Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone
About this property
The Jones Point Light is a small river lighthouse located on the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia. It was built in 1855. It is a small, one-story house with a lantern on top and served primarily as a warning light for naval ships approaching the Washington Navy Yard. The lighthouse was discontinued in 1926, replaced by a small steel skeletal tower located nearby; this smaller tower was in use for ten years before being discontinued. After being dark for more than half a century, Jones Point Light was relit by a private concern in 1995, however, it was eventually put out again after ownership switched from the Daughters of the American Revolution Foundation to the National Park Service. Certain local efforts have called for the structure to be relit, but as of 2017, the only working lighthouse on the Potomac River is the Fort Washington Point Lighthouse, located five miles downriver. The lighthouse is located on Jones Point in Alexandria, and is part of Jones Point Park. Visitors can approach the lighthouse, but it is currently impossible to enter the building. The lighthouse is immediately north of the confluence of Hunting Creek and the Potomac River. The 1791-1792 survey of the boundaries of the District of Columbia began at a spot that was then at the tip of a cape at the Point. The south cornerstone from the boundary survey remains in the seawall adjacent to the lighthouse. In 1980, the lighthouse and the cornerstone were listed in the National Register of Historic Places as reference #80000352. The lighthouse is also listed in the Library of Congress Historic American Buildings Survey as survey number VA-641. The listing shows lighthouse drawings and several black-and-white photos of the lighthouse prior to restoration. NPS Inventory of Historic Light Stations Archived 2006-05-09 at the Wayback Machine Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse Project - Jones Point Light Jones Point Lighthouse, Jones Point, Potomac River, Alexandria, Independent City, VA at the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) America's Byways: Jones Point Lighthouse Archived 2008-02-14 at the Wayback Machine
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone
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Questions about this property
When was Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone listed on the National Register?
Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 18, 1980.
What type of historic resource is Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone?
Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone?
The period of significance for Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Jones Point Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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