Old Town Alexandria

Highsmith, Carol M, photographer. The Carlyle House in the wharf district of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, a city immediately south of Washington, D.C., and once a larger, more thriving river port than the nation’s capital city
. -12-06. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2020724826/>.

Alexandria was founded in 1749 by a group of nearby planters who wished to create a market and port town for the import and export of goods. Alexandria’s history is a microcosm of our nation’s high and lows: a fervor for independence stained by the institution of slavery, the success of business requiring significant changes to the natural landscape, and the challenges of an urban community that must balance progress with preservation.

Tour: History of Old Town Alexandria

Featuring Carlyle House

Your tour will begin with a private tour of Carlyle House, one of the first homes in Alexandria, VA. Your tour will continue with a walk through the original streets of this historic town including connections to George Washington, the enslaved workers who brought the town to prominence and the religious traditions of the area.