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).

Click here to learn more about the cultural history of Jones Point Park:

• WWI Shipbuilding Yard
• Jones Point Park Lighthouse
• South Cornerstone of the District of Columbia
• Recent archaeological find in Jones Point Park