Mount Vernon in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Gateway to the Nation's Capital
George Washington Memorial Parkway
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 25, 2021
1. Gateway to the Nation's Capital Marker
The George Washington Memorial Parkway opened in 1932 as the nation's first modern federal highway. Its construction honored the bicentennial of George Washington's birth as a patriotic pilgrimage between Washington, DC, and Mount Vernon. This winding highway parallels the Potomac River to connect its travelers with over twenty national park units, many with ties to Washington himself.
Washington envisioned the Potomac River as a means of transportation, expansion, and progress for our new nation. Today, whether you travel by car, foot, bike, or boat, you go with Washington's vision for patriotism and progress. Exercise your liberties to enjoy the historical, natural, and recreational gems along the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Find us online at: www.nps.gov/gwmp
[Captions:]
Great Falls Park, for all its beauty, challenged George Washington to build a canal to access the American west. It even influenced his work on the US Constitution.
A planning model of the terminus of the George Washington Memorial Parkway in the 1930s.
Jones Point Park preserves the first boundary marker for the District of Columbia, surveyed in 1791 by Benjamin Banneker.
Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial, was the home of Martha Washington's grandson and originally memorialized our first President.
Walk, run, or bike from where you are standing to Theodore Roosevelt Island on the Mount Vernon Trail.
Erected by National
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Patriots & Patriotism • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #01 George Washington series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1932.
Location. 38° 42.691′ N, 77° 5.237′ W. Marker is in Mount Vernon, Virginia, in Fairfax County. It is at the intersection of George Washington Memorial Parkway and Mt. Vernon Highway (Virginia Route 235), on the right when traveling west on George Washington Memorial Parkway. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Alexandria VA 22309, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), September 25, 2021
2. Gateway to the Nation's Capital Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mount Vernon Estate (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Washington-Rochambeau Route to Victory (about 400 feet away); Ona Judge (about 400 feet away); Washington-Rochambeau Route (about 400 feet away); George Washington's Mount Vernon (about 400 feet away); The Mount Vernon Memorial Highway (about 500 feet away); Origin of the Purple Heart Trail (about 500 feet away); Mount Vernon (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mount Vernon.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, April 21, 2023
3. Gateway to the Nation's Capital Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 26, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 337 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 26, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on May 2, 2023, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
