Zero Milestone (Washington, D.C.)

USA / District of Columbia / Washington / Washington, D.C.
 historical marker, interesting place, geodetic point, zero kilometer sign
This four-foot-high shaft of pink granite stands on the north and south meridian of the District of Columbia. It is symbolically the official starting point for measurement of highway distances from Washington, D.C.

On July 7, 1919, the first transcontinental military motor convoy, destined for San Francisco, California, started from this spot. On June 5, 1920, Congress authorized the erection of a permanent monument here, and the Lee Highway Association presented it as a gift to the city on June 4, 1923.

All four sides of the monument are inscribed, and there is a bronze compass on top.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Milestone
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   38°53'42"N   77°2'11"W

Comments

  • It's so beautiful that I nearly cried when i saw it!
  • A young lieutenant Eisenhower was on the long and arduous trip taking several weeks. He never forgot. When he became President he started construction of the Interstate highway system. Seeing the sutobahn system in Germany may have helped.
This article was last modified 6 months ago