DC DAR Rededicates Historic D.C. Boundary Stone

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

D.C. DAR: Rededicating a Piece of DC History 

Washington, D.C. – The D.C. Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will be rededicating Northeast (NE) 7, one of the 40 original boundary stones for the District of Columbia, in a traditional Masonic ceremony on June 2, 2013. 

President George Washington selected a 100 square mile site for the nation's capital. The Alexandria Masonic Lodge placed the first stone at the south corner on April 15, 1791. They are the oldest federal monuments. The District of Columbia chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution volunteered to take over their maintenance in 1915, as many stones were in disrepair, had been repositioned, or were missing. The D.C. DAR erected tall iron fences around  the stones to protect them. 

NE7 had been nearly camouflaged by gravestones in the Fort Lincoln Cemetery in Bladensburg, MD, despite being the oldest and most historically significant stone in the cemetery. For the past year a small group of dedicated members of the D.C. DAR have worked tirelessly to restore the stone to it's original state - from pulling weeds and clearing debris to seeking out a qualified stone mason and installing a commemorative plaque.  

The Katherine Montgomery Chapter of the D.C.DAR took over stewardship responsibility for NE7 from the National Park Service on October 1, 1961. Over time, the stone developed a large crack in the center and was in danger of splitting in two pieces.  Several repairs were completed to remedy this issue, but a 2011 assessment determined that those repairs actually degraded the stone more than they helped. In 2012, in concert with the D.C. DAR State Regent project for the preservation of the D.C. Boundary Stones, members of the Col. John Washington - Katherine Montgomery (CJW-KM) Chapter voted to expend funds necessary to have the stone repaired by an expert, as well as fix the surrounding fence.  

“We’re thrilled to have had a hand in restoring this irreplaceable federal monument”, said CJW-KM Chapter Regent, Annie John. “It was a great leader of a great nation who laid the seed for the superpower our country has become and it is the boundary stones that represent the establishment of this powerful city.” 

Julia Rogers, DC CAR State Regent invites you to the rededication of the boundary stone in a ceremony on Saturday, June 2, 2013 at 2PM at Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Bladensburg, Maryland. As a part of the rededication, the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia will be consecrating the stone in a Masonic ritual with oil and corn, much the way George Washington, also a Mason, had done when he presided at the cornerstone laying of the US Capitol. This historic event is open to the public.   #