From its founding in 1749 to its present-day splendor, Alexandria has been involved in some seriously significant historical moments. In honor of the 275th anniversary of this NoVA city, check out these highlights from the past.
1749: The City of Alexandria is founded by Scottish merchants and named for John Alexander. George Washington, then a teenager, helped survey the land.
1774: The Fairfax Resolves, a precursor to the Declaration of Independence, are signed in the Alexandria courthouse.
1785: The Alexandria Academy, the city’s first public school, is founded.
1790s: There’s a reason they call it the port city — by the end of the 18th century, Alexandria has a thriving seaport for merchandise of all kinds, from flour and hemp to leather and clothing.
1801–1847: Part of Alexandria is incorporated into the District of Columbia in 1801. It stays that way until 1847, a year after Congress votes to allow it to retrocede back to Virginia.
1814: British forces occupy the city for five days during the War of 1812, forcing citizens to destroy all naval stores and merchandise at the port.
1861–1865: After Virginia secedes from the Union in 1861, federal troops take over Alexandria to use it as a supply center, headquarters, and hospital base throughout the Civil War. It is a frequent destination for refugees and enslaved people seeking freedom.
1919: Immediately after WWI ends, the U.S. Navy constructs the U.S. Naval Station to manufacture torpedoes. Today, only artwork is made at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
1946: The Old and Historic District (or Old Town) is designated as an official historic district. It’s only the third in the U.S., following Charleston and New Orleans. The historically Black Parker-Gray Historic District follows suit in 1984.
1971: The newly desegregated T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School) wins the state football championship, a story that inspired the 2000 film Remember the Titans.
1974: Gerald Ford serves the first 10 days of his presidency from his home in Alexandria.
1983: The Metro moves into Alexandria with three new stations on the Yellow Line: King Street, Braddock Road, and Eisenhower Avenue.
1999: Dave Grohl, a native of Springfield, returns to Alexandria and the Foo Fighters record the album There is Nothing Left to Lose in his basement.
2015–2018: Archaeologists discover remnants of four buried ships along the waterfront, likely dating back to the 18th or early 19th century.
2020: The City of Alexandria and Inova Health System announce a plan to create a new hospital and mixed-use development at Landmark Mall, currently slated to open in 2028.
2024: Alexandria celebrates its 275th anniversary with a festival and community cookouts scheduled throughout July. alexandriava.gov/ALX275
Feature image of Alexandria, public domain
This story originally ran in our July issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
