Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

What's below the water at Jones Point?

A Big Fish Story

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

What's below the water at Jones Point? Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 23, 2026

1. What's below the water at Jones Point? Marker

Inscription.
For more than 9,000 years, people have been attracted to the rich fisheries of the Potomac River near Jones Point. Archeological evidence indicates that indigenous people set up seasonal fishing camps on the Point to take advantage of herring, shad, eel, striped bass and sturgeon runs. Large scale harvesting of fish continued into the 19th century, but began to decline in the 20th century as pollution increased.

[Captions:]
In the 1870s, commercial fishing on the Potomac became Alexandria's leading industry. A seasonal shantytown along the waterfront, called Fishtown, was devoted to processing the catch. According to an 1883 account, that year there "were seventeen shores fished, which employed over five hundred men and sixty horses."

Anadomous Life Cycle
Shad and sturgeon were the most prized fish for both natives and Europeans. These species are anadromous—they hatch upriver, swim out to sea, and, once full-grown, ascend the river to their birthplace to spawn.

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

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology

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• Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1883.

Location. 38° 47.431′ N, 77° 2.386′ W. Marker is in Alexandria, Virginia. It is in Old Town. It can be reached from Jones Point Drive east of South Lee Street, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Jones Point Dr, Alexandria VA 22311, 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,

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 marker: Who Owns the River? (within shouting distance of this

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), June 23, 2026

2. What's below the water at Jones Point? Marker

marker); The Nation's Capital Begins Here 1791-1793 (within shouting distance of this marker); D.C.'s First Building Block (within shouting distance of this marker); Mistress Margaret Brent (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Remarkable Margaret Brent (about 400 feet away); The Jones Point Lighthouse (about 500 feet away); Mountains of Materials and Massive Manpower (about 600 feet away); The Long Story of The Jones Point Ropewalk (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alexandria.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Original Federal Boundary Stone, District of Columbia, South Cornerstone (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).

Credits. This page was last revised on June 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.