http://tinyurl.com/59fvv
narrows the difference between the longest & shortest sides of
the octagon to perhaps as little as 125 feet
or only about 6 percent
& all the angles measure close to perfect regularity too
the directional offset of the octagon appears to follow the general
direction of the main drag
on which a pair of its diametric extremities evidently do fall
but i guess theres nothing left to do but call boro hall
& just ask them if they know what the deal is
there is after all at least half a chance that the boro was formed &
surveyed within living memory
& another half a chance that local pride has remained aware of
or somehow actually commemorated the unusual shape
like what if they get several calls a week on this very question &
have a faq already prepared
--- In
BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com, "aletheiak"
<aletheiak@y...> wrote:
>
> handsome & fascinating find mike
>
> & tho further info on this municipality is elusive
> its absence from a 1903 topo indicates it is relatively recent
> & thus presumably had a fairly accurate border survey
>
> curiously enough tho
> the octagon only gives the impression of having a perfectly
> cardinal orientation
> yet is actually off by several degrees
>
> &
> measurements indicate the octagon isnt so nearly equilateral
as
> it looks either
> what with the longest sides being about 200 feet longer than
the
> shortest
>
> all of which suggests someone may well have tried for but
> somehow not quite achieved geometric perfection
>
>
> but if the powers that were really did want to make the easiest
> possible work of an otherwise hard job
> as you surmise
> then such minor inexactitudes as these come as no great
> surprise either
>
>
> circular municipalities are actually fairly common tho
> especially in the postbellum south
> nor do they even necessarily require any demarcation
> as an examination of plains georgia for example has revealed
> http://egroups.com/group/BoundaryPoint/message/1550
> http://topozone.com/map.asp?lat=32.03389&lon=-84.39278
>
> --- In BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com, spookymike@a...
> wrote:
> > For reasons unknown to me, the Borough of Sussex, in
> Sussex County, New
> > Jersey, is octagonally shaped. As with many other NJ
> boroughs, towns, etc., it is
> > completely surrounded by another municpality. Perhaps the
> powers what be
> > wanted to make a circular borough, but found it easier to
> survey the eight
> > straight segments of the octagon, rather than risk duplicating
> the boundary mess in
> > northern Delaware?
> >
> > Have a look: http://tinyurl.com/5r68d
> >
> > Mike Schwartz