Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
The Federal District and Alexandria
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 22, 2018
1. The Federal District and Alexandria Marker
On January 22, 1791, George Washington appointed Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker to survey the boundaries of the "District of Columbia," to be the home of the Federal government of the United States. The President instructed the surveyors to begin with Alexandria's Jones Point as the southern corner of a 10-mile square diamond to be laid out on a north-south axis. Each corner and mile mark along the boundary was indicated by a large stone. Today, 37 of the 40 old boundary stones survive, including one near the lighthouse at Jones Point. The District boundaries also encompassed the former Maryland port of Georgetown and the farmlands, forests and small settlements surrounding the confluence of the Potomac with the Anacostia River and Rock Creek. At the center of the diamond, the boroque plan for Washington City was designed and laid out by French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant.
Alexandria did not prosper from its association with the District of Columbia. The District never became the major commercial and industrial center that had been envisioned and Congressional policies tended to favor Washington interests to the detriment of Alexandria and even Georgetown. In 1846, the District residents southwest of the river voted to accept the retrocession of Alexandria and "Alexandria County" to the sovereignty to the
this page online
Erected by Fords Landing Homeowners Association and the City of Alexandria, Virginia.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Political Subdivisions. In addition, it is included in the Original Federal Boundary Stones, and the Virginia, The City of Alexandria series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is January 22, 1791.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 38° 47.815′ N, 77° 2.414′ W. Marker was in Alexandria, Virginia. It was in Old Town. It could be reached from Wharf Street east of Ford's Landing Way, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 15 Wharf Street, Alexandria VA 22314, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: A different marker also named The Federal District and Alexandria (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Early Alexandria and Keith's Wharf (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named The Civil War and Battery Rodgers (here, next to this marker); Battery Cove Filled: A New Shipyard (here, next to this marker); The Alexandria Marine Railway (here,
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 22, 2018
2. The Federal District and Alexandria Marker
Other markers no longer nearby. The Civil War and Battery Rodgers (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Early Alexandria and Keith's Wharf (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Battery Cove Filled: A New Shipyard (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named The Earliest Inhabitants (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); The Alexandria Ford Plant (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 23, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 445 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 23, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
