Following the devastating fire of 1835, the Presbyterian Meeting House—now known as the Old Presbyterian Meeting House—was rebuilt and reopened two years later. Though much of the interior was lost, the church retained its original 18th-century brick walls, preserving a visible connection to Alexandria’s colonial past.
In 1843, the Meeting House was expanded with the addition of a bell tower on the western rear side. A new bell—cast from the salvaged metal of the original—was produced by the Alexandria Iron Foundry of Thomas W. and Richard C. Smith, once located at what is now the Safeway at South Royal and Wilkes Streets.
The pulpit was moved from the north wall to the west wall, and in 1849, a custom pipe organ by Henry Erben of New York was installed within a new apse, constructed inside the bell tower addition. In 1853, the church replaced its wooden porch steps with granite steps, which still remain. The colonial-era clock, rescued from the fire, continues to hang in the sanctuary—its hands permanently set to 10:20, the hour of George Washington’s death on December 14, 1799.
Adjacent to the church, the 18th-century burial ground located to the north and west of the Meeting House served as the final resting place for Alexandria’s Presbyterian community from the city’s earliest days until 1809, when the Presbyterian Cemetery opened on Hamilton Lane. Church records indicate that over 300 individuals are interred in the original burial ground.
Today, the Old Presbyterian Meeting House is an inclusive, justice-seeking congregation in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, continuing a legacy of faith, resilience, and community that spans centuries.
