The following is a PREVIEW SAMPLE of the Alexandria Self Guided Walking Tour Please purchase, download and print the rest of the Alexandria Walking Guide Series by visiting: www.citywalkingguide.com/washingtondc Important Information and Tips on Printing This print guide are designed to print onto a standard 8.5" X 11" piece of paper. Please note that some maps have many points of interest icons on them so we suggest that you zoom in and out as needed (and print as needed according to the zoom level). You may want to print multiple maps at different zoom levels. You can also move the map around on the screen to position it better if needed for printing. Consider using the Mobile versions in conjuction with your printed guide. The Smartphone and Tablet layouts have links to Google maps that give you directions from your current location.
Old Town Alexandria, Virginia Sign in 1 km Map data 2015 Google Terms
1) The Athenaeum The Athenaeum is a Greek Revival style building that was constructed to house the Bank of the Old Dominion. The financial institution was a major source of financing for local businesses. George Washington originally surveyed the land that the building occupies. The 19th century structure anchors a block of buildings constructed during the same era known as Captain s Row. The structure was built between 1851 and 1852. It faces a cobblestone street in the oldest part of the city. It served as a bank until the start of the Civil War. According to tradition, Robert E. Lee had an account with the establishment. When the Union Army occupied Alexandria, they used the building as the headquarters for the U.S. Commissary Quartermaster. There is a Mathew Brady photograph of Union officers outside the building. After the war, First Virginia Bank, Leadbeater and Sons Apothecary and the Free Methodist Church used the building. In 1964, the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association acquired the building for use as an art museum. The edifice was restored and named the Athenaeum. It was the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts first branch location. The rotating exhibits within the museum depict various forms and styles of art. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and is commonly referred to as the Old Dominion Bank building. 551 S Hill Ave 2) Torpedo Factory Art Center In late 1918, the United States Navy constructed a torpedo manufacturing and munitions storage facility in Alexandria, Virginia. It served in this capacity throughout World War II. Known as the Naval Torpedo Station, the facility occupied space in 11 buildings. After the war, the military stopped manufacturing weapons at the site. The Smithsonian Institute stored some of its collection in the buildings, and Congress used the space to warehouse documents. In 1969, the influential leader of the Art League proposed that the city transform the buildings into house studios and galleries for
working artists. The buildings were renovated in 1974 and 1983. A Mark XIV torpedo that was manufactured at the facility in 1945 is on permanent display as well as other naval memorabilia. Today, the three floors of the Torpedo Factory Art Center house two workshops, six galleries and more than 80 studios. Approximately 165 artists use the facility situated on the Potomac River waterfront to produce paintings, sculptures, ceramics, jewelry and stained glass. Located at 105 North Union Street, the art center draws approximately 500,000 visitors each year. The Torpedo Factory Art Center s objective is to enhance the public appreciation of art. The center accomplishes this goal by allowing guests to take classes and visit working studios. The historic Old Town district facility is also home of the Alexandria Archaeological Museum. 105 N Union St 3) Carlyle House The Carlyle House was the home of successful merchant John Carlyle and his wife Sarah, a member of the influential Fairfax family. The mid-georgian Palladian style, stone Alexandria mansion was built from 1751 to 1753. He owned slaves who worked in his home, at the adjacent foundry and on his plantations. Carlyle was a close friend of George Washington. He served as the commissary for the Virginia militia during the French and Indian War. The mansion was the first headquarters for Major General Edward Braddock. It was here that Braddock devised the idea of taxing the American colonies to pay for the war effort. Braddock developed the plan to attack Fort Duquesne in the home. Washington, his aide-de-camp at the time, urged him to reconsider. The expedition resulted in Braddock s death. Upon Carlyle s death in 1780, the home passed to his son George who died a year later in South Carolina at the Battle of Eutaw Springs. The home eventually passed to Carlyle s grandson who sold the home in 1827 to pay off a family member s gambling debts. The mansion and its 18th century garden underwent significant restoration work in the 1970s. During this time, a former hotel that hindered the mansion s unobstructed view of Fairfax Street was demolished. The Carlyle House was added to the National Register of Historic
Places in 1969. 121 N Fairfax St