National Historic Landmark · boundary marker · East Liverpool, Ohio

Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey

Site in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Built 1786. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.

Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey frontBeginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey OhioBeginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey Pennsylvania
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 3 in the Commons category

What it is

The Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey is the point from which the United States in 1786 began the formal survey of the lands known then as the Northwest Territory, now making up all of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. The survey is claimed to be the first major cadastral survey undertaken by any nation. The point now lies underwater on the state line between Ohio and Pennsylvania. Because it is submerged, a monument commemorating the point is adjacent to the nearest roadway and located on the state line between East Liverpool, Ohio and Ohioville, Pennsylvania. The area around the marker was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1965.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Property typeSite
AddressOn the OH/PA Border, E of East Liverpool, East Liverpool, OH
CountyColumbiana County
ListedOct 15, 1966
Listed forEngineering, Communications
Level of significanceNational
Also known asBeginning Point
Reference number66000606
Built1786 · more from the 1780s
Type of placeboundary marker
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark, Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
Contributing resources1 site

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

AddressOn the OH/PA Border, E of East Liverpool, East Liverpool, OH
Coordinates40.6425° N, 80.5192° W · Directions ↗
Also in East Liverpool20 listed places in East Liverpool →
Nearest national park unitFirst Ladies National Historic Site · 46 miles · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyMill Creek Camping (Berlin Lake) 36 miles · Mill Creek Day Use 36 miles
Listing on the Register does not open the door. Unless a museum or park runs it, treat this as private property and see it from the sidewalk.

Explore

Map

Local history books for East Liverpool

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Ohio

  • A guide to historic Marietta, Ohio
    Lynne Sturtevant, 2011
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Ohio off the Beaten Path®
    Jackie Sheckler Finch, 2024
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Cincinnati Haunted Handbook
    Jeff Morris and Michael Morris, 2025
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey listed on the National Register?

Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

When was Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey built?

1786.

Source: Wikidata

Where is Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey?

On the OH/PA Border, E of East Liverpool, East Liverpool, Columbiana County, Ohio. The nearest national park unit is First Ladies National Historic Site, 46 miles away.

Source: First Ladies National Historic Site

Where is the nomination form for Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Are there campgrounds near Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey?

Two federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Mill Creek Camping (Berlin Lake), 36 miles away. Mill Creek Day Use is 36 miles away.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Is there cell service at Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000606. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.