Maryland County Commissioners Section 123

      It shall be lawful for the county commissioners of each county in the State, if they shall deem it expedient, to cause to be erected at some public spot adjacent to the courthouse of each county two good and substantial stone pillars, one hundred feet distant apart, the one from the other, and upon the same true meridian line. And upon the summit of one of the said pillars there shall be placed a distinctly visible needle point; and upon the summit of the other there shall be erected a hair sight, in such a manner that a straight line passing through the centre thereof and continued until the same shall strike the centre of the needle point upon the other, shall be in and upon the line of the true meridian running north and south, and they shall enclose and protect the same properly; the said pillars and enclosures to be subject to the custody of the county clerk, to be free to the access of any surveyor of lands or civil engineer residing in said county, or engaged in surveying therein, for the purpose of testing the variation of the compass for the time being, and to cause the said meridian line to be verified at any time when required so to do by order of the circuit court for the said county; and furthermore, it shall be lawful for the said county commissioners to cause to be determined the accurate latitude and longitude of the pillars aforesaid, reckoning the latter from the meridian of Washington, and to have the same marked distinctly and legibly in degrees, minutes, seconds and parts of seconds, on one of the pillars aforesaid.