City of Alexandria, Virginia, USA (2000)
Only Jones Point light remains as a lighthouse on the Potomac River. It dates back to 1856. The land on which it rests returned to the Commonwealth of Virginia only ten years earlier. I mention this because I first stumbled across the Jones Point Light while conducting field research on the original boundary stones of the District of Columbia. The south cornerstone, the southernmost point in the original 10 by 10 mile diamond that formed the Federal district, sits just feet away from the light. Today both of these historic objects, notable for completely separate reasons, can be found in Jones Point Park.
The Point’s Rich History
An adventurer, explorer, and trader by the name of Cadwalder Jones sailed up the Potomac River. He built a cabin on an attractive spit of land in 1699. From there he gained a commanding view of the river, surrounded on three sides by water. The lighthouse came a century and a half later on the same small peninsula named for him.
I’ve seen few lighthouses more unusual than this one. It features a stubby little tower originally outfit with a diminutive 5th order Fresnel lens. That sits atop a small keepers home, a barrel on a shack. This inland light did not need a high focal plane like those found along the coast. It merely had to extend a beam of light down the river. Mariners then knew the southern edge of the City of Alexandria loomed ahead. The lighthouse met this purpose until a steel tower replaced it in 1926.
Changes on Jones Point
The lighthouse witnessed many changes taking place on Jones Point during its history. A shipyard rose to supply military vessels during the first World War, then waned. Then the military appropriated Jones Point in the time leading up to and through the second World War. The Daughters of the American Revolution had long been responsible for maintaining the lighthouse along with the South Cornerstone, but with access to the site restricted to military purposes during this period, the building fell into serious disrepair.
When the military finally vacated the site, Jones Point lighthouse remained behind in shambles. Years of decay and vandalism took their toll. Restoration since then happened sporadically, undertaken as funds became available. The exterior seemed to be approaching its original condition but much work remained to be done on the basically gutted interior. Even so, important milestones continue to be reached, and none more important than 1995 when the relighting of the lamp returned it to service. America’s oldest surviving river lighthouse shines once again.
Readers who have an interest in lighthouses might also want to check my Lighthouse Index page.
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