen. District Commissioner.s' office and G. S. 1884. Commissioners, District of Columbia. Tuiiographical niapnf the District of Columbia and a jjortiou of Virginia, compiled under the direction of Major G. J. Lydecker, corps of engineers. Engineer Com- missioner of the D. of C, by Cai)tain F. V. Greene, corps of engineers, 188-1. Drawn by W. T. O. brnlf. Size, 41 X 11 inclies. Scale, 4 inches to one mile, or 1:15840. Lithograph by .Juliu.s Bien & Co , New York. A contour map. Contour interval, 20 feet. Culture, black; water, blue; con- tours, brown. Copies .seen, Eq. Co-op. BIdg. Ass'n, 1003 F St., and G. S. 1884. Stewart (James M.) Map of the city of Washington, in the District of Columbia, showing the lines of the various properties at the division with the original j^n'oprietors in 1792. Size, 24 X .32 inches. Scale, 5 .3-11! inches to one mile, or l:l^::iOO. Colored. Lithograph. Copyrighted by James M. Stewart, Washington, D. C, 1S84. F. Bourqnin, .31 S. Sixth St., Phiiadclphia. Copies seen, Office of Commissioner of Public Buildings and (Jroumls and rent estate office of Weller & Repetti, 400 Pa. .\vc. .S. E. 1886. U. S. Geological Survey. District of Columbia and adjoining territory, being the Washington sheet of the general topographic map of the United States. Surveyed and compiled by J. D. Hoffman and D. J. Howell in 1885-(5, under the direction of Henry Gannett, U. S. (leological Survey. Size, 19 X 28 inches. Scale, about one mile to one inch, or 1:63.'»00. Engraved on copper. Printed in 3 colors : culture, black ; water, blue; contours; brown. Contour interval, 20 feet. 1886. Warner (B. H.) !'.. II. Warnt'r i*c Co.'s ma]), sliowiiig a bird's- eye view of the city of Washington and suburbs. Locating the public buildings and ])laces of interest. Co})yright, 188(), by B. II. Warner & Co. Prepared by A. G. Gedney, Post building, Washington, D. C. Size, 20 .\ 26 inches. Scale, none. Black. Photolithograph. Compromise between a view and a map. Lid of the Mapa of the Dhtrld. 175 1887. Engineer Department, District of Columbia. Map of the city of Washington for use of the engineer department, District of Cohun- bia, 1887. Size, 38 X .38 inches, in two .sheet.s. Scale, about 850 feet to one inch, or l;lor-iOO. Blaelc. Photolithograph by Norris Peter.s, Washington, D. C. Copies seen, G. S. and District Commissioners' office. 1887. Silversparre (Axel). Map of Washington, D. C, and environs, witii marginal numbers and measuring tape attachment for instantly locating points of interest within a radius of twenty miles from the Capitol. Compiled [etc] by Axel Silversparre, C. E. Published by K. E. Whitman, Wasliington, D. C. Copyrighted, 1887. Size, 25 X 30 inches. Scale, l.fioo feet to one inch, or 1:19'-J00. Colored. Copies seen, L. C. and G. S. 1339. Commissioners, District of Columbia. Topographical map of the District of Columbia and a portion of Mrginia, revised and corrected under the direction ef Major Chas. W. Raymond, corps of engineers, Engineer Commissioner, D. C. By Captain T. W. Symons, corps of engineers, 1889. Drawn by W. T. O. Bruff. Size, 41 X 41 inclies. Scale, 4 inches to one mile, or 1:1584:0. Colored. Lithograph by Juliiiti Bien &, Co., N. Y. This is a revised edition of the Lydeeker-Greene map of 1884. Copies seen, G. S. 1889. Evening Star. Map of the city of Washington, with compliments of the Evening Star. Souvenir of March 4th, 1889. Showing route of inaugural parade. Size, 17 X 23 inches. Scale, about 3 8-10 inches to one mile, or 1:16500. ' Black. Photolithograph by Bell Bros., Washington, D. C. Copies seen, G. S. and Tont-r collection in L. C. 1891. Fisher (Thos. J.j & Company. ]Map of the city of Washington, District of Columbia, and adjacent portions of Maryland and Virginia. Prepared and presented with compliments of Thos. J. Fisher and Co., real estate brokers, Washington, D. C. Prepared by W. Kesley Schoepf, civil and topographical engineer, Sun building, Washington, D. C, 1891. Copyrighted, 1891, by Fisher & Co. Size, 27 X 34 inches. Scale, 1:^57000. Black. Lithograph by Bell Litho. Co., Washington, D. C. 1891. Fisher (Thos. J. ) & Company. Map of the District of Columbia and adjacent portions of jNIaryland and Virginia, prepared especially for and presented with compliments of Thos. J. Fisher and Co., real estate brokers, Washington, D. C, 1891. Prepared by W. Kesley Schoepf, civil and topographical engineer, Washington, D. C. Size, 45 X 57 inches Scale, 1,000 feet to one inch, or I:l!i000. Colored, glazed, on rollers. E. H. Berry, del. Bell Litho. Co., Washington, D. C. Copies seen, city surveyor's office. J7<'> J/. Iliihcr — Siirrci/s (iiiil JA'y.s, Pislrirl >if ( '(ilitinhhi. 1891, Holtzroaii (R. ().) I'rcsciitcil l)y 1!. O. llolt/.man, real estate ami in.surance l)ruker, Trntli and F t^treet^i N. W. Copyright, 1S!»1. Slie, 17 X 111 inches. Sculv, about -2% iiiclics to one iiiiU-, or U'i'ZOOO, Cnido pliutolitliogrHi)li. No tille. A real-estiile adverlisinf? miifi. 1891. Hopkins ((J. :\I.) INIapoftlu' Dist rict of C.plninl.ia. IVuin ullicial records and actnal snrvcys. ral)lislK'd l)y(i. M. llopkin.^, C". K., ."H'O Walnut St., riiiUuk'li.hia," Pa., 1891. Ct)i)yright, ISill. size, !>'.} X i'A iiKtlies. Scale, 800 feet to one iiicli, or l:'JOO<). Colored. 1891. U. S. War Department. V. y. Coast and ( Jeodctic Survey. A. D. Bache, suj)'t. ^lup of the ground oc'('Ui)ation and defense of the division of the U. S. army in Virginia in coniniand of Brig. Gen. Irvin Mcd)o\vell, Topographical survey by the party in ciiarge of H. L. Whiting, ass't. U. S. C. S, Field-work executed during parts of June and July, 1861. By F. W. Dorr and C. Rockwell, U. S. C. S. Julius Bien & Co., lith., New York. size, 1(3 X 17 inclies. Scale, 1:41500. Culture, black ; water, blue; contours, Iuovmi ; timber, gri^pn. Contour interval, 20 feet. [In Atlas to accompany the official records of the Union and Confederate armies, 1861-1805. Published under the direction of the Hon. Redfield Proctor, Secretary of War, etc, fol., Washington, 1891, part 2, plate C] 1891. U. S. War Department. Surveys for military defenses. ]\lap of northeastern A'irginia and vicinity of Washington, compiled in topo- graphical engineer's office at division headquarters of General Irvin McDowell, Arlington, January 1, 18(j2. Corrected from recent surveys and reconnaissances under direction of the Bureau of Topograi)hical Engiiuiers, August 1, 1862. Drawn by J. J. Young and W. Hesselhach. Size, 17 X 27 inrlies. Scale, 2 miles to one incli, or lilUGTZO. Colored. Lithograph by Julius Bien & Co., New Yorli. [hi Atlas to accompany the official records of the Union and Confederate armies, 1801-1805. Fol., Washington, 1891, part 2, plate 7.] 1892. Van Hook (J. C. &.C. G.) INIap and guide to Washington, D. C. Compiled and published by J. C. and C. G. Van Hook, National rnion building, i»18 F St. N. W., Washington, D. C, 18!>2. size, 18 X 25 inches. Scale, H'^ inches to one mile, or 1:IG900. Colored. Photolitliograph by A. B. (Jraham, Washiugto.i, U. C. Li fit of ihe Mupi^ of the District. 1 i i 1892. District of Columbia National Guard. Map of the District of Colunil)ia and vicinity, showing the principal points of interest, inchid- ing the present condition of the defenses of Washington. Compiled from the latest maps and from original surveys and reconnaissances by the engineering platoon of the Engineer Corps, D. C. N. G. F. L. Averill, C. E., tirst lieut., com'd'g platoon, 1892. Copyright, 1892, by F. L. Averill. Size, 20 X 25 inches. Scale, about 13^ inches to one mile, or 1:40000. Black. Photolithograph by A. B. Graham, Washington, I). C. 1892. Howell (David Janney). Index map to Washington county plans, District of Columbia. From official records, by D. J. Howell, civil engineer and landscape architect, National Union building, Washing- ton, D. C. Under act of Congress approved Jan'y 24th, 1891, by au- thority of Commissioners, D. C. Matthew Trimble, assessor, January 1st, 1892. Size, 47 X 5.=) inches. Scale, 8i)0 feet to one inch, or 1:9600. Colored. Photolithograph by Bell Litli. Co., AVashington. 1893. Fisher (Thos. J.) & Company. Map of the District of Colund>ia and adjacent portions of INIaryland and Virginia. Prepared especially for and presented with compliments of Thos. J. Fisher and Co., real estate l)rokers, Washington, D. C, 1893. Prepared by W. Kesley Schoepf, civil and topographical engineer, Washington, D. C. Copyrighted, 1893. Size, .5G X 69 laches. Scale, 4% inches to one mile, or 1:13000. Colored, glazed, on rollers. 1894. Coast and Geodetic Survey " District of Columbia. Surveyed between 1880 and 1892. Published Sei>t., 1894. The contour interval is 10 feet. The datum plane is 0.807 feet above half tide level of the Potomac river." Size of each sheet, 25 x 34 inches. Scale, 800 feet to one inch, or 1:9600. Black. Photolithograph. In five sheets. This is the first published map resulting Irom the careful and detailed surveys mentioned on pp. 158, 159. It shows in great detail all tlie present Di.strict, except the city. The sheets have two series of numbers as follows : North East No. ;«KU = Sheet No. 1. No. 30G2 = " No. 2. No. 3063 = " No. 3. No. 3064 = " No. 4. No. .3066 = " No. 6. And are distribuied as shown in the annexed cut. 1 a 3 4 6 l-Vest South IT'S M. lidLcr — N///'/'('//.s X 10 inches. Scalr, 400 I'oet to an int,li, or 1:4800. Engraved upon copper by Evans and Bartle, Wasliington, D. C. Printed liy the Norris Peters Lith. Co., Wasliington, D. C. In four colors, viz., culture, black; drainage, blue; contours, brown, and wood- land, green. The above is one sheet of the very elaborate map begun by the Coast Survey in 188(1. It covers one square mile, and 100 such are required to cover the original District of Colum>)ia. Under the scheme of numbering now adopted the District is divided into 100 squares bylines parallel to its boundaries. The nortlieastern row of ten sheets is numbered from the northern corner to tiie eastern corner 1 to 10; the second row, 11 to 20 ; the third, 21 to 30, and so on. Some 30 to 35 of these sheets are said to be now engraved, but none are published. The compiler has seen proofs of sheets 1, 2, 22, and i!2. .Another series of sheets preceded the above described. This other series con- sists of photolithographs, black, made from drawings by J. A. Flemer and E. H. Fowler. The method of designating them has been changed from time to time, leaving the whole in confusion. Sheets have been designated " Section No 10 W.," "Section D, Sheet No. 1," and also by numbers, such numbers not agreeing with these now in use. These sheets are 15 by 18 inches, and about 15 of them have Ijeen issued. 'V. '^'& • b V" ^^^9- .\^. '^. % --5 • V .r V X/ .-^ r. %.^' • ^ V 4> «- -. -^ •o % ^'^ *> /WV" /..«•.-*->"■'■ v<^.v-">° .. .^'\ .^^-V N MANnWF'^TFR