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Alexandria

The 1910 Plan to Take Alexandria Back from Virginia

April 27, 2026October 30, 2023 by ghostsofdc
Andrew Ellicott's 1792 map of the Territory of Columbia, showing the diamond-shaped federal district with the Potomac River cutting through, L'Enfant's planned street grid for Washington City at center, and the surrounding hills rendered in hatched relief.

In 1910, Taft, Hannis Taylor, and Washington’s Board of Trade tried to undo the 1846 Alexandria retrocession. Virginia and a lame-duck clock stopped them

Categories If Walls Could Talk, Lost History, Notable People & Places, The Best Of Tags 1910s, Alexandria, Civil War, Potomac River, William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson

Can You Find These Homes Today? I Did Some Sleuthing and This is What I Found

October 22, 2023August 8, 2023 by ghostsofdc
Alexandria real estate advertisement (1920)

Can you find the homes shown in this 1920 Alexandria real estate advertisement? I did some sleuthing and this is what I found. Take a look at the Google Street View and see what you think! Plus, a super random historical context about George Gipp.

Categories Old Ads & Classifieds Tags 1920s, Alexandria 2 Comments

Exploring the Lives of Young Boys Working at the Alexandria Glass Company in the 1910s

October 22, 2023February 28, 2023 by ghostsofdc

Explore the lives of young boys working at the Alexandria Glass Company in the 1910s through a series of photographs taken by Lewis Hine. Learn more about one of the boys through a fascinating history page.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1910s, Alexandria 1 Comment

Uncovering the Faces of Regular African-Americans in the 1860s with a Photo from the National Archives

November 9, 2022March 12, 2018 by ghostsofdc
Negro laborers at Alexandria, near coal wharf

Uncovering the faces of regular African-Americans in the 1860s, this beautiful old photo from the National Archives captures the lives and work of those living around Alexandria. Learn more about these individuals and check out photos of young boys working in the area.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1860s, Alexandria

Exploring the Lord Fairfax House in Alexandria, Virginia

November 9, 2022December 27, 2017 by ghostsofdc
Lord Fairfax House

Take a virtual tour of the Lord Fairfax House in Alexandria, VA. Learn about the Baron of Cameron and see the Google Street View today.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1900s, Alexandria 3 Comments

Uncovering the Sad Truth: Slave Pens Were Everywhere in Washington in the 1860s

April 27, 2026July 18, 2016 by ghostsofdc

Uncovering the sad truth of the past, Slave Pens existed in and around all of Washington in the 1860s. This photo shows one of those in Alexandria during the 1860s. Learn more at the Library of Congress.

Categories Lost History Tags 1860s, Alexandria, Civil War 6 Comments

Civil War Photos of Alexandria, VA: The Steam Frigate Pensacola in 1861

November 9, 2022June 28, 2016 by ghostsofdc
Alexandria, Va. Steam frigate Pensacola. Photographs of the Federal Navy, and seaborne expeditions against the Atlantic Coast of the Confederacy -- the Federal Navy, 1861-1865.

Civil War photographs taken in Alexandria, VA in 1861, featuring the steam frigate USS Pensacola docked along the Potomac.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1860s, Alexandria, Civil War

Alexandria, Virginia from the Air in 1919

November 9, 2022June 27, 2016 by ghostsofdc
Alexandria, VA as seen from the air in 1919

An aerial photograph of Alexandria, Virginia taken in 1919. Click through for the full-resolution version to explore the detail.

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1910s, Alexandria 1 Comment

Take a Trip Down Memory Lane and See Alexandria in the 1980s

November 9, 2022June 16, 2015 by ghostsofdc
Aerial view of Alexandria, Virgina taken in the 1980s.

Take a trip down memory lane and see Alexandria, Virginia in the 1980s with this aerial view from the Library of Congress. See if you can recognize parts of the city!

Categories Faces & Places of Yesterday Tags 1980s, Alexandria 2 Comments
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