"Mason Dixon Markers"
by Steve and Maria Schuler
"Mason Dixon Markers"
by Steve and Maria Schuler
Foreword: One will never find any Mason-Dixon Line markers in Baltimore City proper, but rarely will one find milestone markers in Baltimore City either. Therefore, it's only fitting that B-More Ghosts pay homage to some of the oft forgotten markers of what is likely the most famous dividing line in American history. The information and photos come courtesy of Steve and Maria Schuler, who have researched the line, and who, like myself, find a great deal of enjoyment in searching out old boundary markers. Note that each of the stones in these photos can be easily viewed from public roads. Numerous other stones exist, but most are either located on private property or require a significant amount of hiking to locate.The History of the Mason Dixon Line:
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon were hired by the Penn and Calvert families to establish the Pennsylvania / Maryland border. The line was started in 1763 and took nearly 4 years to complete. At the time, the area we now know as Delaware was then known as the "Lower 3 counties of Pennsylvania".
The Mason Dixon line starts just northwest of Salisbury, Maryland. From there it travels roughly 85 miles north to the northeast corner of Maryland. It then proceeds about 230 miles west to a point just northwest Morgantown, West Virginia. They originally planned to continue the line westward to the Ohio River but had to stop because of native American resistance.
For the most part, Mason and Dixon placed markers at one mile intervals along the line. They deviated from this pattern west of Sideling Hill (about 132 miles west of the northeast corner of Maryland) because they were unable to haul the heavy limestone markers over the imposing mountain. Instead, they heaped piles of earth and stone around wooden posts. The wooden posts were later replaced in the early 20th century with original stones that were stored at Fort Frederick. Others were replaced with concrete replica markers.
Mason and Dixon placed a "crownstone" at mile intervals that were divisible by 5. Crownstone markers have the Calvert coat of arms chiseled into the Maryland side and the Penn coat of arms on the Pennsylvania (or Delaware) side. The intermediate mile markers simply have the letter "M" for Maryland and "P" for Pennsylvania (or Delaware).
The Mason Dixon Line Preservation Partnership is helping to repair, replace, and document the existing markers.
It is interesting to note that the markers are nearly 240 years old - the first stone was placed 100 years before the battle of Gettysburg!
EXAMPLES:
CLICK ON ANY PHOTO FOR A FULL SIZED VERSION:
Stone 131 is Northwest of Hancock, Maryland on the east side of Resley road. This is an example of an intermediate stone's Pennsylvania (or Delaware) side
Stone 2 is located on the South side of Elbow lane less than one mile west of route 896. This is an example of an intermediate stone's Maryland side.
Stone 58 is near Lineboro, Maryland at the intersection of Hokes and Baughman Mill roads. This is an example of a crownstone's Pennsylvania (or Delaware) side.
Stone 63 is located on the east side of Garrett road about 1/2 mile west of Maryland route 30. This is an example of a crownstone's Maryland side.
When Bad Things happen to Good Stones! Stone 107 illustrates the sad, irreversible damage that can occur when the stones are neglected or mistreated. This sad stone lies just Northwest of Hagerstown along Mason-Dixon Road.GOT SOME MASON-DIXON INFO?!? CONTACT US!!!
