Small groups of people occupied a temporary camp here between 4,500 and 3,200 years ago. This era, called the Late Archaic by archaeologists, is characterized by changes in lifestyle. Growing numbers of people seasonally gathered in larger . . . — — Map (db m214232) HM
This land was once part of more than 1,100 acres acquired by the Terrett family by the mid-19th century. Within Fairfax County until annexed by the City of Alexandria in 1952, the area was primarily agricultural fieldsd and woodlands here before . . . — — Map (db m214230) HM
In 1976, by resolution of the Alexandria City Council this Nature Park & Wildlife Sanctuary was named in honor of Dora m Kelley (1914-2001). This was done in recognition of Mrs. Kelley's outstanding work to preserve the land and its character. . . . — — Map (db m296380) HM
In 1976, by resolution of the Alexandria City Council this Nature Park & Wildlife Sanctuary was named in honor of Dora m Kelley (1914-2001). This was done in recognition of Mrs. Kelley's outstanding work to preserve the land and its character. . . . — — Map (db m296382) HM
Local residents met on September 24, 1866, to organize a society to establish a church open to multiple Christian denominations, schoolhouse, and cemetery under the name Lebanon Union. Today, the cemetery sits on the western edge of Alexandria, in . . . — — Map (db m270303) HM
Local residents met on September 24, 1866, to organize a society to establish a church open to multiple Christian denominations, schoolhouse, and cemetery under the name Lebanon Union. Today, the cemetery sits on the western edge of Alexandria, in . . . — — Map (db m270305) HM
Local residents met on September 24, 1866, to organize a society to establish a church open to multiple Christian denominations, schoolhouse, and cemetery under the name Lebanon Union. Today, the cemetery sits on the western edge of Alexandria, in . . . — — Map (db m270307) HM
The trains must run. So, when a consortium of six railroads created the freight staging facilities at Potomac Yard in 1906, a new bridge was built to elevate the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Railway over both the yard and U. S. Route 1. . . . — — Map (db m259356) HM
The trains must run. So, when a consortium of six railroads created the freight staging facilities at Potomac Yard in 1906, a new bridge was built to elevate the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Railway over both the yard and U. S. Route 1. . . . — — Map (db m259357) HM
On 6 July 2002, the family of Captain Humbert Roque "Rocky" Versace, members from the United States Military Academy Class of 1959, City of Alexandria representatives, brothers-in-arms, and the Friends of Rocky Versace dedicated Alexandria's . . . — — Map (db m257749) HM
The name "Kettle Park" was derived from an oral history describing a tradition where neighbors would meet in an open field near this location, contribute food to a large kettle, and make a stew together. This tradition embodies the spirit and . . . — — Map (db m271745) HM
The Town of Potomac
When the Washington, Alexandria & Mount Vernon Railway announced plans in 1892 that included tracks between Washington, D.C. and Alexandria, the flat, open land north of Alexandria became a logical site for a new community. . . . — — Map (db m115147) HM
Dedicated in 1995, the African American Heritage Park celebrates Black individuals, organizations, institutions, and movements that helped build and shape the city and community. The park preserves the one-acre Black Baptist Cemetery that was . . . — — Map (db m279933) HM
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1868 gave freed men and women equal protection under the law. Despite this, African Americans continued to face racism and segregation in their daily lives. Resistance to this discrimination grew to . . . — — Map (db m279937) HM
Despite the ideal of freedom being at the heart of American democracy, it has always been an elusive and precarious state for Black Americans. Free Blacks before the Civil War lived on the edge of society with limited liberty and persistent fear . . . — — Map (db m279942) HM
Cultural landscapes help reflect and shape our understanding of the past. These landscapes form the backdrop of our daily lives while giving us a sense of place and identity. They also evolve over time as society develops a fuller, more inclusive . . . — — Map (db m279934) HM
The area west of the Mill Race complex once was a sloping meadow through which ran the meandering tail race of the Cameron Mills. The mill site itself was located beneath what is now the parking garage of the Hoffman Center complex. Built in the . . . — — Map (db m27230) HM
Peter Wise, a city councilman and tanner, established the Duke Street Tanyard in 1797. The Business was situated near the stone bridge on the east bank of Hooff's Run by West End Village. The tannery's ownership and name changed many times; Quakers . . . — — Map (db m72479) HM
Josiah Watson, a wealthy merchant and postmaster of Alexandria, established his 272-acre plantation, Bush Hill, in 1791. Richard Marshall Scott purchased the plantation in 1791; his family stayed here for 200 years. Scott was an attorney, bank . . . — — Map (db m2610) HM
This historic site is a section of the mill race that provided water power to Cloud's Mill which stood directly across Paxton street.
At the intersection of Beauregard and Morgan Streets, water diverted from the Holmes Run ran through the . . . — — Map (db m150801) HM
Archaeologists excavated four ship hull remnants along the Alexandria waterfront one from the Hotel Indigo Site (44AX229) and three from the Robinson Landing Site (44AX235). Over 200 years ago, Alexandrians repurposed these old merchant ships . . . — — Map (db m216125) HM
This park is named for Joseph M. Hensley, the City of Alexandria's Director of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities from 1977 until his retirement in 1986.
Joe devoted 33 years to improving the quality of life in Alexandria. Among the . . . — — Map (db m197471) HM
Archaeologists excavated four ship hull remnants along the Alexandria waterfront one from the Hotel Indigo Site (44AX229) and three from the Robinson Landing Site (44AX235). Over 200 years ago, Alexandrians repurposed these old merchant ships . . . — — Map (db m216130) HM
Archaeologists excavated four ship hull remnants along the Alexandria Waterfront one from the Hotel Indigo Site (44AX229) and three from the Robinson Landing Site (44AX235). Over 200 years ago, Alexandrians repurposed these old merchant ships . . . — — Map (db m216126) HM
Three roads formed this Fairfax County intersection by the early 19th century. Braddock Road, Middle Turnpike (later called Leesburg Pike/King Street/Route 7) and Quaker Lane were the wagon routes for trade between the port town of Alexandria and . . . — — Map (db m150816) HM
During the Civil War, thousands of formerly enslaved individuals came to Union-controlled Alexandria to seek refuge and freedom. As a result, several new African American neighborhoods developed during and after the Civil War, including four in . . . — — Map (db m239750) HM
The African American Heritage Trail along the waterfront consists of two interconnecting routes. Both begin at Waterfront Park. Together, these trails illuminate the history of the African American community in Alexandria over a span of several . . . — — Map (db m239718) HM
13,000 years ago
The Paleoindian Period
A Native American hunter during the Paleoindian period discards a broken spear point, on a bluff overlooking a tributary to the Potomac River at the southern edge of present-day Alexandria. . . . — — Map (db m166409) HM
The launch of urban renewal in 1965 led to a boom of archaeological discoveries in Alexandria's Old and Historic District. As buildings were razed exposing artifact-laden layers of history, community outcry demanded that the City address and halt . . . — — Map (db m115770) HM
America's first recorded sit-in at a library
took place in this building. The Alexandria
Library (now Barrett Branch Library)
opened as a whites-only facility. To force
desegregation, lawyer Samuel Tucker
organized a sit-in. On August 21, . . . — — Map (db m293601) HM
Alexandria was established by Virginia's colonial assembly in 1749, over four decades the U.S. Congress authorized creation of a national capital on the banks of the Potomac River. Once the final site for the Federal city was selected by President . . . — — Map (db m141166) HM
The Alexandria Library's Kate Waller Barrett Branch (2 blocks north, 1 block east) and the Alexandria Black History Museum (6 blocks north) have an unusual shared history. The library building was constructed in 1938 and named for Dr. Kate Waller . . . — — Map (db m115715) HM
Between 1911 and 1912, Battery Cove, the shallow bay extending from the southern edge of Keith's Wharf southward to Jones Point, was named for the Civil War Battery Rodgers and was used as a spoil dump for an extensive dredging project undertaken . . . — — Map (db m127768) HM
Between 1911 and 1912, Battery Cove, the shallow bay stretching from the southern edge of Keith's Wharf southward to Jones Point, was named for the Civil War Battery Rodgers. It was used as a spoil dump for an extensive dredging project . . . — — Map (db m299705) HM
Just two blocks north of this location along Fayette Street (named for the Marquis de Lafayette who visited Alexandria in 1824), near the southwest corner of Queen Street, stood the Old Powder House, dating from 1791-1809. On the same spot, the . . . — — Map (db m115713) HM
Before the American Revolution, the Church of England was the established church of Virginia and part of the colonial government. For administrative purposes, the colony was divided into "parishes" and all residents paid taxes to maintain church . . . — — Map (db m115716) HM
At this intersection, a jail opened in 1827 when Alexandria was a part of Washington, D.C. In the 19th century, it housed criminals, debtors, and Civil War military prisoners. Before Emancipation, the jail was among the locations where enslaved . . . — — Map (db m243181) HM
During the late 17th century, settlers began to establish small plantations near landing places on the Potomac River. Oceangoing ships could load tobacco and other goods to export to Great Britain. The area that was to become Alexandria was still . . . — — Map (db m127772) HM
During the late 17th century, settlers began to establish small plantations near landing places on the Potomac River. Oceangoing ships could load tobacco and other goods for export to Great Britain. The area that was to become Alexandria was . . . — — Map (db m299714) HM
One of King Street's greatest commercial buildings was built by one of Alexandria's most beloved citizens. Edgar Warfield, Jr. was born in 1842, and at the age of 18 he co-founded the "Old Dominion Rifles," a Confederate militia that served in . . . — — Map (db m115749) HM
Alexandria's electric streetcar system, the Washington, Alexandria & Mount Vernon Railway, was established in 1892 between Alexandria and Mount Vernon. In 1896, the line extended into Washington, crossing the Long Bridge where the 14th Street Bridge . . . — — Map (db m115760) HM
As Virginia's population grew, so did its reliance on fish from the Potomac River as a dietary staple. In 1813, the city authorities passed a law designating the county wharf at the foot of Oronoco Street as the official place for landing fish. . . . — — Map (db m239715) HM
The Alexandria waterfront has changed dramatically since the City's founding in 1749. The Potomac River once flowed along the high banks about two blocks west of here near Water (now Lee) Street. Two hundred and fifty years ago, the area where . . . — — Map (db m182672) HM
The building at 1315 Duke Street, two blocks south of here, was originally built around 1812 as a residence for General Robert Young, commander of Alexandria's militia, who died in 1824. This three-story brick building then became the . . . — — Map (db m115706) HM
In an 18th century town of mostly wooden buildings, where open flames provided heat, light and cooking on a daily basis, Alexandrians constantly faced the danger of fire. Water to fight fires had to be carried in buckets from nearby wells, town . . . — — Map (db m115714) HM
The Friendship Fire Company, established in 1774, was the first fire company in Alexandria. Company members were volunteers townspeople motivated by their concern for the property and well-being of the company.
The Friendship Firehouse was . . . — — Map (db m272039) HM
Restoration
In the early 20th century Alexandria's economy was struggling, despite major efforts to develop a strong industrial base. But by the early 1920s, inspired by efforts to restore the colonial city of Williamsburg, Virginia, . . . — — Map (db m129178) HM
Gadsby's Tavern Museum consists of two buildings — the smaller c.1875 tavern and larger 1792 City Tavern and Hotel. While both were constructed by John Wise, they were made famous by John Gadsby, a rising tavern keeper who rented the buildings . . . — — Map (db m115755) HM
George Washington considered Alexandria his hometown after its founding in 1749, and it is here that he came to do business, learn the events of the world, pick up mail, and visit friends. His first association with the town was probably as a 17 . . . — — Map (db m115747) HM
A visit to George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, about nine miles to the south, has long been viewed as a patriotic duty of Americans. In the late 19th century, visitors often traveled there from Washington by boat, stopping first in Alexandria. . . . — — Map (db m115719) HM
When Alexandria was founded in 1749, this corner was planned as the main intersection in the new town, with the streets named in honor of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, a major land-owner in Northern Virginia. From Cameron Street, . . . — — Map (db m167213) HM
In 1804, Francois-Dominique Toussaint L'Ouverture, a formerly enslaved Haitian Black military leader, led the only successful uprising of enslaved people in the Western Hemisphere. As a result of the rebellion, the Caribbean island of Haiti . . . — — Map (db m239747) HM
All stories should end with accumulating snow.
Increasing depth racing the concluding plot
Erasing the physical details of the recent narrative
Leaving only softened shapes and relative positions
And as the end obliterating even . . . — — Map (db m143372) HM
During the 19th century, numerous entrepreneurs gradually improved the lots and expanded the warehouses and wharves associated with the 200 block of the Strand. Josiah Davis owned many properties along Alexandria's waterfront and bought property . . . — — Map (db m195640) HM
■ a living public art sculpture encompassing the entire park ■ a combination of three garden types: a hanging garden, topiary garden and rain garden ■ the result of an international design competition an important example of . . . — — Map (db m243158) HM
The Farewell Tour
In 1824, the marquis de Lafayette returned to the United States at the invitation of President James Monroe. It was his first visit since returning to France after the American Revolution. By this time, Lafayette was the . . . — — Map (db m266163) HM
Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, father of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, purchased several lots on North Washington Street in Alexandria soon after the War for Independence. He lived with his family in a house on Cameron . . . — — Map (db m115721) HM
Alexandria's Market Square was established only a few years after the town was founded in 1749. The site selected was centrally located in a prime block of the colonial settlement, immediately adjacent to the City Hall. At the time, Cameron and . . . — — Map (db m115757) HM
In the early morning hours of May 24, 1861, the day after a public referendum in Virginia supported secession from the United States, Alexandria was invaded by Union forces crossing the Potomac. Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth, the young commander of the . . . — — Map (db m115753) HM
Living history
Discover the spirit of Alexandria that has been making history for centuries.
Alexandria has had a role in our nation's history since its founding in 1749. George Washington called Alexandria home in his . . . — — Map (db m236052) HM
Historically, Alexandria's development moved from east to west, and three distinct areas of the city have unofficially been known as the "West End." The first West End ended at Shuter's Hill, the current site of the George Washington Masonic . . . — — Map (db m115709) HM
The 500 block of King Street has long been associated with retail trade in Alexandria. In the late 18th century, Adam Lynn, Sr. owned the quarter-block at this corner of King and St. Asaph Streets, where he operated a small bake shop selling . . . — — Map (db m115746) HM
Alexandria, D.C.
In 1791, Alexandrians applauded their inclusion in the District of Columbia, believing that the town would benefit economically as part of the Federal district. These positive feelings toward inclusion in the District . . . — — Map (db m239716) HM
Potomac River ferry companies date back to as early as 1740, when Hugo West received permission to operate a ferry from the Hunting Creek warehouse in Prince William over the Potomac River to Fraziers Point in Maryland "...the price for a man 1 . . . — — Map (db m143267) HM
An extensive amount of man-made land hides the original topographical feature that characterized the southernmost tip of Alexandria's crescent-shaped bay. This area was known from at least the 1760s as Point Lumley. As it does today, the town . . . — — Map (db m239746) HM
John Hunter established one of the first shipyards in the City at the foot of Wilkes Street as early at 1783. The first "Potomac River Longboat" was built here at Hunters Shipyard in 1815. Shipbuilding and repair continued on this site for well . . . — — Map (db m143370) HM
Early Uses
The West End was a rough and rowdy area just outside Alexandria's city limits. Stockyards, rail tracks, a tavern, and small shops catered to the farmers and drovers supplying the city's markets in the years before the Civil War. . . . — — Map (db m236050) HM
The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum traces one of America's oldest continuously-run family businesses that combined manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing. Founded in 1792, and operated just across Fairfax Street until 1933, the pharmacy . . . — — Map (db m115762) HM
The Alexandria Custom House stood here in 1917. Built in 1858, the third floor of the three-story granite building housed the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. On November 27, 1917, a hearing in that courtroom would play a . . . — — Map (db m182671) HM
One of the last and most architecturally important buildings constructed on the waterfront was the Alexandria branch of the Ford Motor Company. Designed by architect Albert Kahn (18691942) and built on wood pilings over the Potomac River in . . . — — Map (db m299718) HM
One of the last and most architecturally important of the industrial facilities constructed on the waterfront was the Alexandria Branch of the Ford Motor Company. Designed by Albert Kahn (1896-1942) and built on wood pilings over the Potomac River . . . — — Map (db m69852) HM
Between 1820 and 1860, Alexandria had a thriving cabinet and furniture-making industry, primarily along King Street, between Royal and Alfred streets. Among the city's best-known furniture makersand business rivalswere Charles Koones and James . . . — — Map (db m195643) HM
One block south is The Alexandria Lyceum, formed as a public education organization in 1834 by Quaker schoolmaster Benjamin Hallowell and other civic leaders. In 1839, the founders joined with the Alexandria Library Company to construct a . . . — — Map (db m115718) HM
The Alexandria Marine Railway Company was founded in 1849 at the site of the former Keith's Wharf. Until the Depression of 1857, the firm refitted and repaired the sailing craft that plied the harbors of Alexandria, Georgetown and Washington. The . . . — — Map (db m127769) HM
Home to the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association, the Athenaeum is a fine example of Greek Revival architecture, with a long and colorful history of occupation. The building was constructed between 1851 and 1852 as the Bank of the Old Dominion, . . . — — Map (db m115768) HM
With the outbreak of war in the spring in 1861, Alexandria was immediately occupied by Federal troops as a bulwark in the defenses of the national capital, and the city became a central distribution center for men and material for the Army of the . . . — — Map (db m299710) HM
With the outbreak of war in the spring of 1861, Alexandria was immediately occupied by Federal troops as a bulwark in the defenses of the national capital, and the city became a central distribution center for men and material for the Army of the . . . — — Map (db m70411) HM WM
In 1860, Alexandria was a vibrant southern city boasting a population of 12,652 and 96 firms which produced everything from bark to tin-ware. During the U.S. Presidential campaign in the fall of 1860, business-minded Alexandrians were decidedly . . . — — Map (db m307635) HM
On January 1, 1808, the earliest date allowed by Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution, the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves went into effect and stated, "It shall not be lawful to import or bring into the United . . . — — Map (db m188750) HM
After 10,000 B.C., as glacial ice retreated, small bands of Paleo-Indians moved into the vicinity of what would become Alexandria. Moving frequently within wide areas, these bands hunted game and collected the plant resources of the spruce/pine . . . — — Map (db m127773) HM
After 10,000 BC, as glacial ice retreated, small bands of Paleo-Indians moved into the vicinity of what would become Alexandria. Moving frequently within wide areas, these bands hunted game and collected the plant resources of the spruce/pine . . . — — Map (db m299716) HM
The West End in the 19th century centered on Duke Street and Diagonal Road. Large undeveloped, the area was devoted to stockyards, agricultural shipment, and "a" notorious business: the slave trade. The house at 1707 Duke Street (left) was part . . . — — Map (db m151028) HM
On January 22, 1791, George Washington appointed Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker to survey the boundaries of the "District of Columbia," to be the home of the Federal government of the United States. The President instructed the surveyors . . . — — Map (db m127771) HM
On January 22, 1791, George Washington appointed Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker to survey the boundaries of the "District of Columbia," to be the home of the Federal government of the United States. The President instructed the surveyors . . . — — Map (db m299712) HM
Underground ice wells were used in the 18th and 19th centuries to store ice for use during the warm months. In Alexandria, blocks of ice were cut from the Potomac River. Ice was placed in this well through a square opening which is marked in the . . . — — Map (db m129196) HM
In 1793, the Alexandria Common Council granted permission for John Wise to build an icehouse underneath the corner of Royal and Cameron Streets as part of his construction of the new City Tavern.
This brick-lined ice well is a unique . . . — — Map (db m243155) HM
Throughout most of the nineteenth century, three buildings stood on this section of 1300 to 1312 King Street, on what previously had been vacant land. The main structures on Lots 1 and 2 have been preserved, whereas the building on Lot 3 was . . . — — Map (db m236062) HM
The Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum offers exhibitions and public programming that explore the story of Alexandria from the area's first inhabitants to modern times. the building has been a community landmark since the first half of the . . . — — Map (db m266165) HM
Close to midnight on Tuesday, August 8, 1899, Benjamin Thomas, a 16-year-old Black Alexandrian, was lynched from a lamppost on this corner.
Earlier, white rioters attacked the City Jail on N. St. Asaph Street, where they seized and dragged . . . — — Map (db m188809) HM
On a lamppost at this corner on April 23, 1897, Black Alexandria teenager Joseph H. McCoy was lynched. McCoy's white employer, Richard Lacy, alleged that McCoy had sexually assaulted his daughter. Similar accusations were routinely used against . . . — — Map (db m271749) HM
From this point, King Street slopes gently down to the Potomac. But when Alexandria was founded in 1749, the new town was perched on a high bluff some 20 feet above the river. The town was established on a shore of a crescent-shaped bay that . . . — — Map (db m115766) HM
From 1898 to 1911, a 181-foot-long side wheel steamboat based out of Washington, D.C., called the River Queen would sometimes dock at the wharf at the foot of Prince Street in Alexandria. Build in 1864, it had first gained fame as the site . . . — — Map (db m239733) HM
At the turn of the 20th century, Alexandria was home to at least a dozen pharmacies, two of them associated with the name Timberman. Charles Parke Custis Timberman and other brother John Elmer Winfield Timberman were born near Pohick Church in . . . — — Map (db m115723) HM
The Torpedo Factory Art Center Building was formerly a munitions plant during World Wars I and II. In September, 1974, the Art Center opened in the Torpedo Factory as a Bicentennial project. The idea was conceived by Marian Van Landingham, a . . . — — Map (db m98078) HM WM
Originally called the United States Naval Torpedo Station, the Torpedo Factory was built during World War I, and was specifically designed for the fabrications of dangerous naval ordnance. The building was barely completed when that war ended in . . . — — Map (db m115784) HM
In 1774, William Duke, a young preacher from Baltimore County, Maryland, arrived in Alexandria on his itinerant circuit at a time when there were fewer than twenty methodist preachers in the British colonies duke had been personally . . . — — Map (db m272040) HM
In honor of all from the City of Alexandria who served and died in the Vietnam War
Paul M. Bayliss
Douglas R. Blodgett
Ray B. Browne
Robert W. Clirehugh, Jr.
George B. Colgan III
Ross W. Collins, Jr.
Raymond L. . . . — — Map (db m271747) WM
Few periods of Alexandria's history have been more tumultuous than the War of 1812. During the first decade of the 19th century, Great Britain's interception of American ships, impressment of U.S. seamen, and support of Indian aggression along the . . . — — Map (db m115769) HM
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