Everywhere I turned I found General Washington: as a little boy on his brother Lawrence's barge bringing Mount Vernon tobacco to the Hunting Creek warehouse; on horseback riding to the village of Belle Haven; as an embryo surveyor carrying the chain to plot the streets and lots. He was dancing at the balls, visiting the young ladies, drilling the militia, racing horses, launching vessels, engaging workmen, dining at this house or that, importing asses, horses, and dogs, running for office, sitting as justice; sponsoring the Friendship Fire Company, a free school, the Alexandria Canal, or other civic enterprises. He was pewholder of Christ Church and master of the Masonic lodge. To town he came to collect his mail, to cast his ballot, to have his silver or his carriage repaired, to sell his tobacco or his wheat, to join the citizenry in celebrating Independence. His closest friends and daily companions were Alexandrians. The dwellings, wharves, and warehouses of the town were as familiar to him as his Mount Vernon farm. In Alexandria Washington took command of his first troops. From the steps of Gadsby's Tavern he received his last military review, a display of his neighbors' martial spirit in a salute from the town's militia. An Alexandrian closed his eyes, and Alexandrians carried his pall. Washington belongs to Alexandria as Alexandria belongs to him. This is _George Washington's Alexandria_. GAY MONTAGUE MOORE. Alexandria, Virginia September 1949 [Illustration] CONTENTS PREFACE vii PART ONE: PROLOGUE _AN ACCOUNT OF THE FIRST CENTURY OF THE SEAPORT OF ALEXANDRIA_ PART TWO THE PRESENCE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON, 1749-1799 CHAPTER 1: William Ramsay: Romulus of Alexandria 52 2: John Carlyle and His House 62 3: The Married Houses 71 4: The Fairfaxes of Belvoir and Alexandria 77 5: The George William Fairfax House 87 6: John Gadsby and His Famous Tavern 99 7: The Michael Swope House 112 8: Dr. William Brown and His Dwelling 119 9: The Peruke Shop 127 10: Historic Christ Church 131 11: The Presbyterian Meetinghouse 139 12: Presenting The Sun Fire Company 147 13: Captain John Harper and His Houses 156 14: Dr. Elisha C. Dick and the Fawcett House 162 15: The Benjamin Dulany House 173 16: Dr. James Craik and His Dwelling 184 17: Alexandria's Old Apothecary Shop 195 18: Spring Gardens 197