D.C.'s First Building Block (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this trailside historical marker:

D.C.'s First Building Block
Jones Point Park
— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

In 1791, surveyors on Jones Point began to lay out the ten-mile square that would become Washington, D.C. The first marker for the survey—the south cornerstone—was set in place on this spot. Although the stone within this protective enclosure may be a replacement dating from 1794, it is nonetheless among the oldest existing physical monuments associated with the federal city of Washington, D.C.

[Caption:]
With water levels steadily rising, the cornerstone on Jones Point has long been at the mercy of encroaching Hunting Creek. In 1861, a retaining wall was constructed in front of the stone, creating a raised yard in the lighthouse constructed six years earlier. The stone remained "lost" behind this wall for over five decades. This 1921 photo was taken at a commemorative celebration following its "rediscovery." Image courtesy of the Library of Congress

[Sidebar:]
In 1916, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) assumed responsibility for maintaining D.C.'s cornerstones and mile markers. In 1926, the DAR purchased the Jones Point lighthouse and later deeded it to the National Park Service (NPS). Today, the DAR and the National Park Service work together to preserve and interpret both the south cornerstone and the adjacent lighthouse. Image courtesy of the Daughters of the American Revolution

The inscription on the south cornerstone, worn by weather and water is now illegible. The other cornerstones are inscribed with the name of the state (Virginia or Maryland), the year, the compass heading, and the phrase 'Jurisdiction of the United States.' Images courtesy of the Library of Congress

[Sidebar:]
May this stone long commemorate the goodness of God in those uncommon events which have given America a name among nations—
Under this stone may jealousy and selfishness be forever buried!
Commemoration of Cornerstone April 15, 1791

Erected 2012 by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.


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PLEASE NOTE: Many map apps, when used in driving mode, take you to I-95’s Wilson Bridge, where you cannot park, much less stop, and then seems to indicate that you should jump off the bridge and walk to the marker. You will surely break your neck—among many other bones—if you jump off the bridge. Instead, set your destination to “Jones Point Park Parking” in order to obtain driving directions to where you can park and walk to the marker

There is a window in the seawall next to this historical marker covering the south cornerstone of the District of Columbia.

With water levels steadily rising, the cornerstone on Jones Point has long been at the mercy of the encroaching Hunting Creek. In 1861, a retaining wall was constructed in front of the stone, creating a raised yard for the lighthouse constructed six years earlier. The stone remained “lost” behind this wall for over five decades. This 1921 photo was taken at a commemorative celebration following its “rediscovery.”

Commemoration of Cornerstone, April 15, 1791.

May this stone long commemorate
the goodness of God
in those uncommon events
which have given America
a name among nations—

Under this stone,
may jealousy and selfishness
be forever buried!
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Commemoration
of Cornerstone
April 15, 1791

The words of Rev. James Muir, delivered at the dedication of the South Cornerstone, appear on a bronze plaque mounted on the marker.


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