Discover the Lives Behind the Stones
The Presbyterian Cemetery Alexandria is one of the city’s most historic burial grounds. Within these sacred grounds rest over 2,400 individuals whose stories weave the rich tapestry of Alexandria’s history. From war heroes to civic leaders, merchants to ministers, each person’s story contributes to our understanding of the city’s development and character.
To better serve our readers, we’ve organized these remarkable stories into three comprehensive sections:
Want to experience these stories in person? Join us for a guided tour, where we explore these lives and many others in detail, bringing history to life among the stones.
Important Visitor Information
The Presbyterian Cemetery is a controlled-access cemetery. To learn more about visiting policies and procedures, please click here [Link].
Main Entrance
Historical Origins
The establishment of the Presbyterian Cemetery directly responded to the devastating yellow fever epidemic that ravaged Alexandria in 1803. This tragic event claimed hundreds of lives, overwhelming the existing town and church burial sites.
Recognizing the pressing need for a solution, the town’s local council enacted a regulation in 1804 that halted the sale of burial plots within town after March of that year. By 1809, stricter legislation banned all new burials within town boundaries, leading to the establishment of larger, organized cemeteries like Presbyterian Cemetery on the outskirts of town.
Our Collection
This collection of biographies continues to expand as we discover and document more notable individuals who shaped Alexandria’s history. Each section offers detailed stories, photographs, and historical context about those interred here. If you know of intriguing tales or notable names that merit inclusion, please contact Gravestone Stories.
To learn more about the cemetery’s history, visit our blog post [The Presbyterian Cemetery: a Historic Burial Ground Dating Back to 1809 in Alexandria, Virginia].
To view a map of the different sections of the cemetery, click [here].
Sources of Information
Books
Brockett, F. L., & Rock, G. W. (1883). A Concise History of the City of Alexandria, VA, from 1669 to 1883 with a Directory of Reliable Business Houses in the City. Gazette Book and Job Office.
Blanton, W. B. (1931). Medicine in Virginia in the Nineteenth Century. Garrett & Massie, Inc.
McGroarty, W. B. (1940). The Old Presbyterian Meeting House at Alexandria, VA 1774 – 1874. The William Byrd Press, Inc.
Moore, G. M. (1949). Seaport in Virginia George Washington’s Alexandria. Garrett and Massie, Incorporated.
The Alexandria Association. (1956). Our Town 1749-1865 at Gadsby’s Tavern Alexandria, Virginia. The Dietz Printing Company.
Lee, C. G., Jr. (1957). Lee Chronicle Studies of the Early Generations of the Lees of Virginia. Thomson-Shore.
Cox, E. (1976). Historic Alexandria, Virginia Street by Street; A Survey of Existing Early Buildings. EPM Publications.
Miller, T. M. (1987). Pen Portraits of Alexandria, Virginia, 1739-1900. Heritage Books.
Fleming, L. B., Rhodes, E. F., & Fleming, J. E. (1981). Centennial Thomas Fleming 1881-1941. AdArt.
Miller, T. M. (1991). Artisans and Merchants of Alexandria, Virginia, 1780-1820: Volume 1. Heritage Books, Inc.
Pippenger, W. E. (1992). Tombstone Inscriptions of Alexandria, Virginia: Volume 1. Family Line Publications.
Province of Pennsylvania. (1992). Officers and Soldiers in the Service of the Province of Pennsylvania, 1744-1765.
Miller, T. M., & Smith, W. F. (2001). A Seaport Saga Portrait of Old Alexandria, Virginia. The Downing Company Publishing.
Madison, R. L. (2005). Walking with Washington. Gateway Press, Inc.
Lewellen, A. (2007, February). Discovering Torthorwald, Bridekirk, and Lymekilns through John Carlyle’s Inventory. Carlyle House Docent Dispatch. Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. https://www.novaparks.com/sites/default/files/pdf/February07.pdf
Van Horn, H. M. (2009). The Presbyterian Cemetery Alexandria, Virginia 1809 – 2009. The Arlington Press.
Gaughan, A. J. (2011). The Last Battle of the Civil War. United States Versus Lee, 1861 – 1883. Louisiana State University Press.
Hakenson, D. C. (2011). This Forgotten Land Volume II, Biographical Sketches of Confederate Veterans Buried in Alexandria, Virginia. Donald Hakenson.
Wenzel, E. T. (2015). Chronology of The Civil War in Fairfax County. Part I. Bull Run Civil War Round Table.
Peck, G. (2015). Andrew Wales: Alexandria’s First Brewer. The Alexandria Chronicle. A publication of the Alexandria Historical Society, Spring 2015(2).
Rainey, B. (2022). The Last Slave Ship. The True Story of How the Clotilda Was Found, Her Descendants, and an Extraordinary Reckoning. Simon and Schuster.
Quander, R. (2021). The Quanders, Since 1684, an Enduring African American Legacy. Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
Hamilton, E. J. (2021). A Scottish Migration to Alexandria. Ellen J. Hamilton.
Virginia Trust for Historic Preservation. (2023). Lee-Fendall House Historic Structure Report: Final Report. SmithGroup.
Unpublished Works:
Dahmann, D. C. (2002). The Roster of Historic Congregational Members of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House.
Pamphlets:
Old Presbyterian Meeting House’s Visitor’s Guide to Alexandria’s Historic Old Presbyterian Meeting House. (n.d). Trifold pamphlet.
Websites:
Official website of the Old Presbyterian Meeting House. (n.d.). Church history. URL: https://www.opmh.org/history
Official website of the Captain Cook Society. (n.d.). Cook’s Third Voyage. URL: https://www.captaincooksociety.com/home/detail/cooks-third-voyage-1776-1780
Official archives website of The Washington Post. (n.d.). Dowell China Shop Fire. URL: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1982/11/30/fire-destroys-old-alexandria-shop/fe4300a2-ebdd-4f64-96fc-943a3a913227/
Official website of the City of Alexandria, Office of Historic Alexandria. (n.d.). Alexandria Times Out of the Attic. URL: https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic/info/default.aspx?id=94188
George Washington’s Mount Vernon official website. (n.d.). Ramsay’s farewell speech at Wise’s Tavern. URL: https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/slavery/ten-facts-about-washington-slavery/
Official website of Cincinnati Whig newspaper. (2019). Article about the Moselle. URL: https://cincinnatiwhig.com/2019/01/28/thursday-january-29-1852/
Official website of Steamboats.org. (2019). Article about the Moselle. URL: https://www.steamboats.org/history/potomac-river-and-the-steamboat-moselle.html
Official website of the Friendship Firehouse Museum. (n.d.). Firehouse information. URL: https://www.friendshipfirehouse.net/
Official website of Military Images Digital. (2022). Article on Samuel Johnston. URL: https://militaryimages.atavist.com/a-northern-yankee-in-lee-s-army
Official Blog of Gettysburg National Military Park. (2022). Blog on Capt. Samuel R. Johnston. URL: https://npsgnmp.wordpress.com/2022/05/30/capt-samuel-r-johnston/
Official website of Washingtonian Magazine. (n.d.). Article about the Mysteries of the Washington Cathedral. URL: https://www.washingtonian.com/2012/07/02/the-mysteries-of-washington-national-cathedral/
City of Alexandria, Virginia. (1992). Historic Preservation. In Adopted 1992 Master Plan Alexandria, Virginia. https://media.alexandriava.gov/docs-archives/planning/info/masterplan/masterplan=historic=preservation=pt2.pdf
Alexandria Archaeology Office of Historic Alexandria. (2010). Alexandria, a living history: Alexandria waterfront history plan. City of Alexandria, Virginia. https://dockets.alexandriava.gov/icons/PZ/BAR/ohad/cy11/020211/waterfront.pdf
Roberts, J. (2017, November 17). Mount Zephyr. Retrieved December 15, 2023, from https://jay.typepad.com/william_jay/2017/11/mount-zephyr.html
Christopher H. Jones Antiques. (n.d.). John Muir Secretary – SOLD. Retrieved from https://www.christopherhjones.com/john-muir-secretary/
Reber, P. B. (2010). Jamieson Bakery, Alexandria Va. Retrieved from file:///Volumes/DDH%20Ext%20Dri/Jamieson%20Bakery,%20Alexandria%20Va.html
