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85-557: And related disciplines. WEF is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia , United States . In addition to books, technical reports, and conferences proceedings, WEF publishes the peer-reviewed journal, Water Environment Research, and the magazine, Water Environment Technology. WEF sponsors local and national speciality meetings, as well as the world's largest annual water conference: WEFTEC - Water Environment Federation Technical Exposition and Conference. To recognize individuals and groups in

170-644: A 70-acre area in Potomac Yards to include a concert venue, businesses, and a new arena that would have been home to the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards . The proposal failed in March 2024 with the announcement Virginia negotiations were ending and Monumental planning to sign an additional lease with Washington, D.C. after it did not advance in the Virginia General Assembly . According to

255-589: A charter for a turnpike to connect his ferry landing with the Washington-Alexandria turnpike that Congress had chartered the previous year (and which would follow what became U.S. Route 1 and compete with his ferry for traffic). John Mason also diversified his income-producing activities, operating a ferry between Georgetown and the Virginia shore until construction of the Aqueduct Bridge in 1843 (superseded by

340-625: A conference among representatives from all the states to consider the adoption of definite commercial regulations. This led to the calling of the Annapolis Convention of 1786 , which in turn led to the calling of the Federal Convention of 1787 . In 1814, during the War of 1812 , the British military carried out a successful raid on Alexandria , which surrendered without a fight. In order to avoid

425-491: A new one. The Belle Pre Bottle Company held a monopoly on a milk bottle that they patented, yet that organization only lasted 10 years. Most businesses were smaller where the business occupied the first floor of a building and the owner and family lived above. Prohibition closed Portner Brewing in 1916. President Woodrow Wilson visited the Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation on May 30, 1918, to drive

510-476: A number of areas, WEF sponsors awards in the categories of: Published Papers; Operational and Design Excellence; Education; Individual Service and Contribution; Fellows; Organization and Association Recognition; National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure, as well as Committee Chair Service Appreciation. This article about a professional association is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria

595-564: A ring of forts built by the Union army for the defense of Washington, D.C. , is located inside the boundaries of present-day Alexandria. There were five military prisons in the city, the largest being the Washington Street Military Prison . After the creation by Washington of the state of West Virginia in 1863 and until the close of the war, Alexandria was the seat of the so-called Restored Government of Virginia , also known as

680-572: A shopping center parking lot within the city. Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation later arrested Whalen on July 12, 1966, at his home in the city. In 1961 the original Woodrow Wilson Bridge opened. In 1965, the city integrated schools . In 1971, the city consolidated all high school junior and senior students into T. C. Williams High School . Freshman and sophomore students were assigned to attend either Francis C Hammond or George Washington, formerly four-year high schools, as part of

765-455: A system-wide overhaul of the public school system, beginning with kindergarten classes, in an attempt to racially "balance" student population throughout the city's public schools to better reflect the city's racial makeup. The plan was known as the "K-6, 2, 2, 2 plan". Classes were broken out, beginning with kindergarten through sixth grade; then seventh through eighth; then freshman and sophomore classes; and finally junior and senior classes, with

850-470: Is also an area of fresh-water tidal (estuarine) marsh , and a few small bedrock outcrops of metamorphic Piedmont rock, some along the tidal shore. The variety of freshwater estuarine intertidal habitats along the island's shores is particularly notable. The island is particularly known for its variety of birds and its showy displays of spring wildflowers . However, dozens of non-native invasive plants have become abundant there, often outcompeting

935-563: 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 . As of 2022,

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1020-709: Is an 88.5-acre (358,000 m ) island and national memorial located in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. During the Civil War , it was used as a training camp for the United States Colored Troops . The island was given to the federal government by the Theodore Roosevelt Association in memory of the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt . Until then, the island had been known as My Lord's Island , Barbadoes Island , Mason's Island , Analostan Island , and Anacostine Island . The island

1105-572: Is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen climate classification system, Alexandria has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. At the 2010 census , there were 139,966 people, 68,082 households and 30,978 families residing in the city. The population density was 8,452.0 inhabitants per square mile (3,263.3/km ). There were 68,082 housing units at an average density of 4,233.2 per square mile (1,634.4/km ). The racial/ethnic mix of

1190-539: Is maintained by the National Park Service , as part of the nearby George Washington Memorial Parkway . The land is generally maintained as a natural park, with various trails and a memorial plaza featuring a statue of Roosevelt. No cars or bicycles are permitted on the island, which is reached by a footbridge from Arlington, Virginia , on the western bank of the Potomac. According to the National Park Service : "In

1275-842: The American International Automobile Dealers Association . Alexandria also has a Chamber of Commerce and other business associations including the West End Business Association, the Del Ray Business Association and the Old Town Business Association. Major employment sectors in Alexandria include management consulting , business and finance, office and administrative support, computer and mathematical, sales, and legal. Jobs in Alexandria are highly concentrated around

1360-713: The Creole serving Two-Nineteen Restaurant. In 1973, Nora Lamborne and Beverly Beidler became the first women elected to the city council. In 1974, the Torpedo Factory Art Center opened. In 1983, the King Street–Old Town station , Braddock Road station , and Eisenhower Avenue station opened as the Washington Metro system expanded. In 1991, the Van Dorn Street station opened and Patricia Ticer became

1445-618: The Food and Nutrition Service . The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), the federal school system for military dependents, is headquartered in Alexandria. Alexandria is home to many charities and non-profit organizations including the national headquarters of Catholic Charities , Citizens for the Republic , Global Impact , Good360 , International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children , Islamic Relief USA , United Way , and Volunteers of America . Trade associations located in

1530-572: The French in America. In March 1785, commissioners from Virginia and Maryland met in Alexandria to discuss the commercial relations of the two states, finishing their business at Mount Vernon . The Mount Vernon Conference concluded on March 28 with an agreement for freedom of trade and freedom of navigation of the Potomac River. The Maryland legislature, in ratifying this agreement on November 22, proposed

1615-631: The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), The Motley Fool , Oblon law firm, Pentagon Federal Credit Union (PenFed), Port City Brewing Company , Purple Strategies , ThinkFun , and VSE . Several federal agencies are based in Alexandria, including the National Credit Union Administration , United States Patent and Trademark Office , National Science Foundation , Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense , and

1700-585: The Maryland side. On this visit, Smith recorded the presence of a settlement called Assaomeck near the south bank of what is now Hunting Creek . On October 21, 1669, a patent granted 6,000 acres (24 km ) to Robert Howsing for transporting 120 people to the Colony of Virginia . That tract later became the City of Alexandria. Virginia's comprehensive Tobacco Inspection Law of 1730 mandated that all tobacco grown in

1785-420: The U.S. Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 15.5 square miles (40.1 km ), of which 15.0 square miles (38.9 km ) is land and 0.42 square miles (1.1 km ), or 2.85%, is water. Alexandria is bounded on the east by the Potomac River (which forms the boundary between the city and Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County, Maryland ), on the north and northwest by Arlington County , and on

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1870-578: The U.S. federal government . The city's largest employers include the U.S. Department of Defense and the Institute for Defense Analyses . Alexandria is the highest-income independent city in Virginia. The historic center of Alexandria is known as Old Town Alexandria , or simply "Old Town". With its concentration of boutiques, restaurants, antique shops and theaters, it is a major draw for city residents and visitors. Like Old Town, many Alexandria neighborhoods are compact and walkable. A large portion of adjacent Fairfax County , mostly south but also west of

1955-494: The slave trade , and as talk increased of abolishing slavery in the national capital, there was concern that Alexandria's economy would suffer greatly if this step were taken. After a referendum, voters petitioned Congress and Virginia to return the portion of the District of Columbia south of the Potomac River (Alexandria County) to Virginia. On July 9, 1846, Congress retroceded Alexandria County to Virginia . The City of Alexandria

2040-562: The "Alexandria Government". During the Union occupation, a recurring contention between the Alexandria citizenry and the military occupiers was the Union army's periodic insistence that church services include prayers for the President of the United States. Failure to do so resulted in incidents including the arrest of ministers in their church. In 1861 and 1862, escaped African American slaves poured into Alexandria. Safely behind Union lines,

2125-442: The 1930s landscape architects transformed Mason’s Island from neglected, overgrown farmland into Theodore Roosevelt Island, a memorial to America’s 26th president. They conceived a 'real forest' designed to mimic the natural forest that once covered the island. Today miles of trails through wooded uplands and swampy bottomlands honor the legacy of a great outdoorsman and conservationist." A small island, Little Island , lies just off

2210-461: The City of Alexandria and was renamed Arlington County). After Carter died in 1851, the island passed to William A. Bradley . Nonetheless, in 1854, the island again hosted an entertainment, this time given by the late John Mason's daughter Anna Maria (who had married Sydney Smith Lee in 1834) to mark a treaty opening Japan to foreign trade (Captain Lee having served under Commodore Matthew C. Perry on

2295-550: The Key Bridge in 1923), as well as from 1817 until 1838 serving as the last president of the Potowmack Company (founded in 1774 with George Washington as its first President and in order to deepen the Potomac's channel and build locks around the principal falls). Using federal funds and private funds raised by Georgetown merchants, a causeway from the Virginia shore to the island was constructed after debris from flooding in

2380-452: The Potomac River, and approximately the line which would become Cameron Street. At the opening of Virginia's 1748–49 legislative session, there was 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 Hugh West was the owner of the warehouse. The petition

2465-574: The Potomac River, separates the island from the Virginia bank of the Potomac, with the main channel of the Potomac between the island and Georgetown , part of Washington, D.C. Surrounding scenery includes the Potomac Gorge and Key Bridge , Georgetown , Rosslyn , and the Kennedy Center . The Virginia state line follows the southern bank of the river, so, despite the fact that the primary access to

2550-481: The Union army in various support roles. After all slaves in the seceding states were liberated, even more African Americans came to Alexandria. By the fall of 1863, the population of Alexandria had exploded to 18,000—an increase of 10,000 people in 16 months. As of ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment , Alexandria County's black population was more than 8,700, or about half the total number of residents in

2635-548: The Vernon Theatre opened Jim Morrison of The Doors , as well as Cass Elliot and John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas attended the George Washington High School in the 1950s. In 1955, then- Representative and future President Gerald R. Ford and his family moved to Alexandria from Georgetown . The Fords remained in their Alexandria home during Ford's tenure as Vice President (1973–1974), as

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2720-418: The area now known as Old Town as well as the areas of the city northeast of what is now King Street —and all of today's Arlington County share the distinction of having been the portion of Virginia ceded to the U.S. Government in 1791 to help form the new District of Columbia . Over time, a movement grew to separate what was called " Alexandria County " from the District of Columbia. As competition grew with

2805-453: The areas formerly in the town of Potomac , such as Del Ray and St. Elmo, building numbers are assigned east and west from Commonwealth Avenue and north (only) from King Street. In the western parts of the city, building numbers are assigned north and south from Duke Street . The ZIP Code prefix 223 uniquely identifies the Alexandria postal area. However, the Alexandria postal area extends into Fairfax County and includes addresses outside of

2890-492: The authority of the U.S. Army, and later, the Freedmen's Bureau . Locals continued to call it "Mason's Island" until the memorial was built. Following the declaration of war against Spain in 1898, the island became a test site for a number of private experiments in electrical ignition of the explosives dynamite and joveite led by the chemist Charles Edward Munroe of Columbian University . Monroe's experiments, which explored

2975-611: The base of King Street on the Potomac River on May 24, 1861. A few blocks up King Street from their landing site, the commander of the New York Fire Zouaves , Colonel Elmer E. Ellsworth , sortied with a small detachment to remove a large Confederate flag displayed on the roof of the Marshall House Inn that had been visible from the White House. While descending from the roof, Ellsworth was shot dead by James W. Jackson ,

3060-496: The changes including being moved to a different school building. The same year that head coach Herman Boone joined the school and lead the football team to a 13–0 season, a state championship, and a national championship runner-up; the basis for the 2000 film Remember the Titans where Boone was portrayed by Denzel Washington . In 1972, Clifford T. Cline purchased the 1890 Victorian house at 219 King Street and converted it into

3145-472: The cities of Alexandria and Washington offered comparative freedom and employment. Alexandria became a major supply depot and transport and hospital center for the Union army. Until the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, escaped slaves legally remained the property of their owners. Therefore, they were labeled contrabands to avoid returning them to their masters. Contrabands worked for

3230-504: The city have an Alexandria mailing address yet are a part of Fairfax County including: Hollin Hills , Franconia , Groveton , Hybla Valley , Huntington , Lincolnia , Belle Haven , Mount Vernon , Fort Hunt , Engleside, Burgundy Village, Waynewood , Wilton Woods, Rose Hill , Virginia Hills, Hayfield , and Kingstowne . Some refer to these areas as Lower Alexandria, South Alexandria, or Alexandria, Fairfax County. The climate in this area

3315-923: The city include the American Counseling Association , the Human Resource Certification Institute , the Society for Human Resource Management , the National Society of Professional Engineers , the National Beer Wholesalers Association , the American Society of Clinical Oncology , National Industries for the Blind, American Physical Therapy Association , the National Association of Convenience Stores , and

3400-832: The city's Metrorail stations, primarily in Old Town North and the Braddock Road area, Old Town, and Carlyle near the Eisenhower Avenue station , as well as along the I-395 corridor on the west side of the city. 13% of people that work in Alexandria live in the city, while 87% commute in, with 37% of those commuters being from Fairfax County . An additional 61,000 people commute out of Alexandria to work. 35% commute to Washington, D.C., and 29% commute to Fairfax County. As of March 2024, 2.0% of Alexandria residents are unemployed. Theodore Roosevelt Island Theodore Roosevelt Island

3485-464: The city's population of 159,467 made it the sixth-most populous city in Virginia and the 173rd-most populous city in the nation . Like the rest of Northern Virginia and Central Maryland , present-day Alexandria has been influenced by its proximity to the U.S. capital. It is largely populated by professionals working in the federal civil service , in the U.S. military , or for one of the many private companies which contract to provide services to

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3570-520: The city, has Alexandria mailing addresses. However, this area is under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County's government and separate from the independent city. The city is therefore sometimes referred to as the "City of Alexandria" to avoid confusion. According to archaeologists' estimates, a succession of indigenous peoples began to occupy the Chesapeake and Tidewater region about 3,000 to 10,000 years ago. Various Algonquian -speaking peoples inhabited

3655-704: The city. Delivery areas have ZIP Codes 22301, 22302, 22303, 22304, 22305, 22306, 22307, 22308, 22309, 22310, 22311, 22312, 22314, and 22315, with other ZIP Codes in use for post office boxes and large mailers (22313, 22331, 22332, 22333). Part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway is the one national protected area within the borders of Alexandria. As of 2024, the City of Alexandria is divided into 19 "Small Area Plans" and 11 additional overlapping plans. These areas and their component neighborhoods include: Central Alexandria: Old Town North: Hunting Creek area: Bounded by: Many areas outside

3740-475: The colony must be brought to locally designated public warehouses for inspection before sale. One of the sites designated for a warehouse on the upper Potomac River was at the mouth of Hunting Creek . However, the ground proved to be unsuitable, and the warehouse was built half a mile up-river, where the water was deep near the shore. Following the 1745 settlement of the Colony of Virginia 's 10-year dispute with Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron over

3825-699: The county. This newly enfranchised constituency provided the support necessary to elect the first black Alexandrians to the City Council and the Virginia Legislature. In the waning years of the 19th century, Alexandria suffered its two documented lynchings . The first, in 1897, was Joseph H. McCoy and the second, in 1899, was Benjamin Thomas . Both were Black male teenagers accused, but never convicted, of assaulting young white girls that were known to them. They were both kidnapped from jail and hanged by mobs. At

3910-463: The deep water could easily accommodate sailing ships. Many local tobacco planters, however, wanted a new town further up Hunting Creek, away from nonproductive fields along the river. Around 1746, Captain Philip Alexander II (1704–1753) moved to what is south of present Duke Street in Alexandria. His estate, which consisted of 500 acres (2.0 km ), was bounded by Hunting Creek, Hooff's Run,

3995-647: The first rivet into the keel of the SS ; Gunston Hall . In 1930, Alexandria annexed the town adjacent to Potomac Yard incorporated in 1908 named Potomac . In 1938 the Mt. Vernon Drive-In cinema opened. In 1939, the segregated public library experienced a sit-in organized by Samuel Wilbert Tucker . In 1940, both the Robert Robinson Library, which is now the Alexandria Black History Museum , and

4080-525: The first woman to be elected mayor. Until 2014, local legislation mandated that all new north–south streets in the city be named for Confederate military leaders . Efforts have increased in recent years to expedite the renaming of these streets with Mayor Justin Wilson and the City Council setting a goal of renaming three of these streets annually. In 2019, the name of U.S. 1 was changed from Jefferson Davis Highway to Richmond Highway. In November 2020,

4165-447: The highest area of the island (where the Mason mansion stood) is about 44 feet (13 m) above sea level. Spring floods coming down the Potomac from Appalachia inundate low-lying portions of island's shores regularly, usually several times each year, while much larger floods, often from the storm surges and intense, widespread rainfall from coastal hurricanes and tropical storms , flood

4250-551: The hotel's proprietor. One of Ellsworth's soldiers immediately killed Jackson. Ellsworth was publicized as a Union martyr, and the incident generated great excitement in the North, with many children being named for him. Jackson's death defending his home caused a similar sensation in the South. Alexandria remained under military occupation until the end of the Civil War. Fort Ward , one of

4335-479: 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. As a result, Philip 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

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4420-561: The island and pulled down the house's remaining walls; today, only part of the mansion's foundation remains. Funds were finally designated by Congress in 1960. As with all historic areas administered by the National Park Service, the national memorial is listed on the National Register of Historic Places ; the listing first appeared on October 15, 1966. The memorial was dedicated on October 27, 1967. Designed by Eric Gugler ,

4505-494: The island as the century ended, pursuant to a 1773 will presented to the Fairfax County Circuit court in 1792 by his brother George Mason V, who died in 1796 so he and his other living brother, Thomas Mason , succeeded as their father's executors. John Mason built a mansion on the island around 1796 and planted crops for sale as well as gardens. The home was built and estate maintained with free black and slave labor. He

4590-807: The island is from Virginia, the island itself is entirely in the District of Columbia . The rocky western (upriver) and central portions of the island are part of the Piedmont Plateau , while the southeastern part is within the Atlantic Coastal Plain . At one point opposite Georgetown, the Atlantic Seaboard fall line between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain can be seen as a natural phenomenon. The island has about 2.5-mile (4.0 km) of shoreline, and

4675-451: The island more deeply several times a century. The island's vegetation is quite diverse for a relatively small area, due to its geological and topographic variety, the frequency of floods, its land-use history (including various periods of landscaping ), and its location in an urban area in which many non-native species occur. Most of the island is deciduous forest of various kinds, including uplands, riparian shores, and swamps . There

4760-420: The island to John Carter. Four years later, Congress left retrocession to a referendum, which President James K. Polk authorized and Alexandria voters endorsed by a 763 to 222 vote on September 1, 1846 (despite opposition from the northern areas). After a further year of Congressional and Virginia General Assembly negotiations, the island became part of Alexandria County (the northern portion later separated from

4845-452: The island to his daughter Margaret Hammersley, upon his death in 1698 or 1699. The island was acquired by George Mason III in 1724. George Mason IV (then underage) inherited the island in 1735 upon the death of his father, and a ferry from the Virginia shore across the Potomac to Georgetown (the "Little River" and mouth of Rock Creek ) was moved from Awbrey's land to Mason's island in 1748. His son and executor John Mason , inherited

4930-454: The island. In 1931, the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Association purchased the island from the gas company with the intention of erecting a memorial honoring Roosevelt. On Dec 12, 1932 in a ceremony in the east room of the White House, President Hoover accepted the island as a shrine to Roosevelt and declared that would be known as Theodore Roosevelt Island. Congress authorized the memorial on May 21, 1932, but did not appropriate funds for

5015-412: The lands in the Potomac River drainage area since at least the early 14th century . In the summer of 1608, English settler John Smith explored the Potomac River and came into contact with the Patawomeck (loosely affiliated with the Powhatan ) and Doeg tribes who lived on the Virginia side, as well as on Theodore Roosevelt Island , and the Piscataway (also known as the Conoy), who resided on

5100-417: The largest slave trading companies in the country. By the 1830s, they were sending more than 1,000 slaves annually from Alexandria to their Natchez, Mississippi , New Orleans , and later Texas markets to help meet the demand for slaves in Mississippi and nearby states. Later owned by Price, Birch & Co., the slave pen became a jail under Union occupation. A portion of the City of Alexandria—most of

5185-415: The legislature and fell out of favor in the mid-1750s. The town of Alexandria did not become incorporated until 1779. In 1755, General Edward Braddock organized his fatal expedition against Fort Duquesne at Carlyle House in Alexandria. In April 1755, the governors of Virginia, and the provinces of Maryland , Pennsylvania , Massachusetts , and New York met to determine upon concerted action against

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5270-414: The memorial for almost three decades. Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. , a landscape architect known for his wildlife conservation efforts, as well as designs for the National Mall and other areas in the National Capital area (and whom President Theodore Roosevelt had appointed to the McMillan Commission back in 1901), developed a plan for the island. By 1935, the Civilian Conservation Corps had cleared much of

5355-399: The memorial includes a 17-foot (5.2 m) statue by sculptor Paul Manship , four large stone monoliths with some of Roosevelt's more famous quotations, and two large fountains. The Potomac River surrounding the island is at sea level, part of the Chesapeake Bay estuary , with the river water fresh but tidal . A narrow channel, unofficially referred to as "Little River" by local users of

5440-418: The native species. Theodore Roosevelt Island is accessible by a footbridge from a parking lot along the Virginia bank of the Potomac River, just north of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge , which crosses but does not allow access to the island. Cars can enter this parking lot only from the northbound lanes of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Pedestrians can reach the parking lot and footbridge by following

5525-404: The population was: In 2000, there were 61,889 households, of which 18.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.2% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.2% were non-families. 43.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

5610-419: The port of Georgetown and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal fostered development on the north side of the Potomac River, Alexandria's economy stagnated; at the same time, residents had lost any representation in Congress and the right to vote and were disappointed with the negligible economic benefit (on the Alexandria side) of being part of the national capital. Alexandria still had an important port and market in

5695-408: The school board unanimously voted to rename T. C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School. The high school was renamed Alexandria City High School and Maury Elementary was renamed Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, effective July 1, 2021. In December 2023, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Monumental Sports & Entertainment founder Ted Leonsis announced plans to develop

5780-408: The south by Fairfax County . The western portions of the city were annexed from those two entities beginning in the 1930s. The addressing system in Alexandria is not uniform and reflects the consolidation of several originally separate communities into a single city. In Old Town Alexandria , building numbers are assigned north and south from King Street and west (only) from the Potomac River. In

5865-448: The southern tip; Georgetown and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts are respectively across the main channel of the Potomac to the north and the east. The Nacotchtank Indians, formerly of what is now Anacostia (in Washington, D.C.), temporarily moved to the island in 1668, giving its first recorded name, "Anacostine". The island was patented in 1682 as Anacostine Island by Captain Randolph Brandt (or Brunett), who left

5950-463: The three major trans-Potomac routes, and soon fortified the county as part of the military defenses of the nation's capital. Mason's Island soon became a U.S. Army training camp called Camp Greene . Following President Lincoln's decision to allow African Americans to join the U.S. Army, the 1st United States Colored Infantry used the island to train its soldiers. From 1864 to 1865, the camp housed as many as 1,200 formerly enslaved people , first under

6035-402: The town's destruction, twenty-two merchant ships and large quantities of flour , tobacco , cotton , wine , and sugar were handed over by Alexandria's municipal authorities to the British. In 1823 William Holland Wilmer , Francis Scott Key , and others founded the Virginia Theological Seminary . From 1828 to 1836, Alexandria was home to the Franklin & Armfield Slave Market, one of

6120-591: The turn of the 20th century the most common production in the city was glass, fertilizer, beer, and leather. The glass often went into beer bottles. Much of the Virginia Glass Company effort went to supply the demands of the Robert Portner Brewing Company, until fire destroyed the St. Asaph Street plant on February 18, 1905. The Old Dominion Glass Company also had a glass works fall to fire, then built

6205-432: The use of the explosives for mining waterways and roadways and preparing ground for rapid entrenchment, were conducted in secret and without alerting the District of Columbia Police Department, which investigated citizens' reports of Spanish spy activity and found the explosives and detonators buried on the island. From 1913 to 1931, Washington Gas Light Company owned the island, and allowed vegetation to grow unchecked on

6290-576: The vice president did not yet have an official residence . Following the resignation of Richard Nixon , Ford spent his first 10 days as President in the house before moving to the White House . In March 1959, Lieutenant Colonel William Henry Whalen , the "highest-ranking American ever recruited as a mole by the Russian Intelligence Service ", provided Colonel Sergei A. Edemski three classified Army manuals in exchange for $ 3,500 at

6375-436: The voyage which resulted in the treaty). In 1861, Alexandria County had about 10,000 residents, three-quarters of whom lived in the city portion, and about half of those in the country portion were enslaved or "free colored". Union forces occupied the island, Mason's former mansion, and the rest of the formerly retroceded area on the night of May 23–24, hours after Virginia voters ratified secession. Three federal units covered

6460-695: The western boundary of the Northern Neck Proprietary , when the Privy Council in London found in favor of Lord Fairfax's expanded claim, some of the Fairfax County gentry formed the Ohio Company of Virginia. They intended to conduct trade into the interior of America, and they required a trading center near the head of navigation on the Potomac. The best location was Hunting Creek tobacco warehouse, since

6545-414: The winter of 1784 changed the Potomac River's main channel from the island's western side to the eastern side and increased silt which threatened the nearby Georgetown port. Alexandria merchants objected to the causeway and it proved a sticking point in their calls for retrocession of 26 square miles of land Virginia had given to establish the federal city as the century began. The first retrocession attempt

6630-516: Was $ 103,284 and median family income was $ 130,395. Additionally, 8.6% of the population of the population were below the poverty line. 14.2% of those under the age of 18 and 3.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. According to 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, 69.9% of Alexandria residents aged 25 and older have attained a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 42.2% statewide. Companies headquartered in Alexandria include Crooked Beat Records , Five Guys ,

6715-415: Was 2.04 and the average family size was 2.87. The age distribution was 16.8% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 43.5% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 91.7 males. According to 2019 Census Bureau data, the median household income

6800-624: Was an active member of the Agricultural Society of Georgetown and the Columbia Agricultural Society of Washington, and able to manufacture almost everything needed for home consumption (including cotton) on the island. He also entertained lavishly on the island, including a 1798 party to honor then-uncrowned Louis Philippe I , and an 1811 fete for his son John Murray Mason before he left to study in Paris. In 1809 John Mason secured

6885-463: Was conducted on July 13–14, 1749. Almost immediately upon establishment, the town founders called the new town "Belhaven", believed to be in honor of a Scottish patriot, John Hamilton, 2nd Lord Belhaven and Stenton , the Northern Neck tobacco trade being then dominated by Scots. The name Belhaven was used in official lotteries to raise money for a Church and Market House, but it was never approved by

6970-400: Was in 1804, and another major failed attempt occurred in 1824. However, by 1831, water stagnation caused the Mason family to move from the island. (Through his ownership, John Mason, who opposed retrocession, also had a Georgetown residence at the corner of 25th Street, L Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, which became the site of Columbia Hospital in 1932). In 1842, then elderly John Mason sold

7055-486: Was introduced by Lawrence Washington , the representative for Fairfax County, the son-in-law of William Fairfax , and a founding member of the Ohio Company. To support the company's push for a town on the river, Lawrence's younger brother George Washington , an aspiring surveyor, made a sketch of the shoreline touting the advantages of the tobacco warehouse site. Since the river site was amidst his estate, Philip opposed

7140-510: Was re-chartered in 1852 and became independent of Alexandria County in 1870. The remaining portion of Alexandria County changed its name to Arlington County in 1920. The first fatalities of the North and South in the American Civil War occurred in Alexandria. Within a month of the Battle of Fort Sumter , the Civil War's first battle, Union Army troops occupied Alexandria, landing troops at

7225-662: Was the son of Robert Alexander II (1688–1735). On May 2, 1749, the House of Burgesses approved the river location and ordered "Mr. Washington do go up with a Message to the Council and acquaint them that this House have agreed to the Amendments titled An Act for erecting a Town at Hunting Creek Warehouse, in the County of Fairfax." A "Public Vendue" (auction) was advertised for July, and the county surveyor laid out street lanes and town lots. The auction

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