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"Jones
Point Sunrise" by Paul McGehee. Alexandria, Virginia's iconic Jones
Point Lighthouse is located near the Wilson Bridge and has been
lighting the way for boats on the Potomac River since 1856. Jones Point
is named for the early British fur trader and mapmaker Cadwalader Jones
who built his house on this piece of land near the entrance to the
Alexandria waterfront. It entered the annals of history when, in 1791,
George Washington set the initial cornerstone to mark the southern
boundary of the District of Columbia at the narrow point of land. The
stone still can be seen located in the seawall just south of the
lighthouse. To the north of the lighthouse there is also a marker
designating the boundary between Maryland and Virginia. Over the next
few years the port cities of Alexandria and Georgetown saw much
growth...and with burgeoning commerce came more shipping traffic. As
this spot on the Potomac was prone to building up sandbars, it was
proposed in 1852 to erect a lighthouse there to help guide the ship
captains on their way to the docks that serviced our Nation's Capital.
The Jones Point Lighthouse was built and first lit on May 3, 1856. It
originally featured a whale-oil fueled white light 17' above the water
which was visible for 9 miles. It was replaced by a gas light for a
while, then in 1900 was changed to a red oil lamp. In 1926, a fixed
green light was put on a steel tower near the lighthouse, making a
lighthouse manned by a keeper unnecessary. After a few years as a
commercial property, the Jones Point Lighthouse building was eventually
closed in 1936. The Army soon thereafter requisitioned it for a top
secret Signal Corps of Engineers project and surrounded the point with
barbed wire and fencing. They held the property until the end of World
War II, at which point it was handed over
to the Mount Vernon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
who had earlier expressed interest in saving the historic property. Years
of neglect had taken its toll on the little building, as the Army had
gutted the structure and shot it full of holes (courtesy of the
soldiers who had used it for target practice.) Thankfully,
the lighthouse has been restored in recent decades by the D.A.R. and
the National Park Service. In 1995, the beacon light was once again
lit. Today, Jones Point Park is popular for fishing, picnicking, and
concerts. The Jones Point Lighthouse once again watches over the
Potomac near the new Wilson Bridge and Maryland's National Harbor on
the opposite shore. It is Virginia's last remaining lighthouse on a
river. "Jones Point Sunrise" is faithfully
reproduced
as an archival-quality print from
McGehee's original color pencil drawing, each hand-signed by the
artist. A limited edition of only 500 pieces.
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