Southwest No. 2 Boundary Marker of the Original District of Columbia
Also known as: SW2,Jurisdiction Stone; DHR File No. 00-22
Why it's listed
Beside Russell Road in Alexandria, just downhill from the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, a small sandstone marker stands inside an iron fence. It measures 16 by 10 1/2 by 29 1/2 inches, is flat on top and bears no inscription. It marks the second mile on the southwest side of the original District of Columbia, two miles from the South Cornerstone at Jones Point. Surveys in 1894-97 and 1906 could not find the original stone, and a local road foreman suggested that shifting ground on the hillside may have caused its loss. In 1920 the Mount Vernon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution relocated and fenced a stone, believed to be a replacement rather than the original. A bronze plaque dated 1916 identifies it as an original federal boundary stone. It has marked the location for roughly seventy years and is valued as part of a rare group of surviving boundary markers.
Significance in brief: It marks the second mile on the southwest side of the original District of Columbia, two miles from the South Cornerstone at Jones Point. The original stone was lost by the 1894-97 and 1906 surveys, and the current uninscribed replacement has marked the location for about seventy years. It is significant as part of a rare surviving group of boundary markers tied to the development of the Federal city.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 91000007, listed February 1, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E side of Russell Rd., N of jct. with King St., Alexandria (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Alexandria |
| Listed | February 1, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91000007 |
| Resource type | Object |
| Period of significance | ca. 1920 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The wrought iron fence needs repair and one spoke is broken; the ground around the marker is well maintained. The marker is owned by the city of Alexandria. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Rosemont Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.80889, -77.06211 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 91000007.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.