Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 03/18/1980
NRHP Listing Date 05/19/1980
NRHP Reference Number 80000352
The cottage-like Jones Point Lighthouse was an expression of federal concern for the improvement of inland navigation in the first half of the 19th century. Built in 1855, the plain, weatherboarded structure, with its light straddling its gable roof, aided Potomac River shipping for seventy years. Next to the lighthouse is the south cornerstone of the District of Columbia, originally laid in 1791 and replaced in 1794. The boundary stone marks the origin of the 1791 survey that carved the District of Columbia from the states of Virginia and Maryland and originally included the city of Alexandria. The Virginia portions of the District were returned to the Commonwealth in 1846. The restored Jones Point Lighthouse, and the District of Columbia South Cornerstone, are now a part of Alexandria’s Jones Point Park.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: March 17, 2023
