City of Alexandria Est. 1749

Alexandria was established by Virginia's colonial assembly in 1749, over four decades the U.S. Congress authorized creation of a national capital on the banks of the Potomac River. Once the final site for the Federal city was selected by President George Washington, part of Alexandria was incorporated into the District of Columbia in 1801. To mark the new capital's boundaries, large stones were set in a ten-mile square at one mile intervals by Andrew Ellicott, assisted by men such as African American astronomer Benjamin Banneker.

At first, Alexandrians welcomed the town's inclusion into Washington, D.C., but the residents soon became disillusioned. Provisions of the 1791 Act creating the District precluded the construction of any Federal buildings south of the Potomac River. Furthermore, the 1801 District Act disenfranchised the local populace, who could not vote in presidential elections nor have representation in Congress. Discussions about possibly outlawing slavery in the District also provided a strong impetus to retrocede Alexandria, a major slave trading center, to Virginia. In July 1846, the U.S. Congress voted to permit the retrocession upon referendum and, once approved, the land was formally accepted back by the Commonwealth of Virginia a year later.

Boundary Stones
The first and southernmost



boundary stone was set at Alexandria's Jones Point, and four more stones still exist within the city.

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:  Alexandria, VA  |  22314  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

L'Ouverture Hospital
Port City
Carver School
Colonel Francis Peyton
L'Overture Hospital HQ
Capt. James McGuire House
Franklin and Armfield Slave Office
1323 Duke Street - From Slavery to Freedom and Service
James Harris House
Shiloh Baptist Church

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.