Historic State Boundary Monument

This month, I3 Surveyor Rick Casteel and his team set out to locate a historic monument marking the westernmost point of the boundary between West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Figure 2 - Original Map

This monument serves as the starting point for the boundary line between Pennsylvania and West Virginia on Pennsylvania's western edge. As the line extends to the Ohio River, it becomes the boundary of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Commonly known as the Ellicott Line, this boundary is named after Andrew Ellicott, the surveyor who mapped Virginia westward to the Ohio River and Pennsylvania northward to Lake Erie. The Ellicott Line also played a significant role in establishing the Public Lands System, which covers much of the land in the United States west of the Ohio River.

The team’s search for this monument is part of an ongoing effort by the West Virginia Affiliate of the Surveyors Historical Society to catalog and preserve the state's boundary monuments. This initiative was also in conjunction with an effort to have the monument registered with the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to locating the monument, Casteel and his team also documented two other significant stones: one further north along the Ellicott Line and another eastward on the historic Mason-Dixon Line.

Figure 2 - North face of corner stone; P for Pennsylvania, WV for West Virginia; 1883 was the date of the re-survey which established this position as the original from the 1785 Ellicott Survey.

Rick was joined on this search by Kaden Statler, Survey Instructor at Fairmont State University and 2025 Survey Technician of the Year; Kevin Brockett, Director of the National Society of Professional Surveyors for the West Virginia Society of Professional Surveyors; and Doug Bell, President-Elect of the West Virginia Society of Professional Surveyors.

This successful expedition highlights the dedication of surveyors in preserving the history and significance of these boundary monuments, which have played an essential role in shaping states' boundaries in the United States. The efforts of Rick Casteel and his team not only help safeguard these historical markers but also contribute to a broader understanding of the nation's survey history. By continuing to document and protect these sites, they ensure that future generations can appreciate and learn from the landmarks that define our states’ borders.