The first time we ever visited Old Town Alexandria, we just knew it was an incredible place. If you’ve been around for even a minute, you know how much we love history and learning about and seeing and experiencing all of it. Old Town Alexandria is right up our alley! A 20 minute car ride from Washington DC, Alexandria, Virginia was founded in 1749. It has a rich history as one of the first communities in Virginia. It was the stomping grounds of George Washington and many other key figures of this nation, has much history in connection to the Civil War Era as well, and has been very well preserved. Roaming Old Town Alexandria is definitely an experience, but I will admit, it’s hard to know what you’re truly looking at without a bit of research or taking one of the many tours offered in the area. Now that we’ve visited a few different times, I thought it would be fun to put together a short, self-guided walking tour with some of the sites that are incredibly noteworthy. Walking through these streets will give you a great idea of just what this town means to this country. Most parking in the town is limited to 2 hours. While we walked this tour to test it out, we also had two small kids in tow so we were definitely taking our time and we still made it back around the block in time before our meter ran out. We were able to find parking right across the street from the Gadsby Tavern so we made it the first stop on our tour! The Gadsby Tavern Museum is only open Thursday-Sunday and you can eat in the restaurant Wednesday-Sunday. Gadsby Tavern has been a fine dining restaurant since 1770 - patrons including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison and James Monroe. Custom to the times, Gadsby Tavern, being the most prominent tavern in town, was the center of economic, political, and social life in Alexandria. The hotel even includes a ballroom which was the event center of choice for the patriots who established nearby Washington DC. Many receptions for presidents have been held here, as well as a few birthday parties for George Washington. No public building is more closely tied to the establishment of this country than Gadsby Tavern. We haven’t experienced eating in the restaurant but a quick look through the menu shows that you will be eating classic 18th century fare in an elegant, Colonial atmosphere. We’ve heard it’s quite the experience. It was very interesting to walk through the hotel museum though, and walk around the ballroom, which still holds balls for special occasions. This building was a stop on a ghost tour we took, so pay attention to any paranormal activity! The story of the Female Stranger is one of the most famous stories in Alexandria folklore. As the legend goes, a man and woman came to the hotel after docking in port. The woman was sickly and the man called for a doctor. After Mr. Gadsby and the doctor and nurses pledged secrecy, they treated the woman until she passed. The man ordered an elegant tabletop headstone for her grave and a large church service, but quickly after the service, he left town leaving all bills unpaid. Everyone involved kept their promise, though, and the couple’s identity was never revealed. But signs tell us that she still roams the halls of Gadsby Tavern, with much attention to Room 8, the room where she died. Before leaving Gadsby Tavern, pay a visit to the site just on the corner of the street. As part of Gadsby Tavern, there is a historic ice well that was been restored with viewing windows to showcase the interior of the well. The ice well was built in the late 1700s in connection with Gadsby Tavern. Enslaved laborers would cut ice from the frozen Potomac River and haul it by cart to the site of the ice well. They would lower the ice into the well through a hatch and then, once in the well, it would be pounded back into a solid mound and covered with straw where it would last through the summer. Our next stop is just down Cameron Street to number 508. This house is a reproduction of the original town house of George Washington that sat at this site. Washington would use this house as an office and a place to spend the night when he was in Alexandria on business. After falling into disarray, it was demolished in 1855. Thankfully, when a neighbor across the street heard it was going to be torn down, she made a detailed drawing of the house which helped in building the reproduction. The house is private property but it is listed on Airbnb! And fun fact, Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac rented out this house in the 1990s while he operated his restaurant in North Old Town. The next stop is the famous Spite House at 523 Queen St. Legand says in 1830, John Hollensbury had had enough with the noise and carriage traffic in the alleyway next to his house so he built a house to block it. This house is 7 feet 6 inches wide, 25 feet deep and is the skinniest house in the United States. It measures 356 square feet. This house is also private property though it was once rented out to a couple who had made plans to take cruise around the world and wanted to know if they could handle living in a confined space for an extended period of time. Our next stop is back to Cameron Street to number 611. This house was built in 1797. Henry Lee, a famous Revolutionary soldier and the Father of Robert E Lee, brought his family to live here in 1810. Robert E Lee was 4 years old. They lived here for a short time before moving into the house at 607 Orinoco Street. While this house is private property, the Lee-Fendall house on Orinoco Street is a museum open to the public. The Lee’s lived there until 1903 though this was interrupted when the property was seized by Union soldiers in the Civil War and used as a hospital. The Lee Fendall House has tours Wednesdays-Sundays and is a short walk from the house on Cameron Street. The next stop on our tour is just across the street at 118 North Washington Street. Christ Church dates back to 1773, making it one of the oldest churches in Northern Virginia. The historic graveyard is worth a wander. There is a large mound covered in ivy near the Washington Street entrance. This is a mass grave of 34 Confederate soldiers who were originally buried in the Alexandria National Cemetery during the Civil War. They were exhumed and reburied here in 1879 by the Daughters of the Confederacy. Other notable graves are Lieutenant Colonel Marsteller - a Revolutionary War Colonel, mayor of Alexandria, and pall bearer to George Washington, Isaac Pierce - the oldest legible gravestone in Alexandria, Ann Ramsey (and her husband William Ramsey)- unmarked grave except by a scotch pine that was planted as a memorial, (she was George Washington’s cousin and a true patriot), and Ann Warren - a renowned English actress who died in 1808 in Alexandria. This spot was also noted in a tour that we took and our tour guide pointed out the headstones that look burned. She said that union soldiers camped here during the Civil War and might’ve used the headstones as a way to block wind from their fires. I couldn’t find anything verifying that, but it is interesting that a few of the headstones do look damaged and burned. Perhaps the biggest reason to visit this church, though, is that this is the church where many prominent figures came to worship, including George Washington, the Lee family, and the Masons. Inside, you’ll find George Washington’s pew, #60, with a plaque that shows his signature. Many important people have come to visit this spot and sit in his pew, with similar plaques commemorating their visits. The church is generally open for tours Tuesdays-Sundays. They also still hold worship services here. The next stop on the tour is The Alexandrian at 480 King Street. This building was built in 1799 as a tavern and inn called Washington Tavern. It’s named then changed to the Marshall House in the mid-1820s. At this time, it had become a popular meeting spot for secessionists. The manager, James W Jackson, was a true confederate and had decided to raise a 18 foot wide Confederate flag up the flagpole which stood at the top of the Marshall House. The flag was so big, people said that it could be seen from Washington DC. President Lincoln took this flag as a threat to the Union and tasked his close friend, Colonel Ellsworth with getting rid of it. On May 24, 1861, Ellsworth made his way up to the top of the tavern, taking some men with him, and successfully removed the flag. However, they were met with Jackson and his double-barreled shotgun on the way back downstairs. Both men were killed in the skirmish and it is considered the first shots of the Civil War. The original building was destroyed by a fire and the current building looks nothing like the original. However, there have been some reports of paranormal activity here, even so far as some hearing a gunfight where the original staircase would’ve been. Our next and final stop is the Alexandria City Hall building at 301 King Street. City Hall is built on the site that was designated for the market and city hall when Alexandria was founded. The building has gone through many renovations and alterations but the steepled tower is a reconstruction that was part of the 1817 version. Today, it is home to the oldest farmers market in the country continuously held at the same site. George Washington sent produce from Mount Vernon to be sold at the stalls that once stood here. It is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 7am-12pm. This brings us back to our parking spot! While we never made it to a tour of the Lee-Fendall House, I’m sure it’s fascinating. Next time I would also like to visit the Carlyle House. Another tour in the area that I recommend is the Apothecary Museum. The Stabler Leadbetter Apothecary represents one of Alexandria’s oldest continuously running businesses. Founded in 1792, it ran until 1933 and then promptly became a museum so everything inside was left exactly how it was as an operating apothecary - down to the liquid in the jars. This is nowhere near a comprehensive list. There is so much more to explore here in Old Town, especially if you’re a history buff like me. If you haven’t been to Old Town, I hope this gives you a glimpse of what there is to see! If you have been, please let us know what we need to add to this list! Have questions about our trip? We’re always happy to answer! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram or TikTok for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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