Boundary Stones
of the District of Columbia
Recent News
September 19, 2015: Third annual boundary stone bike ride.
May 30, 2015: DAR continues preservation efforts.
May 2, 2015: SE6 is rededicated.
Jan. 28, 2015: SE8 restoration is underway.
September 19, 2015: Third annual boundary stone bike ride.
May 30, 2015: DAR continues preservation efforts.
May 2, 2015: SE6 is rededicated.
Jan. 28, 2015: SE8 restoration is underway.
Early History
The Residence Act of July 16, 1790, as amended March 3, 1791, authorized President George Washington to select a 100-square-mile site for the national capital on the Potomac River between Alexandria, Virginia, and Williamsport, Maryland. President Washington selected the southernmost location within these limits, so that the capital would include all of present-day Old Town Alexandria, then one of the four busiest ports in the country. Acting on instructions from Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Major Andrew Ellicott began his initial observations for a rough survey of the the ten-mile square on Friday, February 11, 1791.
Ellicott, a prominent professional surveyor, hired Benjamin Banneker, an astronomer and mathematician from Maryland, to make the astronomical observations and calculations necessary to establish the south corner of the square at Jones Point in Alexandria. According to legend, "Banneker fixed the position of the first stone by lying on his back to find the exact starting point for the survey ... and plotting six stars as they crossed his spot at a particular time of night." From there, Ellicott's team embarked on a forty-mile journey, surveying ten-mile lines first along the southwest line, then along The northwest line, next along the northeast line, and finally along the southeast line. The team completed this rough survey in April 1791.
On April 15, 1791, the Alexandria Masonic Lodge placed a small stone at the south corner at Jones Point in ceremonies attended by Ellicott, federal district commissioners Daniel Carroll and David Stuart, and other dignitaries. George Washington did not attend the ceremony, although he did visit the site the prior month. Newpapers around the country announced the story of the beginning of the new federal city. (In 1794, the ceremonial stone at Jones Point was replaced by a large stone, still in place today, with the inscription "The beginning of the Territory of Columbia" on one side.)
Ellicott's team, minus Banneker, who left after the placement of the south stone, then began the formal survey by clearing twenty feet of land on both sides of each boundary and placing other stones, made of Aquia Creek sandstone, at one-mile intervals. On each stone, the side facing the District of Columbia displayed the inscription "Jurisdiction of the United States" and a mile number. The opposite side said either "Virginia" or "Maryland," as appropriate. The third and fourth sides displayed the year in which the stone was placed (1791 for the 14 Virginia stones and 1792 for the 26 Maryland stones) and the magnetic compass variance at that place. Stones along the northwest Maryland boundary also displayed the number of miles they fell from NW4, the first stone placed in Maryland. Stones placed at intervals of more than a mile included that extra distance measured in poles.
The boundary stones are the oldest federal monuments. Although several boundary stones have been moved or severely damaged, thirty-six stones from the 1790s and one substitute stone (SW2) are in or near their original locations, including all fourteen in the land that was returned to Virginia in the 1846-1847 retrocession. Two (SE4 and substitute SE8) are in storage and another (NE1) is marked by a plaque. This site describes the locations of the stones as of 2015, updating the information provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution (1976) and the National Register of Historic Places (1996).
Click on any of the map markers below for photos and information about each stone. A printable list appears at the bottom of the page. Save the map below (minus photos and descriptions) in Google Maps.
The Residence Act of July 16, 1790, as amended March 3, 1791, authorized President George Washington to select a 100-square-mile site for the national capital on the Potomac River between Alexandria, Virginia, and Williamsport, Maryland. President Washington selected the southernmost location within these limits, so that the capital would include all of present-day Old Town Alexandria, then one of the four busiest ports in the country. Acting on instructions from Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Major Andrew Ellicott began his initial observations for a rough survey of the the ten-mile square on Friday, February 11, 1791.
Ellicott, a prominent professional surveyor, hired Benjamin Banneker, an astronomer and mathematician from Maryland, to make the astronomical observations and calculations necessary to establish the south corner of the square at Jones Point in Alexandria. According to legend, "Banneker fixed the position of the first stone by lying on his back to find the exact starting point for the survey ... and plotting six stars as they crossed his spot at a particular time of night." From there, Ellicott's team embarked on a forty-mile journey, surveying ten-mile lines first along the southwest line, then along The northwest line, next along the northeast line, and finally along the southeast line. The team completed this rough survey in April 1791.
On April 15, 1791, the Alexandria Masonic Lodge placed a small stone at the south corner at Jones Point in ceremonies attended by Ellicott, federal district commissioners Daniel Carroll and David Stuart, and other dignitaries. George Washington did not attend the ceremony, although he did visit the site the prior month. Newpapers around the country announced the story of the beginning of the new federal city. (In 1794, the ceremonial stone at Jones Point was replaced by a large stone, still in place today, with the inscription "The beginning of the Territory of Columbia" on one side.)
Ellicott's team, minus Banneker, who left after the placement of the south stone, then began the formal survey by clearing twenty feet of land on both sides of each boundary and placing other stones, made of Aquia Creek sandstone, at one-mile intervals. On each stone, the side facing the District of Columbia displayed the inscription "Jurisdiction of the United States" and a mile number. The opposite side said either "Virginia" or "Maryland," as appropriate. The third and fourth sides displayed the year in which the stone was placed (1791 for the 14 Virginia stones and 1792 for the 26 Maryland stones) and the magnetic compass variance at that place. Stones along the northwest Maryland boundary also displayed the number of miles they fell from NW4, the first stone placed in Maryland. Stones placed at intervals of more than a mile included that extra distance measured in poles.
The boundary stones are the oldest federal monuments. Although several boundary stones have been moved or severely damaged, thirty-six stones from the 1790s and one substitute stone (SW2) are in or near their original locations, including all fourteen in the land that was returned to Virginia in the 1846-1847 retrocession. Two (SE4 and substitute SE8) are in storage and another (NE1) is marked by a plaque. This site describes the locations of the stones as of 2015, updating the information provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution (1976) and the National Register of Historic Places (1996).
Click on any of the map markers below for photos and information about each stone. A printable list appears at the bottom of the page. Save the map below (minus photos and descriptions) in Google Maps.
Growing Public Interest
After Ellicott's team, the next to survey the stones was Marcus Baker, who visited each stone's location during the summer of 1894. Baker reported his survey to the Columbia Historical Society. Following Baker, Fred E. Woodward photographed thirty-nine of the boundary stones--all but SW2, which had been lost even before Baker's survey--starting in 1906. In his reports to the Columbia Historical Society (published in 1907, 1908, and 1915) and in public presentations, Woodward described the extent to which the stones had deteriorated and proposed that they be protected for the enjoyment of future generations. Ernest A. Shuster, Jr. followed in Woodwards's footsteps soon after with his own impressive photo collection and article.
In 1915, the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), citing Woodward's work, voluntarily assumed the responsibility of protecting the stones by erecting a tall iron fence around each one. For decades afterward, DAR members visited the stones periodically to perform routine maintenance. Despite DAR's care and attention, however, many of the stones fell on hard times during the mid-1900s. Several were repositioned, removed, lost, or buried during construction projects.
Subsequent Restoration Efforts
In 1978, Kevin Wood of Boy Scout Troop 98 led a service project that visited most of the stones to clean up the sites and repaint the fences. As Mr. Wood explained in 2012,
After Ellicott's team, the next to survey the stones was Marcus Baker, who visited each stone's location during the summer of 1894. Baker reported his survey to the Columbia Historical Society. Following Baker, Fred E. Woodward photographed thirty-nine of the boundary stones--all but SW2, which had been lost even before Baker's survey--starting in 1906. In his reports to the Columbia Historical Society (published in 1907, 1908, and 1915) and in public presentations, Woodward described the extent to which the stones had deteriorated and proposed that they be protected for the enjoyment of future generations. Ernest A. Shuster, Jr. followed in Woodwards's footsteps soon after with his own impressive photo collection and article.
In 1915, the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), citing Woodward's work, voluntarily assumed the responsibility of protecting the stones by erecting a tall iron fence around each one. For decades afterward, DAR members visited the stones periodically to perform routine maintenance. Despite DAR's care and attention, however, many of the stones fell on hard times during the mid-1900s. Several were repositioned, removed, lost, or buried during construction projects.
Subsequent Restoration Efforts
In 1978, Kevin Wood of Boy Scout Troop 98 led a service project that visited most of the stones to clean up the sites and repaint the fences. As Mr. Wood explained in 2012,
"It was a fun project which we did over three or four days, All the Virginia ones one day, All Anacostia another. And I am pretty sure we did the top half of the city over two days. The green paint came from the DC parks department; my dad called them and set it up. An older parks employee came by the house one day with the paint and he and I drove around the city, to show me where the stones were. He seemed to be pretty enthusiastic about it, he showed me Southeast 9 and the one in Kenilworth Gardens. I am pretty sure he even took me across the bridge to the one at the southern tip of DC, but not the VA ones. So we sort of had permission to do the ones in DC. In VA we hadn't contacted anybody. If the stone was in a public place or a park, VA fences got a coat of green DC paint too. In some cases the stones, in VA, DC and MD were on lawns and cared for and we didn't do anything. We always rang the doorbells and talked to the people and asked if they wanted us to paint the fences. I think they always or almost always said no. Usually they had them painted black. Sometimes we clipped the weeds ad the hedges on private property, I think we did this for one on Eastern Avenue inside of a chan link fence surrounded by hedges. The only stone we didn't actually get to see was one in a backyard in VA, the first or second on the northern stretch. The woman of the house was very firm about not allowing us to see it."In 1990 and 1991, a resurveying team led by David Doyle to celebrate the District's bicentennial located two of the then-missing stones, SE8 (which already had been lost once before and replaced with a replica) and SE4. Next, in September 1995, the Northern Virginia Boundary Stones Committee (NOVABOSTCO), under the leadership of chairman Ric Terman, issued a 77-page report on the status of the fourteen stones in Virginia. NOVABOSTCO's successor, the Nation's Capital Boundary Stones Committee (NACABOSTCO), co-chaired by Terman and Stephen Powers, has worked since 2000 to ensure the preservation and appreciation of all of the stones, partnering with DAR, the American Society of Civil Engineers - National Capital Section (ASCE-NCS), the District of Columbia Association of Land Surveyers, and other government agencies, historical societies, and professional associations. ASCE-NCS leads a biannual restoration project that picks up where Troop 98 left off in 1978. In 2014 and 2015, DAR renewed its efforts to preserve the stones.
Absolutely Required Reading
A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc.: The Hunt for Southeast 8 (Apr. 29, 1991).
Alexander, Mrs. Sally Kennedy: "A Sketch of the Life of Major Andrew Ellicott," Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 2, pp. 170-182 (1899).
Baker, Marcus: "The Boundary Monuments of the District of Columbia," Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 1, pp. 215-224 (1897).
Chase, Louise Coflin: Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia
(1930) [unpublished manuscript in the Washingtoniana Collection of the
District of Columbia Public Library], later reprinted (minus one
paragraph) in
Records and History of the Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia (no date) [unpublished manuscript in the Kiplinger Research Library of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.].
D.C. D.A.R.: Records and History of the Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia (no date) [unpublished manuscript in the Kiplinger Research Library of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.].
Harris, Gayle T.: Biographies of the Boundary Stones (2001) [unpublished manuscript in the Kiplinger Research Library of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.].
Miller, Mrs. Charles S., State Historian, D.C. D.A.R.: Correspondence with National Park Service regarding the disappearance and replacement of SE8 (1962).
National Capital Planning Commission: Boundary Markers of the Nation's Capital: A Proposal for Their Preservation & Protection (Summer 1976).
National Park Service: National
Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Jones Point
Lighthouse and District of Columbia South Cornerstone (Mar. 1980).
Northern Virginia Boundary Stones Committee: 1994-1995 Findings and Recommendations of the Northern Virginia Boundary Stones Committee (Sep. 1995).
Nye, Edwin Darby: "Revisiting Washington's Forty Boundary Stones, 1972," Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 48, pp. 740-751 (1973).
Robinson, June: "The Arlington Boundary Stones," The Arlington Historical Magazine, Vol. 9, pp. 5-19 (Oct. 1989).
Shuster, Ernest A.: The Original Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia (1908).
Shuster, Ernest A.: "The Original Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia," National Geographic, pp. 356-359 (Apr. 1909).
Stewart, John: "Early Maps and Surveyors of the City of Washington, D. C.," Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 2, pp. 48-61 (1895).
Woodward, Fred E.: "A Ramble Along the Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia With a Camera," Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 10, pp. 63-87 (1907).
Woodward, Fred E.: "With A Camera Over the Old District Boundary Lines," Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 11, pp. 1-15 (1908).
Woodward, Fred E.: "The Recovery of the Southern Corner Stone of the District," Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 18, pp. 16-24 (1915).
Woodward, Fred E.: "Boundary Mile Stones" (1916) in
Records and History of the Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia (no date) [unpublished manuscript in the Kiplinger Research Library of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.].
Government and Legislative Materials
American Society of Civil Engineers: Letter to Senator Charles M. Mathias supporting legislation to protect boundary stones (Sep. 15, 1979).
Caemmerer, H. Paul: "Washington The National Capital," Senate Document No. 332 (1932).
Congressional Record: "A Bill to Preserve, Protect, and Maintain the Original Boundary Stones of the Nation's Capital" (Nov. 26, 1979).
Council of the District of Columbia: "Federal Legislation on the Original Boundary Stones in the District of Columbia Support Resolution of 1984" (June 26, 1984).
Falls Church Historical Commission: "Federal Territory Boundary Stone No. Southwest 9" (July 1999).
National Capital Planning Commission: "Boundary Markers of the Nation's Capital," National Capital Planning Commission Quarterly, pp. 1-4 (Fall 1976).
National Park Service: Letter to Nation's Capital Boundary Stones Committee declining to protect stones (June 13, 2003).
U.S. Department of the Interior: Letter to Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs opposing legislation (H.R. 2638 / S. 569) to protect boundary stones (Mar. 29, 1984).
U.S. Senate: "A Bill to Preserve, Protect, and Maintain the Original Boundary Stones of the Nation's Capital," (Nov. 26, 1979).
Additional Sources
Abrams, Alan: "Preserving NE #2, Takoma's Oldest Monument," Historic Takoma Newsletter (Feb. 2003).
Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22: "Ceremonies Of Re-Enacting The Laying Of The Corner-Stone Of The District Of Columbiao" (Apr. 15, 1941).
Bedini, Silvio, A.: "Benjamin Banneker And The Survey Of The District Of Columbia, 1791," Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Vol. 47, pp. 7-30 (1969).
Bedini, Silvio A.: "The Survey of the Federal Territory," Washington History, Vol. 3, No. 1: pp. 76-95 (Spring/Summer 1991).
Bedini, Silvio A.: "Conserving the Boundary Stones," Washington Post, p. A18 (June 20, 1998).
Boy Scourts of America: "Troop 98's Tom C. Clark Award Application" regarding refurbishing project (December 29, 1978)
Claudy, Carl H.: Your Masonic Capital City, p. 25 (1950).
Columbian Centinel: "New Federal City" (May 7, 1791).
County of Arlington: Origins of Arlington (2003).
Cowan, Gene:
SW5 (2003).
Cowan, John P.: "Boundary 'Error'," Washington Post, p. 12 (Jan. 3, 1951).
Cressey, Pamela: "DC Boundaries Preserved by DAR," City of Alexandria Virginia (Oct. 17, 1996).
Crowe, Cherilyn: "Stone Age," American Spirit, pp. 10-11 (May/June 2011).
De Cola, Lee: October Field Trip (2001).
E.M.A.: "Return Arlington County?," Washington Post, p. 6 (Feb. 10, 1936).
Fairlington Historic District:
Original District of Columbia Boundary Marker is Next to Fairlington (2011).
Fernandez, Manny: "Humble Monuments to Washington's Past," Washington Post, pp. B01, B04 (July 10, 2001).
Gifford, Bill: "On The Borderline," Washingotn City Paper (Mar. 28, 1993).
Glassie, Ada Boyd: "Belt Line Highway Around Washington Should Follow Boundaries of 'Ten Miles Square.'," Washington Post, p. 6 (Oct. 9, 1929).
Hallett, Vicky: "D.C.'s Historic Boundary Stones are Being Preserved," Washington Post Express (Aug. 29, 2014).
Hansard, Sara E.: "Old Stones Mark D.C. Boundaries," Washington Post, p. B1 (June 27, 1976).
Howder's Site:
Washington, DC Boundary Stones (Sep. 2000).
Kanon, Matthew: Stoned Out of My Mind: A Guide to and Personal Reflections of the Boundary Stones for the District of Columbia (2003).
Kaye, Ruth Lincoln: "The District's Boundary Stones," Washington Post, p. A18 (July 28, 2001).
Kelly, John: "Arlington Man Watches Over Unsung Monuments to D.C.'s Origins," Washington Post, p. B3 (May 14, 2009).
Lawrence, Kenneth: "Record of the Present Condition and Location of the Mile-Stones" (1949) in Records and History of the Boundary Stones of the District of Columbia (no date) [unpublished manuscript in the Kiplinger Research Library of the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.].
McCormick, Gene: "D.C.'s Southern Boundary Stone," Washington Post, p. A16 (July 15, 1998).
Muller, John: "Boundary Stones: The Oldest Monuments in the District," Greater Greater Washington (October 25, 2011).
Muller, John: "Without Preservation, DC's Boundary Stones Are in Danger," Greater Greater Washington (May 23, 2012).
Muller, John: "Life And Times Of Boundary Stone, SE #6," East Of The River Magazine (July 2012).
Nye, Edwin Darby: "Boundary Stones," The Washington Star Sunday Magazine, pp. 6-9 (June 23, 1963).
Pegoraro, Rob: "At Boundary Stones, Today's Virginia Meets Yesterday's D.C.," The Washington Post Sunday Source, p. M8 (July 1, 2007).
Powers, Stephen C.: "The Boundary Stones of the Federal City," ASCE Newsletter National Capital Section, Vol. 53, No. 7 (Mar. 2007).
Powers, Stephen C.: "Washington DC Boundary Stones: History, Current Status, Preservation, and Fence Restoration Effort," ASCE Newsletter National Capital Section, Vol. 58, No. 8: pp. 1, 10 (May 2012).
Powers, Stephen C.: "The Boundary Stones of the Federal City -
Speaker: Stephen C. Powers, P.E.," ASCE Newsletter National Capital
Section, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Nov. 2007).
Rothstein, Ethan: "D.C. Boundary Stones a Silent Part of Arlington History," ARLNow (Sep. 19, 2013).
Sadler, Christine: "D.C. Boundary Stones Historian's Nightmare," Washington Post, p. F2 (Dec. 10, 1939).
Saul, Ana: "The Most Interesting Thing in Bradbury Heights," Washington Post, p. JP2 (Sep. 8, 1929).
Socotra, Vic: The Northeast Stones (2003).
Silverthorne, Alexandra: Ten Miles Square artwork and installation (2010).
Straumsheim, Carl: "On D.C. Border, History Hides Along Wayside," The Northwest Current, Vol. XLIV, No. 43, p. 7 (Oct. 26, 2011).
Sunday Star: "Fence is Dedicated at Milestone No. 8," Sunday Star (Oct. 15, 1916).
Todaro, Richard M.: "The Four Cornerstones of the Original D.C.," Washington Post (June 7, 1998).
Twomey, Steve: "Lesser Known Monuments Map Out the Original D.C.; Team Marking Stones That Set Boundaries," Washington Post, p. B01 (Oct. 9, 1990).
U.S. Geological Survey: "Federal District Boundary Markers in Northern Virginia: Condition and Preservation Issues" (1994).
Van Mathews, Catherine Cortlandt: Andrew Ellicott: His Life and Letters (1908).
Washingtonian: "The Great Washington Bucket List," Washingtonian (Mar. 1, 2015).
Washington Post: "Surveys of District," Washington Post, p. 32 (July 13, 1902).
Washington Post: "District Not Plumb," Washington Post, p. E2 (May 27, 1906).
Washington Post: "Old North Corner-stone Stands in Big Corn Field," Washington Post (Sep. 9, 1906).
Washington Post: "Talk on Boundary Stones," Washington Post, p. 13 (Jan. 9, 1916).
Washington Post: "To Dedicate Boundary Stone," Washington Post, p. 5 (May 29, 1916).
Washington Post: "Dedicate Boundary Stone," Washington Post, p. R2 (June 4, 1916).
Washington Post: "News of the Club World," Washington Post, p. ES14 (June 4, 1916).
Washington Post: "Washington Unique in that it is the Only World Capital Founded by the Government Itself," p. 45 (Jan. 9, 1921).
Washington Post: "D.A.R. Activities," Washington Post, p. 45 (Apr. 10, 1921).
Washington Post: "Society Will Observe 'District' Day April 15," Washington Post, p. 2 (Feb. 19, 1922).
Washington Post: "D.A.R. Records Deed for Historic Tract," Washington Post, p. 2 (July 1, 1926).
Washington Post: "Gov. Welles, C.A.R.," Washington Post, p. S10 (Dec. 22, 1929).
Washington Post: "Boundary Stones Washington Laid Here Still Stand," Washington Post, p. M15 (June 28, 1931).
Washington Post: "Ancient District Boundary Marker Set by Washington," Washington Post, p. S7 (Dec. 27, 1931).
Washington Post: "Boundary Stone Plaque Unveiled," Washington Post, p. C1 (Jan. 14, 1961).
Washington Post: "Boundary Stone of DC Rededicated," Washington Post, p. A5 (June 6, 1965).
Washington Smart Growth Alliance: "Regional Conservation Priorities," pp. 12-13 (2008).
Washington Times: "Location of Original Cornerstone of the District," Washington Times (June 23, 1912).
Wheeler, Richard S.: The Boundary Stones (Apr. 1963) [unpublished manuscript in the D.A.R. D.C. History collection].
Whitaker, Joseph D.: "Funds Sought to Preserve Original D.C. Boundary Markers," Washington Post, pp. B9-B10 (Mar. 6, 1983).
Boundary Stone Locations
Jones Point Lighthouse: in an opening in the seawall of the lighthouse at
Jones Point Park on the Potomac River in Alexandria, VA. The lighthouse
was built in 1855 and a seawall was constructed in 1861. As documented by
Woodward and others, the stone was hidden behind this seawall until
June 1912. Because the stone remains in an enclosure in the wall,
it still is not possible to view it in its entirety.
According to the Records of the Columbia Historical Society (Volume 2, pp. 60-61), on March 25, 1794, the district commissioners requested that the city surveyor "have a large stone lettered 'The beginning of the Territory of Columbia,' prepared and fixed at the beginning of the territory, in the presence of some of the gentlemen who were present at the fixing of the small stone now there." By June 21, 1794, this new corner stone had replaced the original ceremonial corner stone from 1791.
As Woodward noted in a reading before the Columbia Historical Society on March 18, 1913, "The stone is slightly varied in shape from the remaining ones, being about eleven inches by nearly fourteen inches, instead of the usual twelve by twelve." Additionally, as observed in a Washington Times article from June 23, 1912, "The inscriptions are almost illegible, only portions of the letters being visible, these being on the southwest side, the southeast side bears a part of the date, the figure '7' being discernible. ... The two remaining sides are unmarked and bear no evidence of ever having been inscribed."
According to the Records of the Columbia Historical Society (Volume 2, pp. 60-61), on March 25, 1794, the district commissioners requested that the city surveyor "have a large stone lettered 'The beginning of the Territory of Columbia,' prepared and fixed at the beginning of the territory, in the presence of some of the gentlemen who were present at the fixing of the small stone now there." By June 21, 1794, this new corner stone had replaced the original ceremonial corner stone from 1791.
As Woodward noted in a reading before the Columbia Historical Society on March 18, 1913, "The stone is slightly varied in shape from the remaining ones, being about eleven inches by nearly fourteen inches, instead of the usual twelve by twelve." Additionally, as observed in a Washington Times article from June 23, 1912, "The inscriptions are almost illegible, only portions of the letters being visible, these being on the southwest side, the southeast side bears a part of the date, the figure '7' being discernible. ... The two remaining sides are unmarked and bear no evidence of ever having been inscribed."
1220 Wilkes Street: SE corner of the intersection of Wilkes and S. Payne
Streets in Alexandria, VA. Around 1904, the stone was moved 225 feet
from its original position. When it was reset in the ground, it was rotated
such that the sides of the stone marked "Virginia" and "Jurisdiction
of the United States" no longer face their respective jurisdictions.
The letters on the District face of the stone are smaller than those
of the other stones and in a different script.
7 Russell Road: east side of Russell Road just north of King Street. This is
neither the original stone nor the original location.
Baker and Woodward reported the original stone to be missing as of the
late 1800s, and DAR records show that the current stone was placed at this
location in 1920. The original stone was located about 0.35 northwest
of this replacement. According to Woodward, the original "stone was
evidently placed
on the east side, and very close to, [King Street], on the eastern side of
Shuter's Hill, in a subdivision" now called Rosemont.
2932 King Street: north end of parking lot of the First Baptist Church,
south of Scroggins Road in Alexandria, VA. This stone has been removed
from the ground and reset in concrete. Note that the address is not 2952
King Street, as some sources state.
Adjacent to Fairlington Village at the edge of east side of King Street
between S. Wakefield Street and Route 395. According to Woodward, farm plows
had destroyed the top of this stone by the early 1900s. After being
repositioned when the highway was widened, the remaining portion of the
stone has sunk very low into the ground.
North side of Walter Reed Parkway 100+ feet east of intersection with King
Street. Only the stump of this stone remains. Its current condition is
consistent with Woodward's 1908 report that the "stone is broken, and the top
seems to be lost. The entire base, with a few inches of the finished portion,
was found lying on the ground in approximately the same spot where it had
originally been placed." This stone is now nearly 45 feet from its original
position.
Median strip of Jefferson Street 0.1 miles south of Columbia Pike in
Arlington, VA. This stone has been repositioned several times. It
also has been hit by a car and cemented back together.
5995 5th Road, Arlington, VA: Carlin Springs Elementary School, parking
lot C, near the fence. It is also possible to reach this stone
from the opposite directon via the private park behind the
tennis courts at 3101 S. Manchester Street, Falls Church, VA.
Follow the southeast edge of the tennis courts to the (often locked)
gate to the private park.
A short distance from the intersection of John
Marshall Drive and Wilson
Boulevard: 100 feet southeast of water tower behind the Patrick Henry
Apartments. The stone is at the edge of the parking lot across from
units 6184 and 6172. As the informational sign near the stone states,
this is not the original location.
Benjamin Banneker Park on Van Buren Street south of 18th Street in Falls Church, VA.
Andrew Ellicott Park: 2824 N. Arizona Street (sometimes listed as
2824 Meridian Street), south of West Street in Falls Church, VA.
3607 Powhatan Street, north of 36th Street in Arlington, VA:
west side of back yard, 200 feet from the road.
5298 Old Dominion Drive or 5145 N. 38th Street, Arlington, VA: in the fence
separating the back yards of two homes.
4013 N. Tazewell Street, Arlington, VA: back yard of home.
Within the fenced Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant grounds, 100+ feet
east of the Capitol Crescent Trail (from the "Entering Montgomery County" sign)
and several hundred feet north of the intersection
of Norton Street and Potomac Avenue. The easiest way to see this stone
is through the fence along the Crescent Trail because the treatment plant
is closed to the public. It is also possible to schedule a visit to the
stone during normal business hours
by calling Patty Gamby of the Army Corps of Engineers at (202) 764-2693.
If she is unavailable, call the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant's main
number at (202) 764-2753.
Older sources list the stone's location as 5906 Dalecarlia
Place. The "government dwelling" once located at that address has
been demolished and the street formerly known as Dalecarlia Place has
been converted to an access road.
600 feet west of Dalecarlia Parkway and 300 southeast of concrete
culvert, within the fenced Dalecarlia Reservoir property. From
the intersection of Dalecarlia Parkway and Warren Place, walk
into the forest on the west side of the Parkway. The fence
around the reservoir property should be immediately visible. Follow the fence
west along the northern border of the property.
When the fence crosses over the creek, the concrete culvert
is easily visible within the fenced area.
Shortly before the crossover, there once was a person-sized hole in the
fence. The stone is several hundred feet southwest of this hole and too
deep into the forest to see from outside the fenced area. From the hole
one could imagine reaching the stone by following an approximately straight line
down the hill from the fence, across the creek (staying slightly east of
the fork), and up the next hill, keeping the occasional utility markers
within sight.
Unfortunately, entering through
the hole constitutes trespassing on federal property. Thankfully,
it is possible to schedule a visit to the stone during normal business
hours by calling Patty Gamby of the Army Corps of Engineers at (202) 764-2693.
If she is unavailable, call the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant's main
number at (202) 764-2753.
150 northeast of intersection of Park and Western Avenues in small park,
across from intersection of Western Avenue and Fessenden Street.
5600 Western Avenue: front yard of home near intersection with Cedar
Parkway, McKinley Street, and 41st Street. The owners of the home removed
the protective fence in the 1940s. In the mid-1960s, the stone was repositioned
and a plaque was affixed directly to it.
6422 Western Avenue, southwest of Pinehurst Circle: front yard of home,
within circular driveway. This stone does not have a protective fence.
2701 Daniel Road, Chevy Chase, MD: 165 feet
northwest of the center line of Daniel Road and 5 feet southeast from
the edge of the driveway. Near the intersection of Western and Oregon
Avenues next to Rock Creek Park.
Immediately south of East-West Highway in the edge of the forest just west
of the townhouses at Chevy Chase Crest condominium community, near 1850
1806 East-West Highway. Please note that the
marker in the traffic circle where 16th Street, Eastern Avenue, and
Colesville Road intersect, more than a quarter of a mile to the east, is not a
District of Columbia boundary stone.
7847 Eastern Avenue, northwest of intersection with Georgia Avenue:
bronze plaque in place of stone in the sidewalk in front
of a shop. The stone was accidentally bulldozed and removed during the
construction of the storefront in September 1952.
6980 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD: front yard of home near intersection of Maple and Carroll Avenues.
144 feet northwest of intersection of Eastern
Avenue and Chillum Road at the edge of a commercial parking on the
Maryland side of Eastern Avenue, just south of New Hampshire Avenue.
5400 Sargent Road: side yard of home on Maryland side of Eastern Avenue just north of Sargent Road.
4609 Eastern Avenue, northwest of Varnum Street: front yard of home.
3601 Eastern Avenue, near intersection with 34th Street: front yard of
home. This stone has been reset in concrete.
Fort Lincoln Cemetery: along the fence in Block 18, 75 feet
southwest of Garden Mausoleum near Garden of the Crucifixion.
Along the fence 500 feet northwest of the intersection of Eastern
and Kenilworth Avenues. Until 2013, there were three
trails that led to the stone. Because the area is now under development,
these trails may not be as easy to follow as they once were.
1) From the intersection of Eastern and Kenilworth, follow the trail that begins at a separation in the fence along the north side of Kenilworth. The trail immediately winds to the right where it follows another fence northwest along the edge of a gravel distribution lot. The trail forks when the gravel lot fence begins to turn to the right; turn left here. The left fork roughly parallels another fence and leads to the charred rubble of a former dwelling. The stone is along the fence to the right, about 50 feet before you reach the remains of the dwelling. View route.
2) From the intersection of Eastern and Kenilworth, head southwest on Kenilworth and turn right on Quarles Road. Turn right again, before reaching 45th Street, onto a road leading to a smokestack across the street from an apartment complex. As Kanon explained in Stoned Out of My Mind: A Guide to and Personal Reflections of the Boundary Stones for the District of Columbia, "Just E of parking lot, look for a hole in the black fence. Follow a trail for about 300 ft. to another fence. Near a pool of water."
3) From the intersection of Eastern and Kenilworth, head southwest on Kenilworth and turn right on Quarles Road. Turn right again when Quarles ends at Anacostia Avenue. Anacostia ends shortly thereafter at a forest, where a trail leads past the former dwelling to the stone.
1) From the intersection of Eastern and Kenilworth, follow the trail that begins at a separation in the fence along the north side of Kenilworth. The trail immediately winds to the right where it follows another fence northwest along the edge of a gravel distribution lot. The trail forks when the gravel lot fence begins to turn to the right; turn left here. The left fork roughly parallels another fence and leads to the charred rubble of a former dwelling. The stone is along the fence to the right, about 50 feet before you reach the remains of the dwelling. View route.
2) From the intersection of Eastern and Kenilworth, head southwest on Kenilworth and turn right on Quarles Road. Turn right again, before reaching 45th Street, onto a road leading to a smokestack across the street from an apartment complex. As Kanon explained in Stoned Out of My Mind: A Guide to and Personal Reflections of the Boundary Stones for the District of Columbia, "Just E of parking lot, look for a hole in the black fence. Follow a trail for about 300 ft. to another fence. Near a pool of water."
3) From the intersection of Eastern and Kenilworth, head southwest on Kenilworth and turn right on Quarles Road. Turn right again when Quarles ends at Anacostia Avenue. Anacostia ends shortly thereafter at a forest, where a trail leads past the former dwelling to the stone.
919 Eastern Avenue, 0.1 miles south of Sheriff Road: front yard of home.
100 feet southeast of intersection of Eastern and Southern Avenues.
30 feet south of intersection of D Street and Southern Avenue, near corner of wall around National Capitol Hebrew Cemetery.
4345 Southern Avenue, near intersection with Rail Street: front yard of
home. Note that this is not 4245 Southern Avenue, as some sources state.
Across the street from 3908 Southern Avenue, near Suitland Terrace.
SE3 is unusually tall for an intermediate stone. Woodward, observing
that the west corner stone is much shorter than the
other corner stones, hypothesized that there was a mixup
between the tall stone that became SE3 and the short stone that
became the West stone.
Formerly located along Southern Avenue a few feet southeast of the
intersection with Naylor Road (and not at the intersection of Naylor Road
and Suitland Parkway, as some sources state). Nothing remains to mark
this stone--not even a plaque. When a truck knocked the stone out of place
during the mid-1980s, the manager of a nearby apartment building moved the
stone into the boiler room of the building for safekeeping. In 1991, the
building manager gave the stone to the bicentennial resurveying team, who,
in 2012, transferred the stone to the D.C. Office of the Surveyor.
280 feet northeast of the northernmost
intersection of Southern Avenue and Valley Terrace (the roads intersect
twice within a quarter mile). This stone is next to the sidewalk along
Southern Avenue in front of the Southern Avenue metro station.
901 Southern Avenue. Until early 2008, this was one of the best-looking
stones. Then an out-of-control car broke the stone in half at ground level and
destroyed the protective fence. During 2012 through 2014, the
above-ground portion of the stone was stored in the D.C. Office of the
Surveyor for safekeeping. The stone and a protective fence are again in
place.
25 feet south of intersection of Southern Avenue and Indian Head Road
on the east side of Indian Head Highway. This stone has been repositioned.
Note that the National Register of Historic Places
incorrectly states that the stone is northeast of the intersection.
Behind Blue Plains Impoundment Lot: southeast corner of the lot on the
Maryland side of the fence. This stone, a replacement, was, for decades,
located
nearly eight feet below ground level at the bottom of a narrow concrete pipe.
Although the top of the stone was visible as late as 2006, dirt and debris
inside the pipe have completely hidden the stone.
The pipe is a short distance from the
lightposts southeast of the rear of the parking lot. The pipe was usually
capped with a traffic barrel.
In early 2015, the stone was temporarily removed for cleaning and
restoration. It will return in the near future.
The most direct way to reach the location is to take Oxon Hill Farm Trail south from D.C. Village and then, after crossing the border into Maryland, follow the access road along the chain link fence west until you reach the back of the impoundment lot. The direct walking route will almost certainly take you through some very swampy territory, however. A cleaner and easier route is to take the Oxon Hill Farm Trail south from D.C. Village, and then, before crossing the bridge over Oxon Creek, follow the unpaved path to the right southwest along the creek to the large clearing with overhead power lines. Follow the clearing northwest to the fence along the Maryland border and then walk a short distance southwest along the fence to the corner of the impoundment lot. Bring a flashlight.
The original stone was removed in 1958 during construction and then either lost or stolen from a storage facility before it could be reset in the ground. On March 23, 1962, DAR placed a new inscription-less stone in the same location along with the original stone's iron fence. By 1972, this stone too was in trouble, as described by Edwin Darby Nye in a paper read that year before the Columbia Historical Society: "SE8, at the far end of the D.C. Village Area, has become a victim of a large land-fill operation, involving the D.C. auto impounding area, the new sewage treatment plant, and an eighteen-hole golf course being constructed by the National Park Service. SE8 is covered with some eight feet of landfill. A sixty-inch concrete pipe has been placed over the stone, iron fencing and all, and a cover placed over it to protect it. The stone has been uncovered and after excavation has been completed it will be reset in a proper location." Unfortunately, nothing of the sort occurred, and the stone was completely covered by landfill until 1991 when the bicentennial resurveying team dug it back out of the ground, using old photos to approximate its location. The team then decided that the best way to preserve the stone was to put it back into the earth, this time protected by a taller pipe that was visible above ground.
The most direct way to reach the location is to take Oxon Hill Farm Trail south from D.C. Village and then, after crossing the border into Maryland, follow the access road along the chain link fence west until you reach the back of the impoundment lot. The direct walking route will almost certainly take you through some very swampy territory, however. A cleaner and easier route is to take the Oxon Hill Farm Trail south from D.C. Village, and then, before crossing the bridge over Oxon Creek, follow the unpaved path to the right southwest along the creek to the large clearing with overhead power lines. Follow the clearing northwest to the fence along the Maryland border and then walk a short distance southwest along the fence to the corner of the impoundment lot. Bring a flashlight.
The original stone was removed in 1958 during construction and then either lost or stolen from a storage facility before it could be reset in the ground. On March 23, 1962, DAR placed a new inscription-less stone in the same location along with the original stone's iron fence. By 1972, this stone too was in trouble, as described by Edwin Darby Nye in a paper read that year before the Columbia Historical Society: "SE8, at the far end of the D.C. Village Area, has become a victim of a large land-fill operation, involving the D.C. auto impounding area, the new sewage treatment plant, and an eighteen-hole golf course being constructed by the National Park Service. SE8 is covered with some eight feet of landfill. A sixty-inch concrete pipe has been placed over the stone, iron fencing and all, and a cover placed over it to protect it. The stone has been uncovered and after excavation has been completed it will be reset in a proper location." Unfortunately, nothing of the sort occurred, and the stone was completely covered by landfill until 1991 when the bicentennial resurveying team dug it back out of the ground, using old photos to approximate its location. The team then decided that the best way to preserve the stone was to put it back into the earth, this time protected by a taller pipe that was visible above ground.
0.225 miles southwest of the southern end of Oxon Cove Bridge and
about 120 feet east of the Potomac River. Oxon Cove Bridge is the
bridge that I-295 crosses just north of
the intersection with I-495. You can reach this stone on foot by following
the partially-paved path that leads to Oxon Hill Farm from either
D.C. Village Lane in Washington or the intersection of
Oxon Run Drive and Audrey Lane in Maryland. Leave the path when it
turns away from Oxon Cove; then follow the Oxon Cove shoreline
to the base of Oxon Cove Bridge, where you must cross underneath I-295 to
get to the Potomac River. From the endpoint of the large rocks that
surround the base of the bridge,
follow the Potomac shoreline about 1,000 feet southwest until
you are just past due west of the Masonic Memorial (across the river)
and the bridge is no longer visible behind you.
If you are on a small sandy beach with car tires and debris, you are in
the right place.
The stone is 120 feet to the east in the forest at the foot of a
hill. From the shoreline, it is just possible to make out the
fence protecting the stone, although less so in spring and summer.
View the
walking route from Audrey Lane.
The terrain along this route is marshy and occasionally rough, so it may be much simpler to access the stone by car. Park on the right shoulder of the southbound lanes of I-295 near the "Maryland Welcomes You" sign and walk west into the forest to a fence. Follow the fence several dozen feet north to reach a small hole. Enter the hole and walk west through the forest. Depending on your route, you may cross an empty field that once was a staging area for the construction of the highway. Continue west to a very steep hill (actually an earthen dam created to protect the highway from flooding), climb the hill, and walk north along the top of the hill. The stone will appear at the bottom of the hill on the west side after a short walk.
As documented by Woodward, this stone once was next to the Potomac River at Fox Ferry Point, the terminus of an 1800s ferry line from the foot of King Street in Alexandria to Maryland. During the early 1950s and again in 1969, the stone was moved some distance northeast of Fox Ferry Point to save it from being damaged by the tides of the river. The National Register of Historic Places incorrectly states that the stone is east of Shepherd Parkway, when, in fact, it is west and nearly a mile south of the end of Shepherd Parkway.
The terrain along this route is marshy and occasionally rough, so it may be much simpler to access the stone by car. Park on the right shoulder of the southbound lanes of I-295 near the "Maryland Welcomes You" sign and walk west into the forest to a fence. Follow the fence several dozen feet north to reach a small hole. Enter the hole and walk west through the forest. Depending on your route, you may cross an empty field that once was a staging area for the construction of the highway. Continue west to a very steep hill (actually an earthen dam created to protect the highway from flooding), climb the hill, and walk north along the top of the hill. The stone will appear at the bottom of the hill on the west side after a short walk.
As documented by Woodward, this stone once was next to the Potomac River at Fox Ferry Point, the terminus of an 1800s ferry line from the foot of King Street in Alexandria to Maryland. During the early 1950s and again in 1969, the stone was moved some distance northeast of Fox Ferry Point to save it from being damaged by the tides of the river. The National Register of Historic Places incorrectly states that the stone is east of Shepherd Parkway, when, in fact, it is west and nearly a mile south of the end of Shepherd Parkway.
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