Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Old Presbyterian Meeting House Burial Ground
Sacred to the memory of those for whom these grounds serve as their final resting place
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 9, 2025
1. Old Presbyterian Meeting House Burial Ground Marker
These church grounds contain the mortal remains of some 300 persons. Buried here are the Rev. William Thom and the Rev. Dr. James Muir, the congregation's first and third ministers; John Carlyle, founding trustee and first overseer of Alexandria; Dr. James Craik, surgeon general in the Continental Army and personal physician and close friend of George Washington; William Hunter, Jr., mayor of Alexandria and and founder of the St. Andrew's Society; and members of their families. Also buried here are Patriots of the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War, the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution, founding members of the Masonic Lodge where George Washington served as master, and members of many of the families that founded Alexandria.
Members of the congregation were interred in the Meeting House graveyard from the early 1770s until 1809, when the Presbyterian Cemetery was established on Hamilton Lane, about a mile west of here. Buried there are the Rev. Dr. Elias Harrison, the congregation's fourth minister, together with numerous other citizens of Alexandria, including merchants, ship captains, eight mayors, patriots of the Revolutionary War, and veterans of the War of 1812, the Civil War, and the two World Wars. The congregation of the Meeting House continues to operate the Presbyterian Cemetery to this day.
this page online
Erected 2009 by Old Presbyterian Meeting House, Presbyterian Church U.S.A.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Colonial Era • Military • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1809.
Location. 38° 48.102′ N, 77° 2.619′ W. Marker is in Alexandria, Virginia. It is in Old Town. It can be reached from South Fairfax Street just north of Wolfe Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 309 S Fairfax St, 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: A different marker also named Old Presbyterian Meeting House Burial Ground (here, next to this marker); Old Presbyterian Meeting House Church Yard (here, next to this marker); Major John Carlyle (a few steps from this marker); Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution (a few steps from this marker); John Carlyle (a few steps from this marker); Original Manse of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House (within shouting distance of this marker); Old Presbyterian Meeting House Enslaved Labor Acknowledgement
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 9, 2025
2. Old Presbyterian Meeting House Burial Ground Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 9, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 101 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 9, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
