JOHN BROWNS GRAVE (PG0932)

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State: NY
County: Essex
Quad: Lake Placid
Location: N 44° 15.148' W073° 58.274'
Elevation: 1857.25 ft.
Designation: JOHN BROWNS GRAVE 1942
Setting: Square Concrete Monument
Type: Triangulation Station
Year: 1942
Established By: NGS
Recovered: 06 August 2006

The final day of our "Adirondack mini-adventure" was just right for some tri-station hunting. I'd been curious about John Brown and his grave since I started researching marks in the Lake Placid area earlier this week. We first spent some time at the monument (PG2110) and at John Brown's grave before seeking out the tri-station. We found the station mark with ease, and it is in good condition. As mentioned in one of the recent recovery notes, the disk is now several centimeters below the surface of the ground, but it is not covered and is quite easy to see.

While we were photographing the station, the caretaker approached us with some background information: he knew where both reference marks were located, and more importantly, he pointed out that RM1 is now the surveyors' mark of choice (they apparently visit the area quite often). This made sense when we consulted our datasheets and found that RM1 has been surveyed as a GPS station, with adjusted coordinates, as of July 1997. Both reference marks (PG0931 and PG0933) were found easily, and the azimuth mark (PG0930) provided just a slightly more challenging hunt.

A report on the condition of the station, both reference marks, and the azimuth mark was submitted to NGS, along with the following recovery note:

The station mark, reference marks 1 and 2, and the azimuth mark were recovered in good condition. The 1989 station description and to-reach remain accurate.

Zhanna

NGS Official Description, 1942 (see datasheet for recent updates) :

DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1942 (FBQ) STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 3.5 MILES S OF LAKE PLACID AND IS LOCATED IN THE SE PORTION OF A CIRCULAR DRIVE AROUND THE STATUE OF JOHN BROWN. IT IS 33 FEET W OF THE CENTER LINE OF THE DRIVE, 21 FEET W OF A RAIL FENCE, 15 FEET S OF A ROCK SIDEWALK AND 10 FEET N BY W OF A LONE 2-INCH PINE TREE. IT IS STAMPED JOHN BROWNS GRAVE 1942 AND IS FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. SURFACE, UNDERGROUND, REFERENCE, AND AZIMUTH MARKS ARE BRONZE DISKS SET IN CONCRETE, AS DESCRIBED IN NOTES 1A, 7A, AND 11A. REFERENCE MARK NO.1 IS NE OF THE STATION AND 30 FEET NE OF THE CENTER LINE OF THE CIRCULAR DRIVE. IT IS STAMPED JOHN BROWNS GRAVE NO. 1 1942 AND IS FLUSH WITH THE GROUND. REFERENCE MARK NO.2 IS S BY E OF THE STATION, 30 FEET E OF THE CIRCULAR DRIVE, 25 FEET N OF THE CENTER LINE OF A GRAVEL ROAD AND 15 FEET NW OF A LONE 6-INCH TREE. IT IS STAMPED JOHN BROWNS GRAVE NO. 2 1942 AND PROJECTS 6 INCHES. THE AZIMUTH MARK IS N BY W OF THE STATION, 15 FEET W OF THE CENTER LINE OF A GRAVEL ROAD AND 15 FEET N OF POWER POLE NO.25. IT IS STAMPED JOHN BROWNS GRAVE 1942 AND PROJECTS 6 INCHES. THE STATUE IS NW OF THE STATION. IT IS CONSTRUCTED OF BRONZE AND MOUNTED ON A 4-FOOT BY 4-FOOT BY 3-FOOT CONCRETE BASE. IT IS OF JOHN BROWN AND A NEGRO BOY. HEIGHT OVERALL IS ABOUT 12 FEET. POINT OBSERVED WAS THE CENTER OF THE BASE. TO REACH THE AZIMUTH MARK FROM THE STATION, GO N ON THE MACADAM ROAD FOR 0.1 MILE TO A GRAVEL ROAD ON THE LEFT. THEN LEFT FOR 0.2 MILE TO THE MARK ON THE LEFT.