George Gilpin: Revolutionary Hero and Alexandria’s Unsung Architect

Updated October 2026: This post now includes Gilpin’s 1791 survey of the first lines of the federal district, his King Street lot on today’s Market Square block, and the role of enslaved labor in the Potomac Company, drawing on Greg A. Beaman’s 2026 Market Square study for Alexandria Archaeology and Gilpin’s correspondence with George Washington. … Read more

Robert Adam: Masonic Leader and Fairfax Resolves Signer in Alexandria

A Scottish Upbringing Sets the Stage Born in 1731 in Kilbride, Scotland, Robert Adam was the eldest son of Rev. John Adam and Janet Campbell Adam. His father, a Doctor of Divinity, likely instilled in Robert a spirit of scholarship and civic duty that would guide his future actions. This solid Scottish upbringing planted the … Read more