Though the saying is “ All roadstead conduct to Rome , ” if Washington D.C. designer Pierre Charles L’Enfant had his way , all road would chair to the nation ’s capital letter .
L’Enfant need a column called “ the Washington Meridian ” erected a mile east of the U.S. Capitol . This pillar would stigmatise where “ all distances of position through the Continent , are to be calculated . ”
It did n’t happen . But in 1804 , Jefferson did establish the Second Washington Prime Meridian and coordinate it precisely with the White House . The Jefferson Pier , place on the National Mall to the south of the White House , notice that travail . The Washington Monument was intended to be localise along that line as well , but ill - suited ground get developers to move the memorial southeast .
Another marking was to be added to the telephone circuit in 1919 . This was when Dr. S.M. Johnson wrote to the U.S. Army ’s Motor Transportation Corps with vision of Rome dancing in his head :
Secretary of War Newton Baker believe Dr. Johnson had a good detail , and the Zero Milestone was sum to the originate number of repository located on the Second Washington Meridian ( that ’s Warren Harding dedicating it in the pic ) . A convoy of Army vehicle leave from the slur on July 7 , 1919 , driving from Zero up to Gettysburg , then taking the Lincoln Highway all the path across the United States to California . Interestingly , the convoy included Lt . Col . Dwight D. Eisenhower , who had make up one’s mind to join the trip “ as a meadowlark . ” The hapless road atmospheric condition he make out across along the way partially pep up the Interstate System he afterward champion as President .
A second convoy left from the spot the following year , and sadly , that seems to be the last clip anyone get hold of much notice of the Zero Milestone marker . You ’ve probably noticed that all roads in the U.S. are n’t measured from it , let alone all roads on the continent , as L’Enfant earlier planned , but that does n’t give up us from predicate it loud and gallant on the monument . engrave in the granite on the south side is this inscription :
The east side order : “ go period OF 2d TRANSCONTINENTAL MOTOR CONVOY OVER THE BANKHEAD HIGHWAY , JUNE 14 , 1920 ”
The west side : “ STARTING POINT OF FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL MOTOR CONVOY OVER THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY , JULY 7 , 1919 ”
And the north face simply says “ Zero milestone . ”
