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

Jones Point

Photographed by Adam Margolis, December 30, 2014

1. Jones Point Marker

Inscription. American Indians first frequented Jones Point to hunt and fish. The point is likely named for an early English settler. By the 1790's, military installations were established at Jones point due to its strategic location on the Potomac River. The first cornerstone marking the boundary of the District of Columbia was erected on the point in 1791. A ropewalk, a facility for the production of rope, existed here in the 1830s, and a lighthouse was built in 1856 on the peninsula. During World War I the Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation established a shipyard here that employed 7,000 people and built nine freighters.

Erected 2002 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number E-117.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers • War, World I. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1791.

Location. 38° 47.641′ N, 77° 2.747′ W. Marker is in Alexandria, Virginia. It is in Old Town.

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

It can be reached from the intersection of South Royal Street and Jones Point Drive, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Jones Point Dr, Alexandria VA 22314, 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,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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: The Basilica of Saint Mary (within shouting distance of this marker); The Lost Village of Cameron at Great Hunting Creek (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Original Saint Mary's Church (about 800 feet away); Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 13, 2026

2. Jones Point Marker

(about 800 feet away); Battery Rodgers (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Catholic Church in Virginia (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named The Basilica of Saint Mary (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Memory of Ronald F. Kirby (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alexandria.

Photographed by Adam Margolis, December 30, 2014

3. Jones Point Marker

Jones Point Marker Missing image. Click for full size.

Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, March 8, 2025

4. Jones Point Marker Missing

Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 31, 2014, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. This page has been viewed 1,228 times since then and 58 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 31, 2014, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 2. submitted on October 13, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on December 31, 2014, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 4. submitted on March 8, 2025, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.