etymology - In the U.S., why is octothorp used to signal an apartment at a particular address?


In the book "Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers" it says:



The octothorp ("8 fields" ) has been used in cartography as a symbol for "village "... .



But the octothorp, as a number sign, is used in the U.S. to signal an apartment or unit within a block at a particular address. For example:



Mr. M Murphey
72 President St #4
NORTHFOLK



Is it possible that this use of the octothorp has its roots in its use in older cartography to mark the site of a village?




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