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
In an exciting archaeological development, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) scans conducted on September 14, 2024, may have finally located the long-lost grave of George Gilpin, a Revolutionary War hero and one of Alexandria’s most influential early citizens. This discovery of George Gilpin’s presumptive grave not only solves a historical mystery but also provides us with an … Read more
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
Who Was Wilmer McLean? Wilmer McLean (1814–1882) was a Virginia merchant whose life became linked to both the beginning and the end of the American Civil War. His Yorkshire farm near Manassas was caught up in the fighting surrounding the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861. Nearly four years later, General Robert E. Lee … Read more