The times., 1901-06-16
OLD DISTRICT LANDMARKS
Cornerstone of the Ten Square
Miles Now in a Lighthouse.
Part of the Foundation of jones'
Point Beacon-Occupies the Same
Position 1t Did When Erected
Meridian and Jefferson stones

Position 1t Did When Erected
! Meridian and Jefferson stones.
Built into the unobtrusive little Jones
Point lighthouse just below Alexandria, is
| the old cornerstone" of the District of
Columbia. The stone stands in the same
position in which it was erected in 1871,
| but the foundation walls of the light
/ house have incorporated it
The act of Congress directing that the
I district of ten miles square. should be
! located "on the River Potomac. at some
place between the mouths of The Eastern
Branch and Connogocheague,'' was found
/ by President Washington to put the Dis
trict too far above the river, and in his
proclamation of January a, 1871. he pro-
! vided for a portion of this district in the
! following language:
Il do hereby declare and make known
| that the location of one part of sai> dis
! trict of ten miles square shall be found
/ by running from lines of experiment in
| the following manner" etc.
Congress, recognizing the justice of
! Washington's view of the matter, passed
: an amendatorE act March 3, 1871, to the
! effect that it shall be lawful for the
President to make any part of the terri
! tory below the said limit and above the
! mouth of Hunting Creek a part of the
! said district, 50 as TO include a convent
| ent part of the Eastern Branch, and the
! lands lying on the lower side thereof, and
/ also the town of Alexandria. 3" Then, on
March 80, 1871, the President issued his
proclamation for the purpose of amend
! ing and completing the location of the
| whole district, in which the following
| passage occurs:
OF
amending and completing the location of
the whole of said territory of ten miles
square, in conformity with the said
amendatory act of Congress, 1 do hereby
/ declare and make known that the whole
| Of said territory shall be located and in
cluded within the following lines, that is
! to say, beginning at Jones Point and at
! an angle in the outside of forty-five de-
/ grees west OF north. and running in a
direct line ten miles from the first line;
ther, beginning again at the same Jones
Point. and running another direct line at
a right angle from the first across the
Potomac ten miles for the second line;
then, from the determinations Of the first
and second lines. running two other di-
rect lines of ten miles each, the one
crossing the Eastern Branch aforesaid
and the other the Potomac, and meeting
each other in a point
The Commissioners appointed by Wash
ington January 22 1891, ito locate define.
and limit the Federal District" were
| Governor Thomas Johnson, of Maryland;
| Hon. Daniel Carroll, of the same State,
| and DR.. David Stuart. Of Virginia. The
first meeting of these Commissioners was
| held at Georgetown, April u. 1871. and
three days later the ceremony Of laying
the cornerstone Of the new District was
conducted at Jones Point. on which oc
casion the following address was made by
Rev. James Muir:
"Amiable il is for brethren to dwell to-
gether In unity; it is more refreshing than
the dews on Hermons Hill. May this
stone long commemorate the good
ness Of God in those uncommon
events which have given America
a place among the nations. Ch-
seifshness be forever buried. From this
stone may superStructdre arse whose
glory, whose magnificence, whose stabii-
ity, unequaled hitherto. shall astonish the
world, and invite even the savage Of the
wilderness TO a shelter under its roof.
The stone itself is about two feet high
and one foot square. From il was located
by Andrew EnicOtt, who was entrusted
with the carrying out Of LEnfants s plan,
the meridinal centre line OF the District.
I his line extended through the White
House north, along the centre of Six
teenth Street, and thence oN ct Peters
Hill, afterward called Meridian Hill, to
the intersection Of the boundary lines at
the north point of the District of Colum
bia. about one mile due west from Silver
Spring, Nd. Upon this line, about eighty
yards south of the old standpire, and near
the brow OF the hill, was the house Of
Commodore David Porter, the entrance
door of which directly faced that of the
White House. The farm upon which this
mansion stood was long known as ''Meri-
dian Hill Farm on the edge of the
south lawn, in close proximity to the
mansion, was placed the meridian
stone" This stone was about two feet
across ard two feet high. The north edge
III
placed a brass sun dial. From this stone
Meridian Hill received its name.
Upon the extension OF Sixteenth Street
and the removal Of the hill the stone was
taken away by a property owner, who
used it as a carriage step in front Of his
premises on Fourteenth and r Streets.
Since then it has been lost sight OF.
The line crossing this meridian line ex-
tending east and west and joining the
two remaining angles Of the square COM
prisiug the old District intersects the first
line at a point within a stones throw of
the Washington Monument. II extends
west across the Potomac, passes near old
Fort COrcoran, and meets the angle of
the boundary lines near tdllS church.
Eastward il extends through the rotunda
OF the Capitol, and on to the meeting of
the diagOnalS at the eastern point OF the
District about three miles east of Benning
Bridge. At the crossing Of these centre
lines. near the Washington Monument,
should be found the landma rk indicating
tho exact centre Of the old District. 1t
though there is nothing now to mark it's
location. il stood about one hundred and
fsty yards northwest of the monument.
1t had blue rock foundation, which was
six feet high and was covered by a sand
stone cap. about five feet square and
eight inches thick. This capstune and
part OF the foundation We're removed in
1872 by order Of General BabcoCk. Com
missioner of Public Buildings and
Grounds, through a mistake as to its
identity. it is said. and what remained
was covered up with earth Teveral feet
deep when the roadway and grounds were
made. II is on the east side Of the road,
between the fish ponds and the interSec-
tion Of Virginia Avenue where il will be
found some day, perhaps, by persever-
ing eStigatOr.
There was another old landmark Of the
District which has also disappeared; this
was the Capitol Stone that stood
little south of the Washington Monument
and about eighty-five yards to the west.
1t was of rough -hewn freestcne and pro-
jeCtrd about three feet above the sur
rounding earth, one foot in diameter on
the earth line and eight inches across on
.the top. The distance between this and
.thc centre stone cOrresponded with half
the length of the old part Of the Capitol
MAJOR MANNING'S WILL.