George Washington’s Alexandria: Merchants & the Waterfront
Alexandria, United States
This walk traces Old Town Alexandria from elegant Federal-era rowhouses to the working waterfront that powered the city’s rise as a seaport. Along the way, it follows George Washington’s civic life, the merchant families who built the town, the African American communities who labored along the river, and the twentieth-century reinvention of industry into art. Expect layered stories of power, profit, creativity, and community unfolding block by block.
The stops
- 01 Boyhood Home of Robert E. Lee
This Federal-style rowhouse is a significant example of the architecture that defined the merchant-class neighborhoods of the era.
- 02 Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden
A prime example of a Federal-era merchant home, this house reflects the domestic life and social standing of Alexandria's elite families.
- 03 Lloyd House
A fine example of Federal-era architecture, this house reflects the prosperity of the merchant class in early Alexandria.
- 04 Washington’s Town House
Washington’s Town House was George Washington’s townhouse in Alexandria, used when he visited the city after stepping down from office. The site is associated with his ties to local civic and commercial life.
- 05 Gadsby's Tavern Museum
A landmark of Federal-era social and commercial life where merchants, politicians, and travelers mixed in the port city.
- 06 The Carlyle House and the 18th-Century Site
A grand merchant mansion representing the wealth and status generated by Alexandria's port economy in the colonial and early Federal periods.
- 07 Torpedo Factory Art Center
The signature New Deal arts destination on the waterfront, transforming a former industrial building into a lasting creative anchor for Old Town.
- 08 Old Town Alexandria
The historic heart of the route, where waterfront trade, Federal-era prosperity, and later preservation all shaped Alexandria's identity.
- 09 African American Waterfront Heritage Trail
The African American Waterfront Heritage Trail interprets the history of Black life, labor, and community along Alexandria’s waterfront. It highlights the longstanding presence of African Americans in the city’s maritime economy.
- 10 Retrocession
The Retrocession site marks the 1846 return of Alexandria from the District of Columbia to Virginia, a major civic turning point in the city’s political history. It helps explain how Alexandria’s identity shifted over time.
- 11 Fishtown
Fishtown was Alexandria’s historic African American and working-class waterfront neighborhood. It developed near the waterfront and was closely tied to fishing, labor, and maritime trade.
- 12 Moses Hepburn Rowhouses
The Moses Hepburn Rowhouses are a set of four historic rowhouses located at 206 through 212 North Pitt Street between Cameron Street and Hammond Court in the Old Town area of Alexandria, Virginia.
The narration at every stop is in the app — this is the map of where it takes you, with a line on each stop.
More walks in Alexandria
Walk George Washington’s Alexandria: Merchants & the Waterfront with a voice in your ear.
Download Odyssey Guide on iPhone to start this walk.
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