This is a wonderful example of a rarely scene Pillar Transit. Bearing serial number 170, this Pillar Transit was likely made a few years after the Civil War ended. Pillar Transits were generally viewed as more accurate than a transit with normal standards.

I found a note in my dad's files about how surveyors used Pillar Transits:

"The type of work for which a pillar transit might be used was mostly laying out horizontal control for geographic surveys.  This were customarily performed by government surveyors, both military and civilian.  The work included both triangulation and field astronomy.  Field astronomy, however, would require a vertical circle which your instrument does not have.  All government surveys I am familiar with used instruments with A-shaped standards, not pillars.  Certainly a few could have been used by either government of private surveyors, but they would be in the great minority.

Pillar transits could also have been used for surveying long, straight boundaries of states or counties."

Another surveyor told me that Pillar Transits were also likely used for surveys involving bridges and tunnels.

Edmund Draper was born in Philadelphia in 1805 and died there in 1882. Draper went into business on his own in 1832: the Philadelphia City directories show as follows: 1833-37 Edmund Draper, instrument mf; 1837-38 Draper & Knox, Mathematical Instrument maker, Edmund Draper & Joseph Knox; 1852-82 Edmund Draper, mathematical & optical instrument maker.

This is a REALLY COOL transit. The transit needs to be cleaned, oiled and have a level liquid vial replaced. Right now it is pretty dark and tight to turn. I took a damp rag to the top of the telescope, and there seems to be a pretty nice chocolate brown patina under the darkness. I don’t know if the darkness is just accumulated dirt or dead paint. I suspect you could turn this pillar transit into a very eye-catching instrument with a bit of elbow grease and a new vial.

The optics are very good - I was surprised actually when I looked thru the scope. The telescope is about 10.5 inches long. The needle is about 4.75 inches long, and the transit stands about 12 inches tall.