The Mason and Dixon Line Preservation Partnership (MDLPP) will unveil a Crown Stone set on the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, 250 years ago. The Crown Stone was lost and had not been seen for over 110 years. A replica Crown Stone, showing how the original stone looked when it was set will also be unveiled.
The Crown Stone dedication will take place May 21 at 10 a.m. at the state line, between Norrisville, Md. and Stewartstown, Penn.
From November 1763 to September 1768, Mason and Dixon surveyed the border between the provinces of Maryland and Pennsylvania. They set carved limestones, with a “P” on the Pennsylvania side and an “M” or the Maryland side every mile along the boundary. Every fifth mile, they set a Crown Stone with the Calvert family crest of the Maryland side and the Penn family crest of the Pennsylvania side. This Crown stone is numbered 40, as it is 40 miles west of the northeast corner of Maryland. Crown Stone 40 has some very interesting history associated with the reason it has been lost for more than 110 years. Its history has made this Crown Stone unique from all the other stones Mason and Dixon set on the Pennsylvania and Maryland border.
The 250-year-old Crown Stone and replica Crown Stone will be revealed at the event. Another Crown Stone, located about 150 feet away, that was set during a 1902 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey of the line will be visible. The actual location of additional posts set by Mason and Dixon to allow them to place the Crown Stone.
For more information on the dedication, contact Todd Babcock or Pat Simon 484-706-1281 or 443-567-9998.
