In Washington, D.C., you can stumble over history without knowing it. It’s impossible to miss the towering Washington Monument or the domed Jefferson Memorial. But the nation’s first federal monument may go unnoticed for millions of visitors to the capital. And unless someone chooses to protect it, it may not always be there.
We’re talking about the District of Columbia’s Boundary Stones. The 40 stone markers were placed under the direction of President George Washington. They designate the border of a 10-mile by 10-mile square. That square defines the physical edges of Federal City, also known as the District—America’s capital.
Nearly all 40 original stones still exist today, but few know about them. Fewer still have shown interest in protecting them. But some now realize the importance of preserving the Boundary Stones as great artifacts in American history. At least two, designated NE1 (northeast 1) and SW6 (southwest 6), have been demolished by cars or construction equipment. Two more eroded from weather and more natural types of traffic.
The NE3 stone resides at the edge of a McDonald’s parking lot, surrounded by trash. One, at Jones Point, Virginia, is partially underground, but protected somewhat by a brass-lined window.
The stones have a story: After the Revolutionary War, the new United States squabbled over where to put its capital. From 1785 to 1789, it operated from New York City’s Federal Hall. But the U.S. Constitution gave the first president power to name the capital’s location. George Washington chose the District location for many reasons. Placement between the Potomac and Anacostia rivers gave access to established ports at Alexandria and Georgetown. But perhaps just as important: George Washington donated the land. One hundred square miles of it.
“Congress was very leery of George Washington because he owned a lot of land in Virginia,” says Stephen Powers. He is co-chair of the Nation’s Capital Boundary Stones Committee. Holding to the Revolution’s “no more kings” motto, Congress wanted to be sure Washington couldn’t profit from the placement of Federal City. So Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson hired an independent surveyor named Andrew Ellicott to lay out the boundaries. Ellicott in turn hired astronomer Benjamin Banneker, a free African-American and mathematical genius, to make calculations for stone placement.
It took 34 days to designate and clear trees from the boundary. The first stone was laid April 15, 1791 in what are now the grounds for the Jones Point lighthouse in Alexandria, Virginia. The stone was inscribed, “The beginning of the Territory of Columbia.” Roughly 23 months later, the markers were set and the final map generated.
Those who know about the monument can visit the stones. Along the route, homeowners with stones on their property are generally willing to let the curious take a look—as long as they remain respectful.
Some are in great need of attention—but there is no government organization tasked with their protection.
“So many people don’t know about them,” says Penny Anderson, a teacher who voluntarily helps care for the stones. “Out of sight, out of mind.”
Her statement is true—if ironic. The purpose of erecting stone markers is to spark remembrance. In Deuteronomy 27, Moses told the Israelites that when they crossed into the Promised Land, they were to erect stones of remembrance. The stones would remind all who saw them that it was God who established Israel in the land.
The Boundary Stones monument memorializes the establishment of the new nation with its government by the people. So which people should maintain the monument—and how is it funded? Some stones today stand on private property, others on public land. It’s complicated. One idea is to incorporate the stones’ care into the American history curriculum for District-area schools. As public school students learn their country’s history, their class also “adopts” a marker to tend.
But that solution, while possibly a good one, isn’t yet set in stone.
