Old Town, Alexandria traces its beginnings to the early 1700s, when a tobacco warehouse on the waterfront near what is now Oronoco Street spawned a small settlement. In recent decades the Old Town quarter of the city has paid increasing attention to ..

Constructed in 1795 by John Potts, a business acquaintance of George Washington, this gracious Federal town house soon became the residence of William Fitzhugh, a close friend of Washington. In 1812 Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light-Horse Harr..

Encircled by a high wall, the church grounds provide a peaceful haven where trees shade 18C grave markers. Both George Washington and Robert E. Lee worshiped in the simple brick and stone structure, with its pepperpot steeple. By tradition, 20C presi..

This tavern is one of the most celebrated hostelries from the early days of the country. Functioning now as a museum and restaurant, it is actually two joined brick structures. Gadsby's famous ballroom, which occupies much of the second floor of the ..

Modeled after a Georgian manor house, this freestanding stone construction was built by John Carlyle, one of the Scottish entrepreneurs instrumental in founding Alexandria. The mansion's hour of glory came in April 1755, when the British general Edwa..

This gracious Federal-era estate reflects the refinement of its original owners, Lawrence Lewis and Nelly Custis Lewis. Favored relatives of George Washington, whose own Mount Vernon lies only three miles away, the Lewises brought to their home many ..

This small, L-shaped house built in a wooded setting in 1941 is one of the few publicly accessible examples of what the 20C's most eminent American-born architect, Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), called his "Usonian" architecture-functional..

Crowning historic Shooter's Hill, this memorial to George Washington, the first master of Alexandria's Masonic Lodge, is a city landmark. The large granite building, topped by a tiered tower, is modeled after one of the Seven Wonders of the World—the..

Organized in 1774, the Friendship Fire Company lists among its honorary volunteers statesmen, governors and presidents, including George Washington himself. Now the property of the city, the restored building features a first-floor exhibit room devot..

This large clapboard house was built in 1785 by Philip Richard Fendall, a distant Lee relative who bought the half-acre lot from Light-Horse Harry Lee. Fendall successively married three different Lee women, and members of the Lee family continually ..

John Wise, who established Gadsby's Tavern, built this attractive late-Georgian brick edifice as his residence in 1797. In the early 19C a succession of prominent Alexandrians lived in the house, including Benjamin Hallowell, a Quaker schoolmaster wh..

In 1834 Benjamin Hallowelli interested his fellow citizens in founding a lyceum, or cultural center, in Alexandria, and five years later this Greek Revival structure was built to house a library, lecture rooms and natural history exhibits. Many promi..

Built about 1815 by a prosperous shipping agent, this three-story brick building, with an elegant double doorway topped by a fanlight and flanked by lunettes, is a fine example of a Federal-style town house. In 1824 the Marquis de Lafayette stayed he..

This restored brick Federal structure is the oldest building (1807) in Virginia that has been continually used as a bank. Carlyle's son-in-law, William Herbert, served as the bank's second president and a director.

An apothecary from 1792 to 1933, this shop has been restored to its mid-19C appearance. Shelving, cases, glass bottles and equipment used for preparing medicines and remedies are from the original store, which served as a major supplier of pharmaceut..

Art fans won't want to miss Alexandria's extensive arts-and-crafts center. Overlooking the river, the cavernous building was indeed used to manufacture torpedoes during the world wars. Now, though, it houses the studios and shops of more than 150 pro..

The north portion of this colonial clapboard incorporates the remains of the oldest structure in Old Town. Built in 1724 by William Ramsay, a Scottish merchant, the small house was moved to Alexandria soon after the town's founding. It now functions ..

Now modernized and dominated by a steepled city hall (1873), this square has served as the city's focal point since the mid-18C. It has been the setting for many historic gatherings, including Washington's drilling of his Revolutionary troops.

Alexandria's many Scottish immigrants established this church in 1772, contracting John Carlyle to oversee its building. Completed in the mid-1770s, it was the site of celebrations for Alexandria's Masons. In 1799, at Washington's death, the church b..

The brick-paved 200 block of Prince Street is known as Gentry Row, due to its dignified 18C structures. The stuccoed, salmon Greek Revival Athenaeum (1852) on the corner was built as the Old Dominion Bank and now functions as a gallery for the Northe..