My first logged "Benchmark" (JU0862)

A few times in my life, I've come across strange metal disks either in concrete on sidewalks or on a bridge walkway perhaps and never really knew what they were.  Through the geocaching website, I learned that these are "benchmarks" established by the National Geodetic Survey established by NOAA.  They were primarily used prior to the advent of GPS systems.  They are reference points know to be a high degree of accuracy and many are part of the National Spatial Reference System.

Benchmark JU0862

These reference points can also be posts or stakes in the ground or even the tops of church spires, water towers, radio antennas, etc.

The following is the original logged description of this benchmark  I found:

01/01/1961 by CGS (MONUMENTED) DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1961 (JCC) THE STATION IS LOCATED ABOUT 2.5 MILES NORTHEAST OF CHESTER, 2.5 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF ESSINGTON AND IS ON PROPERTY OF THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD. TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE JUNCTION OF U.S. HIGHWAY 13 AND STATE HIGHWAY 352 AT EDGEMONT AVENUE AND 9TH STREET IN CHESTER, GO EAST ON 9TH STREET AND U.S. HIGHWAY 13 FOR 0.42 MILE TO THE INTERSECTION OF 9TH STREET, MORTON AVENUE AND U.S. HIGHWAY 13. TURN LEFT AND GO NORTH ON U.S. HIGHWAY 13 FOR 1.34 MILES TO THE INTERSECTION OF SOUTH FAIRVIEW ROAD AND U.S. HIGHWAY 13. TURN LEFT AND GO NORTHEAST ON SOUTH FAIRVIEW ROAD FOR 0.12 MILE TO THE INTERSECTION OF HAVERFORD ROAD AND SOUTH FAIRVIEW ROAD. TURN RIGHT AND GO EAST ON HAVERFORD ROAD FOR 0.43 MILE TO A T-INTERSECTION. THE INTERSECTION OF CRUM LYNNE ROAD AND HAVERFORD ROAD. TURN LEFT, NORTH, THENCE NORTHEAST AFTER CROSSING THE BRIDGE OVER THE RAILROAD TRACK AND GO 0.06 MILE TO THE INTERSECTION OF GARFIELD AVENUE AND HAVERFORD ROAD AND THE STATION ON THE RIGHT, SOUTHEAST, SIDE OF THE ROAD. TO REACH THE AZIMUTH MARK FROM THE STATION, CONTINUE NORTH-NORTHEAST ON HAVERFORD ROAD FOR 0.16 MILE TO THE INTERSECTION OF FORREST AVENUE, POWERLINE POLE NO. 417 AND THE AZIMUTH MARK IN THE NORTH-NORTHEAST ANGLE OF THE INTERSECTION OF FORREST AVENUE AND HAVERFORD ROAD. THE STATION MARK, A STANDARD DISK STAMPED HAVERFORD 1961, SET IN THE TOP OF AN 8-INCH SQUARE CONCRETE MONUMENT WHICH IS FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND. IT IS 210.0 FEET NORTHEAST OF A Y-INTERSECTION AT THE NORTHEAST END OF THE BRIDGE CROSSING OVER THE RAILROAD TRACK, 59.0 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE INTERSECTION OF GARFIELD AVENUE AND HAVERFORD ROAD, 20.0 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE NORTH EDGE OF A CUT BANK AND 6.0 FEET NORTH OF A STANDARD METAL WITNESS POST AND MARKER. REFERENCE MARK 1, A STANDARD DISK STAMPED HAVERFORD NO. 1 1961, IS SET IN THE TOP OF AN 8-INCH SQUARE CONCRETE MONUMENT WHICH IS FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND. IT IS 113.8 FEET NORTH-NORTHWEST OF THE METAL WITNESS POST AND MARKER, 17.0 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE CENTERLINE OF HAVERFORD ROAD, 3.0 FEET SOUTH OF POWERLINE POLE NO 60 AND IS ABOUT THE SAME ELEVATION AS THE STATION. REFERENCE MARK 2, A STANDARD DISK STAMPED HAVERFORD NO 2 1961, IS SET IN THE TOP OF AN 8-INCH SQUARE CONCRETE MONUMENT WHICH IS FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND. IT IS 85.4 FEET EAST OF THE METAL WITNESS POST AND MARKER, 37.6 FEET WEST-SOUTHWEST OF POWERLINE POLE NO. 170, 26.6 FEET SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF A HOUSE, 14.6 FEET NORTHWEST OF THE CENTERLINE OF HAVERFORD ROAD AND IS ABOUT THE SAME ELEVATION AS THE STATION. THE AZIMUTH MARK, A STANDARD DISK STAMPED HAVERFORD 1961, IS SET IN THE TOP OF AN 8-INCH SQUARE CONCRETE MONUMENT WHICH IS FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND. IT IS 26.8 FEET NORTH-NORTHEAST OF THE CENTERLINE OF FORREST AVENUE, 22.3 FEET NORTH OF THE CENTERLINE OF HAVERFORD ROAD, 21.6 FEET SOUTHEAST OF POWERLINE POLE NO. 330, 4.6 FEET NORTH OF POWERLINE POLE NO. 417 AND A STANDARD METAL WITNESS MARKER FASTENED TO THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE POWERLINE POLE AND 1.6 FEET SOUTH OF THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF A HEDGE ROW AND YARD. HEIGHT OF LIGHT ABOVE STATION MARK 30.2 METERS.

Closeup of the survey disk