It’s obvious yours truly is totally enamored with the new Jones Point Park. With the merciful rain gently soaking the park this morning, I didn’t go today. But let’s back up and digest some of the information provided by the interpretive markers.
Jones Point was used for many things but none were on the scale of the World War I shipyard. From 1918 to 1921, 7,000 workers were employed with the Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation. They built nine cargo ships, which were the first modern steel ships to set sail on the Potomac River.
First an overall map which shows where the shipways were located.
Next, a photo of the yard. Notice the lighthouse to the right.
This road is where one of the shipways was located. I believe it was the one on the far left in the above photo.
This stone etching which shows the entire industrial yard.
Finally, this pair of maps from Donald G. Shomette's "Maritime Alexandria." One on the left is from 1908, on the right 1923. Battery Cove was filled in around 1911.
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