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Boundary Stones Committee Marking the Original Boundary of the District of Columbia
Mile marker of the original Boundary of the District of Columbia
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D.C.DAR's Contribution
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Chapter Stewardship D.C.DAR Gets Local Media Coverage For Boundary Stone Preservation Work On Monday, February 27, 2012, D.C.DAR State Regent Shari Thorne-Sulima was interviewed by Fox 5 Local News regarding the preservation efforts that the D.C.DAR is completing at the Northeast #3 Stone. Our State Regent was accompanied by State Vice Regent Julia Rogers, State Assistant Treasurer Cindy Hays and State Librarian Brenda Baker Lee. Special thanks to Cindy Hays for her assistance with this endeavor and also for securing the services of two local companies who are providing complimentary assistance on this preservation effort:
Thank you, William & Tom, for helping the D.C.DAR restore Boundary Stone NE#3 to its original grandeur! Update! March 4, 2012 - Preservation efforts being undertaken at the Northeast 3 Boundary Stone.
D.C.DAR
Commemorates the Laying of our Unique Boundary Stones
In 1791, after years of controversy and debate over the location of the permanent seat of government, President Washington issued a proclamation giving the exact boundaries of the "district for the permanent seat of government." By late June of that year, all of the landowners had signed the necessary deeds.
The mile markers of the original boundary of the District of Columbia were put in place from 1791 - 1792 by Andrew Ellicott. Larger stones are laid at the north, south, east and west corners of the original ten-mile square. The south corner stone was ceremoniously laid at Jones' Point on April 15, 1791.
In 1846 the Federal Government returned to the state of Virginia the thirty-three square miles of land that Virginia had ceded to the Federal Government in 1789. Fourteen markers, or boundary stones, are still located in Northern Virginia, and twenty-six are located along the D.C. - Maryland boundary.
There has been a gradual deterioration of these historic boundary markers due to neglect and a lack of concern. Many of these stones have been buried or destroyed.
On April 7, 1915, The DAR Committee on Preservation of Historic Spots and Records (for the District of Columbia) selected the reclaiming of the boundary stones as their project for the year. The committee passed a resolution which later was endorsed by the State Regent and adopted by the state:
Today the D.C.DAR continues to preserve these historical monuments and create public awareness of their importance.
On Sunday, October 14, 2001, a number of D.C.DAR members attended the formal dedication of Andrew Ellicott Park at the West Cornerstone in Falls Church. The event was co-sponsored by the Arlington Bicentennial Celebration Task Force, the Arlington County Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board, the City of Falls Church, Fairfax County, and the Nation's Capital Boundary Stones Committee.
On Saturday, October 20, the chairman spoke before the Historical Society of Washington on the 90+ year D.C.DAR involvement with the stones.
Current Chapter Stewardship Responsibilities
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