The Story
Jones Point was Washington D.C.'s southwest corner. In 1790 Congress established the nation’s capital with a ten-mile square of land ceded by Virginia and Maryland. Alexandria and Arlington were Virginia’s contributions until the state took them back in 1846.
A lighthouse was constructed at Jones Point in 1856. It's one of the last river lighthouses in the country and the only one standing in the Chesapeake Bay area. It helped ships avoid underwater shoals on the Potomac River.
The lighthouse had a keeper and an attendant. They worked long hours for low pay and rarely traveled far from their station. Benjamin Greenwood, the longest-serving keeper, lived in the building with his second wife and 11 of his 14 children.
In 1918 a massive shipyard was constructed at Jones Point to build ships for WWI. In 1926 an automated light tower replaced the manned lighthouse to cut costs.
The land later transformed into a museum and then a classified communications facility. Today, the National Park Service maintains it.
