Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Civil War and Restoration
Civil War Comes to Carlyle House
If you stood in this spot 150 years ago, you would be inside a building! In 1848 James Green purchased Carlyle House and the building in front of you, the first Bank of Alexandria. He turned it into a hotel and in 1855 expanded the hotel across the front lawn of Carlyle House. During the Civil War, the town was occupied by the Union Army, and Green's "Mansion House Hotel" became a hospital.
The building could hold up to 700 sick and wounded soldiers. Mary Phinney, a nurse here, described the constant flow of stretchers in and out of the hospital. Many fascinating figures were a part of the hospital's history, including poet Walt Whitman, Confederate spy Frank Stringfellow, and Sarah Emma Edmonds, a woman who disguised herself as a male Union soldier.
Restored to its Former Glory:
Carlyle House Unveiled
By the late 1960s, the Carlyle House and grounds were in a state of great disrepair. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority acquired the house in 1970 and began a six year project of research and restoration. The former Civil War hospital, now an aging apartment building, was torn down and the home of John Carlyle built was once again revealed. Carlyle House Historic Park opened to the public in January of 1976 as a part of the Bicentennial of
this page online
Erected by Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Science & Medicine • War, US Civil • Women. In addition, it is included in the NOVA Parks series list. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1976.
Location. 38° 48.323′ N, 77° 2.52′ W. Marker is in Alexandria, Virginia. It is in Old Town. It can be reached from North Fairfax Street south of Cameron Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 133 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria VA 22314, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fairfax County Resolves (a few steps from this marker); Bank of Alexandria (a few steps from this marker); Braddock Road Mile "0" (within shouting distance of this marker); Carlyle House Historic Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of the First Lot Sold at Auction (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of Assembly Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Wise's Tavern (within shouting distance of this marker); A Very Different View: Living and Working in 1700s Alexandria (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alexandria.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 28, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 26, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 594 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on January 26, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on September 19, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
