WASHINGTON D.C., DC — A Virginia man is being commended for his help in preserving a part of American history after a historical monument was damaged following a car crash in Southeast D.C.
Stephen Powers says it was Saturday morning on Apr. 20 when he got a call from a friend about a missing boundary stone near the intersection of Southern Avenue SE and South Capitol Street SE.
Powers says that when he arrived he was able to still see debris from the crash including the vehicle's bumper and license plate. A concrete wall that protected the monument was completely destroyed and an the iron fence that surrounded it was damaged. "The stone itself got unearthed, and was on its side, and I was able to uncover it fully," Powers told WUSA9.
The amateur historian was able to rescue one of the remaining 36 boundary stones that outline the original 10-mile square that eventually became the District of Columbia.
Powers' work was recognized by the Ward 8 Woods organization who tweeted out photos of the incident.
Originally 40 stones were laid between 1791 and 1792 by the Ellicott brothers.
A park on the border between Arlington and the City of Falls Church is named after one of the brothers, Andrew, and it's where WUSA9 met Powers.
"I caught stones fever," Powers said as he described his passion project to preserve the oldest federal monuments in the country. He says it all started with an elementary school project for his daughter nearly twenty years ago.
"We made this presentation," Powers said as he showed the poster board that turned into a large binder documenting the boundary stones and webpage dedicated to the monuments.
Powers says through volunteer work they have been able to preserve 25 of the iron fences that protect the boundary stones.
He says luckily the stone in Southeast was taken out of the ground but not damaged. It is now in the hands of a unit that preserves District history at D.C.'s Department of Transportation (DDOT).
Powers says the most rewarding part about his work with the D.C. stones is how it inspires others. "Everyone likes to know where they are and where they came from. So I think the power of the stones comes out through that. Where you feel a true connection to the father of our country, like 'wow I am standing in his foot prints.' It gives you an entire appreciation for the entire region," he added.
DDOT has not provided a timeline of when the boundary stone could be reinstalled.
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