project366
176/366
Yet another spite house, but this one on Prince St measures three inches wider than the one on Queen St. A whole 7ft 9in wide.
175/366
At the bottom right you can just make out the Basilica St. Mary Catholic Church’s spire behind these homes on Wolfe St. They ring the bells every hour. Feels like a little European village.
174/365
George Washington endowed a school here in 1785 for orphan children. This is now the HQ for the Campagna Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping under-served children and their families.
173/366
The Hollensbury Spite House is considered the skinniest house in the US. It measures 7 ft 6 in (2.3m) and was built in 1830 to stop people loitering in the alley of the house next door.
172/366
The home at 415 Prince St began as the Bank of Potomac in 1805. Then became the Farmers Bank of Virginia prior to the civil war. Then the executive office and personal residence of the Governor of the Restored Government of Virginia following the civil war. It is now a private residence.
171/366
The French-Lawler House on S Washington is a Queen Anne style house built in the late 1800s. It first belonged to a bookseller’s family, then an Irish immigrant merchant. It has been an office building since the 1970s.
170/366
Alexandria Market House & City Hall has been on this site since 1749. This replica of the former building was completely rebuilt after a fire in 1871. The Farmer’s Market has taken place every Saturday in the square since 1752; making it America’s oldest.
169/366
King Street is (mostly) empty at 0600.
168/366
Known as Holland House, this home was originally built in the 1780s and has been added on over the years. The home on Wolfe St has a huge yard, parking for 5 cars, a carriage house, and, if you look closely through the gate, a statue of Thomas Jefferson sitting on a bench.
167/366
This little free library of art is on S Fayette near Duke St. You can take a piece of art, leave a piece of art, or both!
166/366
Ford’s Landing sits at the southern edge of Old Town. This site has been a shipyard in the 1800s, a Ford factory in the early 1900s and then this community of luxury townhomes in the 1990s. This gazebo is designed to look like the auto factory building.
165/366
107 N Fairfax is the home of Docli Gelati. Right across the street from City Hall, it’s a busy spot when the tours are in full force. Most of the tourists don’t realize it was the home of Laura Schafer in 1868; the burning bride. You can Google it or take a local ghost tour to learn more.
164/366
Named after two prominent black educators, Lyles Crouch Traditional Academy is the only public elementary school in the historic district. Founded in 1935 in an old silk factory, it was built for the growing African American population during a time of active segregation.
163/366
Many of the townhomes in Old Town have these vestibules. The outer doors are open on this house, but most of them look like shutters.
162/366
This house on the 900 block of Prince Street reminds me of something I would see in San Francisco.
161/366
Shiloh Baptist Church on Duke St was founded in 1863 and this building dedicated in 1893. It was one of 10 black churches in Alexandria after the civil war to support the growing African American population. This building is now the youth center and the main church nearby.
160/366
Today is the annual Old Town Arts and Crafts fair. Dozens of artisans with all sorts of handmade items for sale. We picked up a couple coffee mugs, metalwork item for the back yard, a couple candles, and lunch nearby. Beautiful day for the fair!
159/366
I guess as long as the roots aren’t growing into the foundation, you just leave it alone…
158/366
The Departmental Progressive Club sits at the corner of Gibbon and S Royal. It was created in 1927 by African American federal workers amidst harsh segregation laws in Virginia as a safe place for people of color to gather. They are still a strong community service organization today.
157/366
It’s not just me, right? This house is leaning? Full disclosure, there is a slight hill on this stretch so that could skew perspective. But I’m as close to even horizon as possible and you can compare the gaps between the houses and see they’re not even. Yikes.
