Late last year, I got a hold of one the the members of the Mount Vernon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Barbara, to see what was going on. She in turn gave me the name of the Chair of the Jones Point Lighthouse committee, Betty. While they had plans for future restoration, the building of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge would prevent any real progress. In the mean time I ask if they had a separate account for fund raising for the lighthouse and they did. They also had T-shirts and note cards for sale. So I sent for both and gave a small donation in addition and told them I would send a check every other month (the other month goes to another lighthouse). Each time I got a nice DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) note card, thanking me with a note or two. They were please someone was interested in their lighthouse. So when the Tidewater Trip came up, I wrote them and told them I would like to meet the 2 and others if they were available (DAR does not meet in Summer). I had wanted to see the inside of the lighthouse but as luck would have it the park was closed off at that time (now opened again), however, Susan and I were invited to Betty's house to see documents and pictures of the lighthouse. As we looked at the documents Betty and Barbara told me how they were restricted on raising funds (National wants them to have dinners and tea's). Meanwhile we did get to see the 4th order fensnel lens that is in private keeping at this time, until the lighthouse can get better security. The lighthouse is gutted on the inside and vandals over the years have lit several fires, causing small damage. The floors inside have holes in them and the 2 chimmeys had fallen down some time ago. Many of you may already know the group restored the lighthouse in the 1920's and held meetings there until the Federal Government took over the property in 1936 and let it fall into disrepair. The group got the lighthouse back in 1953 in bad shape and vandals in the years after torn it down more. In the meanwhile the DAR tried to get the government to pay for the damage but failed. By the mid 1960's they agreed to deed the property to the Park Service but they would still raise the money and be in charge of any restoration projects. The roof and the outside were fixed up, but without the chimmneys, ventilation and lightning rod.
In front of the lighthouse is the original southeast corner stone of Washington D.C. which needs better protection from the elements.
They two nice ladies and their husbands took us to dinner at the country club on the Potomac River and we enjoyed a great meal and the breeze from the river.
The next day Susan and I saw the lighthouse from a river cruise we went on (we had seen the outside last year).
I am working on a web page with more info and pictures and updates.
