From Monday's Washington Post

Ruth Lincoln Kaye [letters, July 28] raised concerns about the
District boundary stone in Alexandria's Jones Point Park. The Wilson
Bridge Project is taking steps to ensure this remarkable artifact
remains not only part of our past but also part of our future.

The cornerstone marks the location George Washington designated as the
southernmost point of the District. It was placed in 1791 under the
order of Benjamin Banneker, an African American who was one of the
primary surveyors of our nation's capital. Unfortunately, the stone's
significance is largely unknown because it is difficult to get to and
it is enclosed in an unmarked concrete bunker.

Although the new bridge will be more than 400 feet away, and
construction will not approach the site, the Wilson Bridge Project,
along with the National Park Service and the Mount Vernon Chapter of
the Daughters of the American Revolution, is doing riverbank
improvement, seawall repair and landscaping adjacent to the Jones
Point Lighthouse where this stone is located. The vault in which the
cornerstone sits will be rebuilt to increase airflow and to decrease
the deterioration rate of the stone, which now is eroded by the
Potomac River. Visits to the landmark will be enriched by improved
access, signs explaining the stone's historic significance and a
replica that will be placed close by the stone but in a more visible
location.

THOMAS M. HEIL

Alexandria

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Andrew T. Patton WWW: http://www.AndrewPatton.com
Fairfax, VA, USA E-Mail: usenet@...