Preserving Alexandria's treasured history while the new bridge is built is a key priority of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project. To meet that commitment, a series of historical and archaeological investigations have been and continue to be performed throughout the project corridor.

These efforts are being conducted by leading archaeologists and historians in coordination with nationally recognized preservation architects, structural engineers, architectural historians as well as others with relevant expertise. Thoroughly understanding the historic resources will enable the Project to protect them during construction and, where appropriate, make them more identifiable and accessible to the public when the new bridge is completed.

Early Years

• Human use of Jones Point goes back to 7,900 B.C. and newly found archaeological evidence of native americans living in the area has dated occupancy much earlier than expected before theses studies.
• The history of European occupation of Jones Point can be traced to the mid-seventeenth century, when it was used for agricultural purposes.
• The site has been used continuously for residences, small businesses, and related maritime and industrial operations, as well as by larger military and government installations and agricultural cultivation.
• During the American Revolution and the Civil War, the Point housed a barricade and a fort to protect Alexandria from attack.
• A rope walk extended down the entire length of Jones Point from the 1820s to 1850. (Architects 2000).

Cultural History

WWI Shipbuilding Yard

Alexandria has a rich history as a seaport, and the Project is providing opportunities to highlight several aspects of this history, such as enhancement of the former site of the Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation.

Archaeological investigations of the Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation (VSC) site uncovered many of the foundations of the buildings that once stood within Jones Point, including the massive shipways used to build, launch, and repair the 9400-ton steel cargo ships constructed there during World War I.

Historical research conducted as part of these investigations also located numerous historic photographs and plans of the shipyard. Photographs showing the construction of the site in 1918 and the dismantling of the yard and the structures in the 1930s helped researchers understand the importance of this industrial site.

When World War I began, the United States was in desperate need of ships. The Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard in Alexandria was one of 111 yards constructed between 1917 and 1918, and possessed all the necessities of a WWI era shipyard - a fabrication shop with upstairs mold loft, blacksmith shop, boiler shop, crane ways, shipways, and rail lines.

The shipbuilding site at Jones Point was constructed in 85 days. The keel of the first ship, the Gunston Hall, was laid on May 30, 1918, and was launched from the shipyard February 27, 1919. President Woodrow Wilson attended the ceremony of the laying of the first keel and received the honor of driving the first rivet.

At the end of WWI, any outstanding shipbuilding contracts were cancelled. The ship building site at Jones Point was advertised for sale in 1928, ten years after the war's end, and facilities and equipment were torn down and auctioned.

Jones Point Park Lighthouse and the D.C. Cornerstone

Two additional historic landmarks - the 1791-1794 original South Cornerstone of the District of Columbia and the 1855 Jones Point Lighthouse - also have been the focus of intense study to ensure that no damage occurs to these resources during bridge construction.

Jones Point Lighthouse

The construction of the Jones Point Lighthouse between 1855-1866 continued the maritime tradition on Jones Point. The Rooftop lantern, with a "fresnel" lens, integral with the lighthouse keepers' dwelling, was a common design for lighthouses along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The lighthouse was operational until 1926, when a new, taller light structure was built further east. The lighthouse lay abandoned until the property was conveyed to the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in 1926. In 1964, the DAR transferred the lighthouse to the National Park Service.

The South Cornerstone

In July 1790, the U.S. Congress passed the Residence Act, which gave President Washington complete authority to choose a specific location along the Potomac River for the nation's capital and to organize the purchase of land for the city (Garraty and McCaughey 1987, Architrave P.C., Architects 2000).

On January 24, 1791, Washington announced the site he had selected, which included the cities of Alexandria and Georgetown. The beginning point of the survey would be at Jones Point, along Hunting Creek, according to Washington's orders. On April 15, 1791, the first stone, the South Cornerstone, was laid at Jones Point (Architrave P.C., Architects 2000).

Recent Archaeological Find

Whenever Federal funding is being used for a Project, an archaeological assessment is required for the affected area. Archaeologists then determine the size of impact on archaeological and structural resources, and whether they can be avoided during the construction process. If they cannot (such as is the case with the Wilson Bridge), a full scale, archaeological investigation is conducted. Artifacts are on display in Alexandria at the Torpedo Factory. Alexandria archaeologists and National Park Service archaeologists are very interested in the information found and will compare it to other archaeological sites in the D.C. area.

Plate 1
Discernable Arrowheads, "Projectile Point Fragments"

(A&B) Piscataway, Early to early Middle Woodland Period, c. 1000BC to AD300
(C) Middle Woodland Period, c. 300BC to AD900

(D) Middle Woodland Period, c. 300BC to AD900

Plate 4
Excavation of a Prehistoric Pit

Excavation of a c. 1860s structure's cellar hole
Archaeologists are screening soil through 1/4" mesh to recover artifacts