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Boundary Stone Preservation

Fairlington is the home of Southwest #4, one of 40 milepost stones that mark the original District of Columbia. Located at King Street, between Wakefield and the entrance ramp to I-395, Boundary Stone Southwest #4 was placed in 1791. In an inspection more than a century later, in 1897, the stone was reported to be in much the same condition as it appears today: “broken off at the ground… The stump, plow-scratched is in place, standing in the field north of the road and about four feet from the fence.” In 1915, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) placed a protective fence around it and maintained it. In 1970, the stone was nearly lost and buried under Route 7 as it was widened. It was rescued, however, and reset 13 feet north of its original location. (Source: Gayle T. Harris, ‘The Fairlington Boundary Stone Southwest #4,’ 2002)

The FHS now maintains the Boundary Stone site, in cooperation with the DAR, and participates on the Nation’s Capital Boundary Stones Committee, an inter-jurisdictional group committed to preserving and protecting all 40 of the Boundary Stones. Interested in working on the preservation of the Boundary Stones? Contact us.