Jones Point is a geographic point on the
Potomac River within the city of
Alexandria, Virginia, United States. The
Jones Point Light
The Jones Point Light is a small river lighthouse located on the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia. 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 approachi ...
and Jones Point Park are located at the point, which is immediately North of the confluence of
Hunting Creek
Hunting Creek is a cove and tributary stream of the Potomac River between the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County
Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commo ...
and the Potomac River. The 1791–1792 survey of the original boundaries of the
District of Columbia began at a spot that was then at the tip of a
cape at the Point. The south cornerstone from the boundary survey remains in a
seawall several yards south of the lighthouse (see:
History of Washington, D.C.
The history of Washington, D.C., is tied to its role as the capital of the United States. Originally inhabited by an Algonquian-speaking people known as the Nacotchtank, the site of the District of Columbia along the Potomac River was first sel ...
and
Boundary markers of the original District of Columbia).
The
Woodrow Wilson Bridge crosses the park, most of which is under the jurisdiction of the
National Park Service. The
Mount Vernon Trail travels through the park.
[(1)]
(2)
The City of Alexandria had hosted many anniversary celebrations, starting in the 1980s, centered around its anniversary on July 10th, at Jones Point, including its 250th in 1999, and often featuring a fireworks display. Beginning in 2002, they have been largely held at
Oronoco Bay Park Oronoco may refer to:
;Places in the United States
*Oronoco, Minnesota
Oronoco ( ) is a city in Olmsted County, Minnesota, United States, along the Middle Fork of the Zumbro River. The population was 1,802 at the 2020 census.
History
The cit ...
, located further north along the Potomac.
Jones Point underwent a major renovation, completed in 2012, which included National Park Service placards along walking and biking trails highlighting its history. Other improvements include larger parking lots, a basketball court, a playground, a concession stand, restrooms, new walking and bike paths, small fishing/sightseeing piers, and easy access to the Jones Point lighthouse.
[ The National Park Service and others have erected in and near the park a number of markers that relate the history of Jones Point and its surroundings.]
Notes
Landforms of Alexandria, Virginia
Parks in Alexandria, Virginia
Headlands of Virginia
George Washington Memorial Parkway
National Park Service areas in Virginia
{{AlexandriaVA-geo-stub