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Alexandria, Virginia

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Date: 1749 [unknown]
Location: Alexandria, Virginiamap
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Alexandria, Virginia

"Alexandria was founded in 1749 by Scottish merchants.... Alexandria is known as being the adopted hometown of America's first president, George Washington. As a teenager, George Washington surveyed the city. Later, he owned a townhouse here in Old Town."[1]

According to one source, it was named "after Scotsman John Alexander."[1] Another notes that Captain Philip Alexander II (1704–1753) and "his cousin Captain John Alexander (1711–1763) gave land to assist in the development of Alexandria and are thus listed as the founders. This John was the son of Robert Alexander II (1688–1735)."[2]

The name Alexandria was proposed in order to appease Philip,[2] who owned the land where the proposed new town was to be established:

...a petition submitted in the House of Burgesses on November 1, 1748, that the "inhabitants of Fairfax (Co.) praying that a town may be established at Hunting Creek Warehouse on Potowmack River".... Since the river site was amidst his estate, Philip opposed the idea and strongly favored a site at the head of Hunting Creek (also known as Great Hunting Creek). It has been said that in order to avoid a predicament the petitioners offered to name the new town Alexandria, in honor of Philip's family.[2]

See the section on History, below.

Geography

Adjacent Locations

"Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of downtown Washington, D.C. Alexandria is the third largest "principal city" of the Washington metropolitan area which is part of the larger Washington-Baltimore combined statistical area."[2]

Population

"In 2020, the population was 159,467, making it the 6th most populous city in Virginia and the 169th most populous city in the nation.[4] The city's estimated population has grown by 1% annually since 2010 on average.[5]"[2]

[4] "Alexandria city, Alexandria city, Virginia". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022. (see the Wikipedia page for links)
[5] "Statistics & Demographics". www.alexandriava.gov. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021. (see the Wikipedia page for links)

People

See also the Notables section of the One Place Study page for Alexandria and Category: Alexandria, Virginia One Place Study for pages managed by the study, such as Washington Street United Methodist Church Cemetery, Alexandria, Virginia.

Evolution of the City

Stages in the evolution of the modern city of Alexandria

Generally, these come from Wikipedia articles regarding the place. However, [4] describes and maps the boundaries of the city at various times:

  • 1664, Stafford County split from Westmoreland County
  • 21 Aug 1669, a patent for 6000 acres, later to become Alexandria, was granted to Robert Howsing.[5]
  • 1695, the first settler on the patent, Thomas Pearson, supposedly on a Pearson's Island[6]
  • 1731, Prince William County split from Stafford and King George County
  • ca 1732, the Hunting Creek tobacco warehouse/inspection-station, was built (actually located a half-mile upriver from the mouth of the creek)[2][7][6]
  • 1 December 1742, Fairfax County split from Prince William County [Lon]
  • 1749, House of Burgesses agreed to the creation of a town in the region of the warehouse. Different factions called it Alexandria or Belhaven or both, derived from names/titles of prominent landowners[6][8]
  • 1779, Alexandria was incorporated
  • 1789-1791, Virginia ceded a portion of Fairfax County, including the town of Alexandria, to the federal government to be a part of the new District of Columbia. However Fairfax continued jurisdiction of the area.
  • 1801, the ceded land was designated as Alexandria County in the District of Columbia[9][10][2]
  • Sep 1846, the District of Columbia ceded Alexandria County back to Virginia and Virginia accepted the county in March 1847. [10][9]
  • 1852, the town of Alexandria was rechartered as a city.[4]
  • 1871, under a new state constitution, the city of Alexandria was recognized as an "independent city" -- separating it from Alexandria County.[4]
  • Jul 1902, the state of Virginia elevated the city of Alexandria to the status of a "first class" independent city[10], meaning that it had its own Circuit Court in addition to its District Court.[11]
  • 1908, the town of Potomac was chartered in Alexandria county north of the city of Alexandria. [4] (See Jan 1930, for relevance to Alexandria.)

For much of the 20th century, Virginia laws encouraged the growth of independent cities by permitting them to "annex" areas of adjoining counties. Alexandria took advantage of these laws as follows:

  • Apr 1915, the city of Alexandria annexed portions of both Alexandria and Fairfax counties.[10]
  • Mar 1920, Alexandria County was renamed as Arlington County.[10]
  • Jan 1930, the city of Alexandria annexed portions of both Arlington and Fairfax counties, including the town of Potomac.[10][4]
  • 1945, Congress passed a law setting the eastern boundary of Alexandria at the far ends of its piers. Since the entire width of the river had been granted to Maryland (hence also the District of Columbia), Alexandria's 200 years of land fill and piers were no longer in legal limbo.[4]
  • Jan 1952, the city of Alexandria annexed a portion of Fairfax county.[10]
  • 1966, small changes were made to the northern boundary with Arlington County [4]
  • 1973, the city of Alexandria swapped small portions of land with Fairfax county to rationalize the boundary.[10][4]

Place names in various stages of evolution

During its evolution, Alexandria has been a town, a city, and an independent city, and it has also been a part of Virginia and the District of Columbia. So place names that are to be written in form of the time vary. Appropriate names appear below:

If an event was recorded in "Alexandria" during the period... then an appropriate place name is ...
1664-1731 Stafford (county), Virginia (colony)
1731-1742 Prince William (county), Virginia (colony)
1742-1749 Fairfax (county), Virginia (colony)
(or “Belhaven") 1749-1779 Alexandria (town), Fairfax (county), Virginia (colony until 1778)
1779-1801 Alexandria (incorporated town), Fairfax (county), Virginia (state)
1801-1847 Alexandria (county), District of Columbia (federal district)
1847-1852 Alexandria (county), Virginia (state)
1852-1871 Alexandria (city), Alexandria (county), Virginia (state)
1871-present Alexandria (independent city), Virginia (state)

As if this weren't confusing enough, the US Postal Service gives the address "Alexandria" to places that are not in the city of Alexandria, but in the neighboring county of Fairfax. The following zip codes have an address of "Alexandria" but are actually in Fairfax county:[12][13]

  • 22303, Huntington
  • 22304, western Eisenhower valley
  • 22306, Groveton and Hybla Valley
  • 22307, Belle Haven
  • 22309, Engleside
  • 22310, Franconia and Rose Hill
  • 22312, Lincolnia
  • 22315, Kingstowne

History

On 21 October 1669, Robert Howsing was granted a patent of six thousand acres of land in return for his promise to transport and settle 120 persons in the Virginia colony. Eventually, Alexandria would occupy and expand from this land.[5] Some believe that a Thomas Pearson was the first settler on the patent, 1695.[14]

Tobacco became an important crop in the area. [14] In 1730, Virginia legislated a Tobacco Inspection Act requiring that all tobacco must be brought to a public warehouse for inspection before any sale could be made.[15] Alexandria's warehouse was to be located at the mouth of Hunting Creek (which is just south of current "Old Town") but the ground proved to be unsuitable. So the government of Prince William county decided to use an existing warehouse owned by Simon Pearson, a half-mile upriver. Nevertheless, the warehouse was named "Hunting Creek" to match the permit.[2][7]

Pearson sold his property to Hugh West ca. 1737 and West established a ferry service to Maryland and an "ordinary" (tavern).[16]

The settlement that grew up in the area of the warehouse was called "Belhaven" by some, in honor of a Northern Neck planter, John Hamilton, 2nd Lord Belhaven and Stenton.[14][2]

Fairfax county was created from a portion of Prince William county on 1 December 1742.[10] In 1749, the Virginia House of Burgesses approved the creation of a town near the warehouse. Much of the land was owned by Philip Alexander and his cousin John Alexander; in return for ceding the land the new town was to be called "Alexandria."[2] Riker writes, "For the first dozen years of its history, Alexandria, Virginia, was a town with two names. The majority of those who lived, worked and visited here on the crescent bay by the Potomac knew it as Alexandria, while some of its most prominent citizens called it Belhaven. Others, including mapmakers ... accepted the difference and used both names." [17]

A notable campaign in the French and Indian War began in Alexandria. British Major General Edward Braddock made his headquarters in the residence of John Carlyle. (The building is now known as "Carlyle House.") His force was bolstered by rangers commanded by young George Washington. The Alexandria portion of the route taken by the force to meet the enemy near Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburgh, PA, is now called "Braddock Road.” The force was defeated and nearly destroyed, on 9 July 1755--Braddock killed, but Washington surviving.[18]

During the War of 1812, Alexandria was invaded. A British fleet, coming up the Potomac, so frightened the commander of Fort Washington, a Captain Dyson, that he abandoned the fort. The Brits found Alexandria, 28 August 1814, to be defenseless, as the town had sent its guns and able men to Washington to defend the Federal City. Having no alternatives, the town surrendered, and the British, "after burning one vessel, loaded several others with stores, ... left, carrying them away with three ships, three brigs, and several smaller craft, with 16,000 lbs. flour, 1,000 hogsheads of tobacco, 150 bales of cotton, and $5,000 worth of wines and cigars." [19] [Note the political cartoon depicted to the side of the profile.]

During the Civil War, Alexandria was seized by the Union army on 24 May 1861[20] and occupied for the duration of the war. From Aug 1863 to June 1865, Alexandria was the seat of the Restored Government of Virginia, the Unionist government that gave permission (required by the Constitution) for the separation of West Virginia from Virginia.[21]

Resources

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 https://visitalexandria.com/old-town/about/ (accessed 5 March 2024)
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Wikipedia: Alexandria, Virginia (accessed 5 March 2024).
  3. 3.0 3.1 They "gave land to assist in the development of Alexandria and are thus listed as the founders." ~Wikipedia (accessed 6 March 2024)
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 "A History of the Boundaries of the City of Alexandria, Virginia: 1749-2024."
  5. 5.0 5.1 Brockett, p. 5.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Brockett, pp. 6-7.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Riker, p. 2.
  8. Riker, pp. 1, 2, 14.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Brockett, p. 28.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 Long.
  11. Wikipedia, "Independent city (United States)," ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_city_(United_States) : accessed 11 February 2025 ).
  12. [ https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/demographics/interactive-map-zip-code ]
  13. [ https://www.postlocations.com/usps-post-office-in-alexandria-va/ ]
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2
  15. Wikipedia, "Tobacco Inspection Act, [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Inspection_Act ]
  16. Riker, pp. 2-3.
  17. Riker, p. 1.
  18. Brockett, pp. 13-15
  19. Brockett, p. 22
  20. Brockett, p. 34.
  21. Wikipedia, "Restored Government of Virginia," [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restored_Government_of_Virginia ]




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