Jefferson Pier
Jefferson Pier is a stone marker at the planned site of the Washington Monument
Thomas Jefferson placed Jefferson Pier with plans for it to become the prime meridian of the United States (where the longitude is 0°). He had it located on the southern bank of Tiber Creek due south from the center of the White House and due west from the center of the U.S. Capitol. The creek no longer runs through the National Mall, but the stone remains.
Although Pierre Charles L’Enfant (the first city planner for Washington, DC) intended to construct a statue of George Washington at this location, Congress suggested a more elaborate monument after Washington’s death. The ground next to the creek was too soft to support a structure of this size, therefore the Washington Monument was built 400 feet away on more stable ground.
During the construction of the Washington Monument, barges did use Jefferson Pier to tie up their boats, but that was not its intended use when it was named Jefferson Pier. The stone disappeared during this time period and was replaced in 1889.
Either due to an error with the original measurement or at the time the stone was replaced, the marker is now several feet south of the Capitol’s centerline. It is almost directly north of the Jefferson Memorial, but that sightline is mostly blocked by trees.
Jefferson Pier still stands directly in line with the center of the south face of the White House. The top of the stone is etched with these meridian lines.
Jefferson Pier never became the prime meridian of the United States. It was later established at the Old Naval Observatory and was then changed to align with the Greenwich Meridian, which we use today.
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Address
120 meters from the northwest corner of the Washington Monument
Metro Station
- Smithsonian (OR, BL, SV)
- Federal Triangle (OR, BL, SV)
Directions
Follow a diagonal northwest of the Washington Monument towards the Lincoln Memorial to the West and the White House to the North. The monument is near the rounded retaining wall that is next to the sidewalk.
Cost
Free
Hours
Open 24 hours but best in the daylight
Length of Adventure
10 minutes
Website
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Pier
