Comments on: DC Mythbusting: Boundary Stones

By: The Search for Boundary Stones – Part I | brunch and the city

The Search for Boundary Stones – Part I | brunch and the city — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:45:57 +0000

[...] think I first heard about the Boundary Stones from a post on We Love DC. I thought it was interesting but forgot about it pretty quickly…until I noticed the stones [...]

By: Stephen Powers

Stephen Powers — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:55:00 +0000

And of course, mythbusters was not even needed if this site was visited:

http://www.boundarystones.org

By: Stephen Powers

Stephen Powers — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:53:36 +0000

Check out this link as well:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/13/AR2009051303585.html

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:55:58 +0000

The surveyors didn’t need a center point. They started at the southernmost point and went around as they delimited the 10-mile square.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:53:06 +0000

Thanks Tim. What I meant was what did Ellicott and Banneker use as the center point when they were laying out the stones?

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:25:34 +0000

@Jay: It’s within the Organization of American States building http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.893085,-77.040773&spn=0.01,0.01&t=h&q=38.893085,-77.040773

In general, though, the border of the district has very little to do with other landmarks in the district such as the street system, the main buildings, etc. L’Enfant planned the city, while Ellicott’s 1791 and 1792 work was about the district. As I said above, the city was a pretty small part of the district (or territory, as it was at the time).

By: Tyler

Tyler — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:03:11 +0000

Wow, I knew there was one by my house in Arlington, but I had no idea they went all around the DC Square… Very cool.

By: DCBlogs » DC Blogs Noted

DCBlogs » DC Blogs Noted — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:07:05 +0000

[...] Have you ever gone myth-busting around DC? Have you ever looked for J Street or tried to learn the truth about why it doesn’t exist? Shannon from We Love DC has been, and this week set about resolving the myth of DC Boundary Stones. Was it busted or confirmed? [...]

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:58:57 +0000

Wonder what they used for the center of the diamond?

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:46:09 +0000

The one closest to me, in S. Jefferson St. in Arlington (well, border of Arlington and Fairfax counties) is only listed as a theoretical one on the map you link you. It’s definitely there!

Also, minor mistake: the stones did not originally mark the boundaries of the City of Washington, it was the District of Columbia. The City of Washington, when it existed, was roughly what’s within Rock Creek, Florida Avenue, the Anacostia and the Potomac.

By: Jay

Jay — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 18:54:55 +0000

The boundary stones map is awesome. Love the living history stuff you do.

Thanks!