The Jones Point Light is a small river lighthouse located on the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augu ...

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C. In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...

. It was built in 1855. It is a small, one-story house with a lantern on top and served primarily as a warning light for naval ships approaching the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and Weapon, ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serv ...

. The lighthouse was discontinued in 1926, replaced by a small steel skeletal tower located nearby; this smaller tower was in use for ten years before being discontinued. After being dark for more than half a century, Jones Point Light was relit by a private concern in 1995, however, it was eventually put out again after ownership switched from the Daughters of the American Revolution Foundation to the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

. Certain local efforts have called for the structure to be relit, but as of 2017, the only working lighthouse on the

is the Fort Washington Point Lighthouse, located five miles downriver. The lighthouse is located on Jones Point in Alexandria, and is part of Jones Point Park. Visitors can approach the lighthouse, but it is currently impossible to enter the building. The lighthouse is immediately north of the confluence of Hunting Creek and the Potomac River. The 1791-1792 survey of the boundaries of the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

began at a spot that was then at the tip of a

cape A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...

at the Point. The south cornerstone from the boundary survey remains in the

seawall A seawall (or sea wall) is a form of coastal defense constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation ...

adjacent to the lighthouse. In 1980, the lighthouse and the cornerstone were listed in the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

as reference #80000352. The lighthouse is also listed in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

as survey number VA-641. The listing shows lighthouse drawings and several black-and-white photos of the lighthouse prior to restoration.

Gallery

File:Jones Point seen from Belle Haven.jpg, The lighthouse and the

Woodrow Wilson Bridge The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge (also known as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge or the Wilson Bridge) is a bascule bridge that spans the Potomac River between the independent city of Alexandria, Virginia, and Oxon Hill in Prince George's County, ...

, seen from the bank of the Potomac River at Belle Haven File:Jones Point lens.jpg, Fifth-order Fresnel lens once used at the lighthouse, on display at The Lyceum, Alexandria's history museum File:Jones Point Lighthouse (1996).jpg, Jones Point Lighthouse in 1996 Image:USCGJones_Point_1.jpg, Skeleton tower at the point, which replaced the earlier structure File:South_cornerstone_plaque_1926.jpg, Plaque placed in the sea wall next marking the south cornerstone. File:South_cornerstone_in_sea_wall.jpg, The boundary cornerstone is located in the lighthouse's sea wall. File:Boundary Stone (District of Columbia) South Cornerstone close-up.jpg, A close-up of the cornerstone. File:Jones Point Light, Jones Point, Alexandria, Virginia, 2017.jpg, Jones Point Light, Jones Point, Alexandria, Virginia, in the spring of 2017 File:JonesPointLight.jpg, Jones Point Lighthouse, Looking Southeast

References

External links

NPS Inventory of Historic Light StationsLighthousefriends: Jones Point LighthouseJones Point Lighthouse, Jones Point, Potomac River, Alexandria, Independent City, VA
at the

(HABS)
America's Byways: Jones Point Lighthouse
{{authority control Lighthouses completed in 1855 Buildings and structures in Alexandria, Virginia Lighthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Alexandria, Virginia Historic American Buildings Survey in Virginia George Washington Memorial Parkway National Park Service areas in Virginia