HISTORIC HOMES PHOTO COURTESY OF MCENEARNEY
Where Are Alexandria’s Oldest Homes? BY SARA DINGMANN
Alexandria is fortunate to have many historic properties. Here are five of the oldest known historic homes in Alexandria.
PHOTO BY BETH LAWTON
Colonel Michael Swope House 210 Prince St.
Carlyle House 121 N. Fairfax St.
John Carlyle purchased the most expensive lots for sale in 1794 when Alexandria was first being formed. These lots, located between the Potomac River and Market Square at 121 N Fairfax St., are the site where Carlyle built his stone mansion. Carlyle, one of the founders of the town, moved in on the building's completion in 1753 and the same night his first wife, Sarah Fairfax Carlyle, gave birth to their first son, according to a NOVA Parks History of the Carlyle House. During the Civil War, high-ranking Union officers lived in the house. A hotel on the property, which has since been torn down, served as a hospital. Much like the Ramsay House, the Carlyle House was in rough shape in the mid-1900s. Restoration of the property by NOVA Parks began in 1970, and the house was opened for the public in 1976 in honor of the country’s 200th birthday.
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alexandrialivingmagazine.com • May / June 2021
This home at 210 Prince St. is named for Colonel Michael Swope, who was a Revolutionary War Battalion Commander. Swope, along with almost 3,000 others, was taken prisoner by the British on November 16, 1776 at the battle of Fort Washington. Eventually released, he and his family moved to Alexandria in 1784 when construction on the house began. The house is said to be haunted by Swope’s ghost. Stories of Swope’s appearances are chronicled in The Ghosts of Alexandria, by Michael Lee Pope. Pope documented sightings from tour guides and tales from house guests. The ghost was reportedly spotted in full Revolutionary War uniform going into the music room on the third floor, Swope’s favorite floor of the house. This spirit is reportedly friendly, unless you are British.
For more information on these plus five more homes, go to alexandrialivingmagazine.com/ home-and-garden.
