Negro Laborers at Alexandria Wharf
This photo was posted by the National Archives and labeled as “negro laborers, near coal wharf.” This beautiful old photo shows the faces of regular African-Americans in the 1860s, living and working around Alexandria. Photos like...
Then and Now View of Lord Fairfax House in Alexandria
Here’s a great photo of the Lord Fairfax House at 607 Cameron Street in Alexandria. By the way, Lord Fairfax was the Baron of Cameron, hence the street name. Source: Library of Congress And here’s the...
The Horror of an Alexandria Slave Pen
The sad truth is that slave pens existed in and around all of Washington. This photo shows one of those in Alexandria during the 1860s. We dug these up at the Library of Congress. Source: Library...
Civil War Steam Frigate Near Alexandria
These old Civil War photos of Alexandria are amazing. This one shows the steam frigate Pensacola in 1861, the beginning of the war. Click on it for some incredible details. Source: Library of Congress We also...
Alexandria Viewed From an Airplane in 1919
This fascinating old photograph shows Alexandria, as seen from the air, in 1919. Click on the image to see some incredible details. Source: Library of Congress
1980s Aerial Photo of Alexandria
Click on the image below to see the larger version and see if you recognize parts of Alexandria from the 1980s. Source: Library of Congress
Orange and Alexandria Railroad Roundhouse
I love old railroad photos like this. You’re looking at a couple photos of the Alexandria railroad roundhouse back during the Civil War. They’re just beautiful photos, frozen in time, so make sure you click on...
Shots End Alexandria Saloon Brawl
The sub headline for this article was “Walter Bryant Hurls Beer Bottle and Edward Bryant Uses Pistol.” Who do you think won that fight? We dug up this wild article in The Washington Post, printed on April...
Locate These Mystery 1920 Alexandria Homes
Can you find these homes today? I did some sleuthing and the best I could come up with was E Walnut St between Little St. and Mt. Vernon Ave. The directions in the advertisement seem to...
Hank’s Oyster Bar Old Town History
What's the history behind Hank's Oyster Bar's building in Alexandria? 1026 King St. was built in the late 19th century.
1921 Map of an Undeveloped Del Ray
Check out this old map of Del Ray north of Alexandria from back in 1921. It’s amazing to see how undeveloped the area was. The yellow structures are wood frame buildings and the pink ones are...
Fascinating World War II U.S. Army Documentary About Alexandria
Now this is an interesting old film we found on YouTube. It’s a bit long, but if you’re from Alexandria, you’ll find it entertaining and recognize quite a few of the old buildings. What do you...
1865 Photo of Alexandria Slave Pen
This is a powerful Civil War-era photograph. It shows Price, Birch & Co., which was a slave dealing business. Source: Shorpy
Alexandria As It Looked in 1940
Here is a series of cool old photos from Alexandria taken on September 23rd, 1940. Source: Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection
Potomac Water is a Health Hazard (1973)
Remember how nasty the Potomac River was? Yes, it’s still not the greatest, but it’s swimmable in some parts (as long as you don’t have open wounds). Back in the 1970s, it was absolutely polluted. Check...
Hollin Hall in 1938
Here’s a cool ad for Hollin Hall, the plantation on Little Hunting Creek (read about it here). Hollin Hall was a plantation deeded to Thomson Mason, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, by his...
Hollin Hall Advertisement (1948)
I was grabbing a beer with a buddy this evening and we were talking about Hollin Hall, the mid-century modern neighborhood near Alexandria. Here’s a cool old post-war advertisement for that new housing development being built...
Never Built: CIA Headquarters in Alexandria
We had no idea, but the alternate, and strongly pushed location for the Central Intelligence Agency‘s new headquarters was the Winkler Tract in Alexandria, just off of Shirley Highway. Here’s an article that we dug up...
