Boundary markers of the original District of Columbia facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The boundary markers of the original District of Columbia are 40 special stones. These stones mark the original square shape of the federal territory. This territory later became the District of Columbia in 1801. The square covered 100 square miles (259 km²). It was located between the states of Maryland and Virginia.

Northeast No. 2 Boundary Marker, along the D.C./Maryland line. This stone is at 6980 Maple Street NW, Washington, D.C. The fence was built by the DAR.

In 1790, President George Washington chose three commissioners. They followed the federal Residence Act. A team of surveyors, led by Major Andrew Ellicott, placed these markers. This happened in 1791 and 1792. Some of Ellicott's helpers were his brothers Joseph and Benjamin Ellicott. Other team members included Isaac Roberdeau, George Fenwick, Isaac Briggs, and Benjamin Banneker. Benjamin Banneker was an African American astronomer.

Today, 36 of these original stones still exist. They are the oldest federally placed monuments in the United States. Thirteen of these markers are now in Virginia. This is because part of the District was returned to Virginia in 1846. This part was south and west of the Potomac River.

The District's Original Shape

This 1835 map shows the District of Columbia. (From the Library of Congress)

The District of Columbia was first planned as a perfect square. It was 100 square miles (259 km²) in size. The corners of the square pointed north, south, east, and west. This made the District look like a diamond on most maps.

The southern corner of the square was at Jones Point in Alexandria, Virginia. This spot is where the Potomac River and Hunting Creek meet. Each side of the square was 10 miles (16 km) long.

The main lines of the District's current boundaries run differently. The north-south line goes from the District's north corner. It passes between 17th and 18th Streets, N.W. It then crosses the National Mall to the Potomac River. The east-west line is between Constitution Avenue and C Street, N.E. and N.W.

These lines are different from the ones that divide Washington D.C. into four parts. These parts are Northeast (N.E.), Northwest (N.W.), Southeast (S.E.), and Southwest (S.W.). These parts are usually added to Washington street addresses. They are generally separated by North Capitol Street, East Capitol Street, South Capitol Street, and the National Mall.

In 2011, a special mapping project used Global Positioning System (GPS) to map the District's boundary. They found that the old stones were very close to the actual lines. For example, the distance between two stones (Southeast 6 and 7) is almost exactly one mile.

You can find these stones in many places. Some are along streets, in public parks, or deep in the woods. Some are even on private property. If you are respectful, homeowners often let curious people see the stones on their land.

Setting Up the Boundary Stones

The South corner stone is inside a seawall. It is south of the Jones Point Lighthouse in Alexandria, Virginia (2010).

On March 30, 1791, President George Washington announced the starting point for the federal territory's boundary survey. This point was "Jones's point," a cape in Virginia. The survey team started their work there. This was at the southeast corner of Alexandria, Virginia. On April 15, 1791, officials held a special Masonic ceremony. They dedicated the south corner stone at the spot Andrew Ellicott had chosen.

The survey team then cleared a path along the boundary. This made surveying easier. They moved clockwise from the starting point. They placed sandstone markers at the four corners. They also placed markers about every mile. The stones came from a quarry near Aquia Creek in Virginia. Most weighed about half a ton. The four cornerstones were a bit larger. The stones in Virginia were set in 1791. The Maryland stones were set in 1792.

Each boundary marker had special carvings. The side facing the federal territory said "Jurisdiction of the United States." It also showed the distance in miles from the last corner stone. The other side had the name of the border state: Virginia or Maryland. The other two sides showed the year the stone was placed. They also showed the magnetic variation of the compass needle at that spot.

On January 1, 1793, Andrew Ellicott reported that the survey was finished. All the boundary markers were in place. Ellicott's report described the stones. It also included a map. This map showed the boundaries and natural features of the Territory of Columbia. It also showed where the planned City of Washington and its main streets would be. The map also marked the location of each boundary stone.

The images below show the sides of the Southeast No. 6 boundary marker stone in 2011:

From north
From east
From south
From west

Protecting the Stones

Early Protection Efforts

In 1906, Fred E. Woodward wrote a paper about the boundary stones. He suggested putting small fences around each one to protect them. In 1909, Ernest A. Shuster also wrote an article. He visited the 36 remaining stones and asked for their protection.

In 1915, different groups of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) started building fences around the markers. The DAR also placed a new marker stone at the exact center of the original federal territory. This marker is near the White House.

Official Recognition

Some Virginia boundary markers were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and 1980. In 1991, all the remaining Virginia markers were added. This happened after the Virginia DAR submitted a special request. In 1996, 23 markers along the D.C. and Maryland border were also added to the National Register.

Virginia Markers

Southwest 9. This marker in Virginia was added to the National Register in 1976. It was also named a U.S. National Historic Landmark. It was named the Benjamin Banneker: SW-9 Intermediate Boundary Stone. This was the first boundary marker to be listed.

South Corner. This marker in Virginia was added to the National Register in 1980. It was listed along with Alexandria's Jones Point Lighthouse. This marker replaced an earlier one in 1794.

Southwest 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8; West Corner; Northwest 1, 2, and 3. These markers in Virginia were added to the National Register on February 1, 1991.

D.C. and Maryland Markers

Northwest 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; North Corner; Northeast 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; East Corner; Southeast 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9. These markers are along the border between the District of Columbia and Maryland. They were added to the National Register on November 1, 1996.

Ongoing Preservation Efforts

In 1976, a report suggested ways to keep the stones safe. In 1990 and 1991, a team found two stones that had been missing. This was part of a celebration for the markers' 200th birthday.

In 1995, a committee made a list of ideas to protect the 14 stones in Virginia. In 2008, some Virginia local governments agreed to help pay for a project to protect the stones. However, this project did not start by 2012. Volunteers then began to clean and repaint the fences around the stones. In 2012, the D.C. DAR restored the Northeast No. 7 marker and its fence.

In 2014, several groups started a new effort to fix the boundary markers. In 2015, a crew found a stone that had been buried since 1962. They planned to clean and restore it. However, in 2016, a new stone was put in its place. This new stone looked like the original when it was new.

List of Boundary Stones

Here is a list of the 36 existing and four missing boundary stones. They are listed in the order they were placed, starting from the southern corner and going clockwise. The tables also show the year each stone was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Southern Corner

Name	Image	Address	City/County	Coordinates	Status	Year Listed
South Cornerstone of the Original District of Columbia	2010	Seawall south of lighthouse, Jones Point Park, 1 Jones Point Drive, Alexandria	City of Alexandria, Virginia; Prince George's County, Maryland	38°47′25″N 77°02′26″W / 38.79033915°N 77.04058603°W / 38.79033915; -77.04058603	Extant	1980

Southwestern Side

Name	Image	Address	City/County	Coordinates	Status	Year Listed
Southwest No. 1 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2012	1220 Wilkes Street	City of Alexandria, Virginia	38°48′04″N 77°03′16″W / 38.80124355°N 77.05439303°W / 38.80124355; -77.05439303	Extant	1991
Southwest No. 2 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	7 Russell Road. East side of Russell Road, north of intersection with King Street	City of Alexandria, Virginia	38°48′27″N 77°03′45″W / 38.80759243°N 77.06263792°W / 38.80759243; -77.06263792	Replacement marker stone (Original stone missing)	1991
Southwest No. 3 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2013	2952 King Street, in parking lot of First Baptist Church	City of Alexandria, Virginia	38°49′14″N 77°04′46″W / 38.82065264°N 77.0793202°W / 38.82065264; -77.0793202	Extant	1991
Southwest No. 4 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	King Street north of intersection with Wakefield Street	City of Alexandria and Arlington County, Virginia	38°49′54″N 77°05′35″W / 38.83154299°N 77.09318693°W / 38.83154299; -77.09318693	Extant	1991
Southwest No. 5 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	Northeast of intersection of King Street and Walter Reed Drive	Arlington County, Virginia	38°50′31″N 77°06′24″W / 38.84208118°N 77.10674008°W / 38.84208118; -77.10674008	Extant	1991
Southwest No. 6 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2012	South Jefferson Street south of intersection with Columbia Pike, in median strip	Arlington and Fairfax Counties, Virginia	38°51′07″N 77°07′09″W / 38.85186534°N 77.11926358°W / 38.85186534; -77.11926358	Extant	1991
Southwest No. 7 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2012	Behind 3101 South Manchester Street, Arlington, Virginia, in fence southwest of Carlin Springs Elementary School (5995 5th Road South, Arlington, Virginia) parking lot	Arlington and Fairfax Counties, Virginia	38°51′45″N 77°07′58″W / 38.86237205°N 77.13272594°W / 38.86237205; -77.13272594	Extant	1991
Southwest No. 8 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2012	South of intersection of Wilson Boulevard and John Marshall Drive, near parking lot behind apartment building and 100 feet (30.5 m) south of water tower	Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, Virginia	38°52′22″N 77°08′45″W / 38.87267119°N 77.14594527°W / 38.87267119; -77.14594527	Extant	1991
Benjamin Banneker: SW-9 Intermediate Boundary Stone	2012	West side of Benjamin Banneker Park, 1701 North Van Buren Street, Falls Church, Virginia, between 18th Street North and Four Mile Run	Arlington County and the City of Falls Church, Virginia	38°52′59″N 77°09′33″W / 38.88294291°N 77.15909006°W / 38.88294291; -77.15909006	Extant	1976

Western Corner

Name	Image	Address	City/County	Coordinates	Status	Year Listed
West Cornerstone	2005	In Andrew Ellicott Park at the West Cornerstone, 2824 N. Arizona Street, Arlington, Virginia	Arlington County, City of Falls Church, and Fairfax County, Virginia	38°53′36″N 77°10′20″W / 38.89324513°N 77.17230114°W / 38.89324513; -77.17230114	Extant	1991

Northwestern Side

Name	Image	Address	City/County	Coordinates	Status	Year Listed
Northwest No. 1 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	3607 North Powhatan Street, Arlington, Virginia	Arlington and Fairfax counties, Virginia	38°54′13″N 77°09′33″W / 38.90356154°N 77.15914435°W / 38.90356154; -77.15914435	Extant	1991
Northwest No. 2 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	5145 38th Street North, Arlington, Virginia	Arlington and Fairfax counties, Virginia	38°54′50″N 77°08′46″W / 38.91388113°N 77.14598738°W / 38.91388113; -77.14598738	Extant	1991
Northwest No. 3 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2013	4013 North Tazewell Street, Arlington, Virginia	Arlington and Fairfax counties, Virginia	38°55′29″N 77°07′56″W / 38.92463321°N 77.13223642°W / 38.92463321; -77.13223642	Extant	1991
Northwest No. 4 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant grounds, 100+ feet east of the Capital Crescent Trail and several hundred feet north of the intersection of Norton Street and Potomac Avenue	Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland	38°56′15″N 77°06′56″W / 38.93760599°N 77.11567162°W / 38.93760599; -77.11567162	Extant	1996
Northwest No. 5 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	Dalecarlia Reservoir, 600 feet (180 m) west of Dalecarlia Parkway and 300 feet (91 m) southeast of concrete culvert	Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland	38°56′41″N 77°06′24″W / 38.94463908°N 77.10668154°W / 38.94463908; -77.10668154	Extant	1996
Northwest No. 6 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	150 feet (46 m) northeast of intersection of Park and Western Avenues, Northwest	Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland	38°57′18″N 77°05′37″W / 38.9549086°N 77.09354761°W / 38.9549086; -77.09354761	Extant	1996
Northwest No. 7 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	5600 Western Avenue	Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland	38°57′55″N 77°04′50″W / 38.965194°N 77.080417°W / 38.965194; -77.080417	Extant	1996
Northwest No. 8 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	6422 Western Avenue	Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland	38°58′32″N 77°04′02″W / 38.97544235°N 77.06726693°W / 38.97544235; -77.06726693	Extant	1996
Northwest No. 9 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	Rock Creek Park, approximately 165 feet (50 m) northwest of the centerline of Daniel Road and 5 feet (1.5 m) southeast from edge of 2701 Daniel Road	Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland	38°59′09″N 77°03′15″W / 38.98569855°N 77.05412886°W / 38.98569855; -77.05412886	Extant	1996

Northern Corner

Name	Image	Address	City/County	Coordinates	Status	Year Listed
North Corner Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2014	1880 block of East-West Highway (south side)	Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland	38°59′45″N 77°02′28″W / 38.99595651°N 77.04098558°W / 38.99595651; -77.04098558	Extant	1996

Northeastern Side

Name	Image	Address	City/County	Coordinates	Status	Year Listed
Northeast No. 1 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	7847 Eastern Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910	Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland	38°59′08″N 77°01′40″W / 38.985648°N 77.027773°W / 38.985648; -77.027773	Plaque in sidewalk (marker stone missing)
Northeast No. 2 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	6980 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland	Washington, D.C., and Montgomery County, Maryland	38°58′31″N 77°00′53″W / 38.975351°N 77.014594°W / 38.975351; -77.014594	Extant	1996
Northeast No. 3 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2013	6201 Eastern Avenue, 110 feet (33.5 m) northwest of intersection with Chillum Road	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°57′55″N 77°00′06″W / 38.9652726°N 77.00169083°W / 38.9652726; -77.00169083	Extant	1996
Northeast No. 4 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	5101 Eastern Avenue/5400 Sargent Road	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°57′17″N 76°59′18″W / 38.9547328°N 76.98820728°W / 38.9547328; -76.98820728	Extant	1996
Northeast No. 5 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2006	4609 Eastern Avenue	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°56′40″N 76°58′30″W / 38.94441385°N 76.97500885°W / 38.94441385; -76.97500885	Extant	1996
Northeast No. 6 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	3601 Eastern Avenue	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°56′01″N 76°57′41″W / 38.93371492°N 76.96132996°W / 38.93371492; -76.96132996	Extant	1996
Northeast No. 7 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2013	Fort Lincoln Cemetery, along fence, 75 feet southwest of Garden Mausoleum	Washington, D.C., and Prince	38°55′26″N 76°56′55″W / 38.9237882°N 76.94864949°W / 38.9237882; -76.94864949	Extant	1996
Northeast No. 8 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, along a fence 500 feet northwest of the intersection of Eastern and Kenilworth Avenues	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°54′49″N 76°56′08″W / 38.9134828°N 76.93548331°W / 38.9134828; -76.93548331	Extant	1996
Northeast No. 9 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	919 Eastern Avenue	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°54′11″N 76°55′20″W / 38.9031689°N 76.92231955°W / 38.9031689; -76.92231955	Extant	1996

Eastern Corner

Name	Image	Address	City/County	Coordinates	Status	Year Listed
East Corner Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	100 feet (30 m) east of intersection of Eastern and Southern Avenues	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°53′34″N 76°54′33″W / 38.8928605°N 76.90916553°W / 38.8928605; -76.90916553	Extant	1996

Southeastern Side

Name	Image	Address	City/County	Coordinates	Status	Year Listed
Southeast No. 1 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2005	30 feet (9.1 m) south of intersection of Southern Avenue and D Street	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°52′58″N 76°55′20″W / 38.8826400°N 76.92229346°W / 38.8826400; -76.92229346	Extant	1996
Southeast No. 2 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2011	4345 Southern Avenue	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°52′21″N 76°56′08″W / 38.87241045°N 76.93542433°W / 38.87241045; -76.93542433	Extant	1996
Southeast No. 3 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2011	3908 Southern Avenue	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°51′44″N 76°56′55″W / 38.8621606°N 76.94857084°W / 38.8621606; -76.94857084	Extant	1996
Southeast No. 4 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia		3101 Southern Avenue, along gate in front of parking lot south of intersection with Naylor Road.	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°51′06″N 76°57′43″W / 38.851756°N 76.961934°W / 38.851756; -76.961934	Replacement marker stone (Original displayed off-site in 2016)
Southeast No. 5 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2011	280 feet (85 m) northeast of intersection of Southern Avenue and Valley Terrace	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°50′30″N 76°58′29″W / 38.84168253°N 76.97483942°W / 38.84168253; -76.97483942	Extant	1996
Southeast No. 6 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2011	901 Southern Avenue	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°49′53″N 76°59′17″W / 38.83143717°N 76.9879733°W / 38.83143717; -76.9879733	Extant	1996
Southeast No. 7 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	2011	25 feet (7.6 m) south of intersection of Southern Avenue and Indian Head Highway, on east side of Indian Head Highway	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°49′16″N 77°00′04″W / 38.82119652°N 77.00109645°W / 38.82119652; -77.00109645	Extant	1996
Southeast No. 8 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia		Behind Blue Plains Impoundment Lot: Southeast corner of lot on the Maryland side of the fence, a short distance from the lightposts.	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°48′39″N 77°00′51″W / 38.81091966°N 77.01425046°W / 38.81091966; -77.01425046	Replacement marker stone (Original missing)
Southeast No. 9 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia	1907	1,000 feet (300 m) southwest of the southern end of Oxon Cove Bridge and about 200 feet (61 m) east of the Potomac River	Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland	38°48′13″N 77°01′25″W / 38.803728°N 77.023569°W / 38.803728; -77.023569	Extant	1996

Plaques and Historical Markers

Some boundary markers have special plaques or historical markers nearby. These signs help explain their history.

Plaques

South cornerstone
(2010)
Southwest No. 6
(2012)
Northeast No. 7 preservation plaque
(2013)

Historical Markers

In 2005, Arlington County, Virginia, put up historical markers. These are near the Southwest Nos. 6 and 8 boundary markers.

Southwest No. 6 historical marker
(2012)
Southwest No. 8 historical marker
(2012)

Missing Boundary Markers

Four of the original 40 boundary markers were not in their original spots by late 2016. Three of these had been replaced with new markers.

Name	Image	Description
Southwest No. 2	2013	The original Southwest No. 2 marker disappeared before 1900. A new marker is now in a DAR fence at 7 Russell Road in Alexandria. This replacement is about 0.35 miles (0.6 km) southeast of the original spot. The DAR placed it in 1920. This new marker has no carvings and does not look like an original boundary marker.
Northeast No. 1	June 13, 1916	A photo from 1916 shows a ceremony. DAR members unveiled a fence around Northeast No. 1. The stone was accidentally removed in 1952 during construction. This happened at 7847 Eastern Avenue. A bronze plaque in the sidewalk now marks where the stone used to be.
Southeast No. 4		Southeast No. 4 was described as a "nub" in 1976. It was along Southern Avenue. In 1985, a truck hit the stone. The manager of a nearby building moved it for safekeeping. In 1991, the stone was given to a survey team. A team member kept it in his garage. In 2012, it went to the D.C. Office of the Surveyor. They wanted to put it back. But in 2016, a copy of the stone was placed near the original site. The original stone is now on display at the Office of the Surveyor.
Southeast No. 8		The original Southeast No. 8 stone was removed in 1958 during construction. It was then lost or stolen. In 1962, the DAR put a new stone in its place. This new stone had no carvings. But later construction buried it. The replacement stone was found almost eight feet underground. It was in the Blue Plains Impoundment Lot. A concrete pipe now marks its spot. In 2015, workers dug up and removed the stone. In early 2016, a new copy of the stone was put in its place. This copy looks like the original when it was new.

D.C. Entrance Markers

One of the Garden Club of America Entrance Markers in Friendship Heights (2005).

Other markers were put up later along main roads leading into D.C. These are called the Garden Club of America Entrance Markers. They are also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

One pair of markers is in Westmoreland Circle. This is where Western Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue NW meet.
Two similar markers are on either side of Wisconsin Avenue at Western Avenue. This is in Friendship Heights, near the Metro Station.
Another pair of markers is in Chevy Chase Circle. This is where Western Avenue and Connecticut Avenue meet.
A single marker is in a traffic island. This is where Georgia Avenue, Alaska Avenue, and Kalmia Road NW meet.

D.C. entrance marker in a traffic circle near downtown Silver Spring (2011).

Another D.C. entrance marker is in a traffic circle (Blair Circle). This is near downtown Silver Spring, Maryland. It is where Eastern Avenue NW, 16th Street NW, N. Portal Drive NW, and Colesville Road meet.

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