Question
what does a perch in surveys mean? Like a measurment from one perch to another.

Answer
"Perch" an ancient term for a unit of measure for surveyors many years ago called a  "Rod" or "Pole", or about 16 1/2 feet (3 x 5 1/2 feet).  There are 4 Poles to a "Chain", or 66 feet.  10 "Chains" to an acre...or so my source says.

I can't get the square-foot of an acre conversion to work out, so I'll take their word that lengths varied.  

Congress adopted the Chain as the standard unit of measure for the fledgling country back in the 1796.  Confusing - Maybe that's why of the four faces on Mt Rushmore, three are surveyors.

Here in the west, the chain was held together with leather straps that would stretch in use...made for some interesting maps!  The city of Santa Barbara was laid out by chain, so no two blocks are the same dimension.  Also, as in any unit of measure, conversions become a painful exercise, and one that can let human error slip in (if it wasn't already there!)  

Check out http://www.sizes.com/units/perch.htm for more discussion on the subject.

PS- hope this wasn't a homework question?! ;)


Here in the west, the chain was held together with leather straps that would stretch in use...made for some interesting maps!  The city of Santa Barbara was laid out by chain, so no two blocks are the same dimension.  Also, as in any unit of measure, conversions become a painfiul exercise, and one that can let human error slip in (if it wasn't already there!)  

Check out http://www.sizes.com/units/perch.htm for more discussion on the subject.

PS- hope this wasn't a homework question?! ;)