Original research articles, archival discoveries, and historical essays drawn from fieldwork in Alexandria’s historic cemeteries since 2012 — stories you won't find anywhere else.
On the morning of Thursday, January 27, 1881, word spread through the city that grave robbers in Alexandria had struck in the night. The Alexandria Gazette reported that the news “created a profound sensation, it being the first time that such a bold attempt at ‘body snatching’ was ever made in Alexandria.” Two bodies had … Read more
The Fairfax Independent Company was organized in Fairfax County in September 1774, seven months before the fighting at Lexington and Concord. Its members, men of Alexandria and the surrounding county, called themselves the Fairfax Independent Company of Volunteers, and they trained in blue coats faced with buff. George Washington was their patron. He reviewed them … Read more
The new Alexandria Historical Society digital museum is live — a free online collection of exhibits tracing our city’s story from its earliest days to the modern era — and I could not be prouder of what the Society has built. I was honored to join the panel at the launch celebration, and even more … Read more
Ten of the Revolutionary War patriots buried in Alexandria’s historic cemeteries share a distinction that has nothing to do with a battlefield. In 1785, each signed his name to the Memorial and Remonstrance — James Madison’s petition against a tax to fund the Christian church, and one of the founding documents of American religious liberty. … Read more
Alexandria’s Revolutionary War patriots left a legacy that extended far beyond the battlefield—into the fire companies, civic institutions, and burial grounds that shaped the city they helped found. This article originally appeared in the May 2026 newsletter of the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association (FVFEA). As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, … Read more
On December 14, 1799, George Washington died at Mount Vernon. Four days later, on December 18, George Washington’s funeral brought many of Alexandria’s leading citizens to Mount Vernon — physicians who had fought to save him, clergy who conducted the burial service, and pallbearers who had known him as a neighbor, a merchant, and a … Read more
How Following Presidential Orders Led to a Charge of Treason—and How the Evidence Finally Clears His Name A Wednesday Afternoon Discovery in Special Collections On Wednesday, January 15, 2026, historian Catherine Weinraub sat in the Special Collections room at Alexandria’s Kate Waller Barrett Library, working through Box 240 of the Cazenove Family papers. She pulled … Read more
The only surviving record of the Liberia constitutional convention lies in the journal of a man buried in Alexandria’s Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex A Grave with International Significance Walk through Trinity Methodist Cemetery in Alexandria’s Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex, and you’ll encounter a weathered gravestone featuring the carved image of an open book. Most visitors pass by … Read more
The Formation of the 11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment The Fire Zouaves, consisting of multiple regiments including the 11th Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry, were assembled in New York City in May 1861. This infantry regiment of the Union Army was formed as a Zouave unit and was composed of volunteers from the city’s … Read more
August 2025 – Lost Alexandria firefighter from deadly 1855 fire finally found using ground-penetrating radar in historic Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery A Corner of Forgotten Heroes J. Carson Greene, who died heroically battling the deadly 1855 Dowell China Shop fire, has finally been located after 170 years through cutting-edge ground-penetrating radar technology. This extraordinary discovery … Read more
Born in 1851 in Alexandria, George W. Petty left an enduring mark on the city as a business owner, public servant, and firefighting hero. Though little is known about his early life, by 1876, Petty appears in the Alexandria City Directory as the proprietor of a saloon at the fish wharf, residing on Union Street near King. Over the next … Read more
George Whalen, the youngest firefighter in Alexandria’s history to die as a result of a fire, is remembered for his youthful courage, deep community ties, and ultimate sacrifice. His death left a lasting impact on the city and continues to resonate with generations of firefighters and residents. Every October, the Alexandria Fire Department holds a … Read more
On the morning of January 18, 1827, panic spread through the streets of Alexandria, Virginia. A fire had broken out in a warehouse on Royal Street—part of the Green Furniture Factory—just as workers returned from breakfast. What began as a workplace accident quickly became a citywide catastrophe, known ever since as Alexandria’s Great Fire. The blaze … Read more
The Alexandria Fire of 1855: A Night That Changed Alexandria Forever The Alexandria Fire of 1855 was one of the most devastating events in the city’s history. Fires were an ever-present threat in 19th-century Alexandria. With row houses built primarily from wood and warehouses stocked with highly flammable materials, the city was vulnerable to devastating … Read more
Samuel Cooper Confederate General: A Complex Legacy Few figures in American military history embody the complexities of loyalty and leadership like Samuel Cooper, a Confederate General whose legacy reflects the turbulent times of the Civil War. Born on June 12, 1798, in Dutchess County, New York, he began his military career as a U.S. Army … Read more