First Lot Sold at Auction (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this roadside historical marker:

Erected by the Bicentennial Commission to mark the site of the first lot sold at Auction July 13th, 1749

Erected 1949.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Atlas Obscura website:

First Lot Sold At Auction Marker
Alexandria, Virginia
This small pedestal marks the spot of the first lot of land sold in Alexandria, Virginia in 1749.

Prior to the founding of Alexandria, there were two primary landowners in the area—Dame Margaret Brent who had obtained a patent in 1654 for a 700-acre plot, and English ship captain Robert Howson, who had received an overlapping grant from Virginia Governor William Berkeley in 1669. Within a month, Howson sold his land to Scottish merchant John Alexander.

By the 1700s, tobacco plantations had started popping up along the Potomac. Hugh West constructed a tobacco warehouse at what is now the foot of Oronoco Street and with the Tobacco Inspection Act of 1732, West’s warehouse became the local inspection point.

In 1748, Scottish and English merchants petitioned the Virginia General Assembly to establish a town at the site of West’s tobacco warehouse, and in 1749, Alexandria was founded, taking its name from the family of Scotsman John Alexander.

On July 13, 1749, the first lot of land among 60 acres that were divvied up by Fairfax County surveyor John West (assisted by a 17-year old George Washington) was auctioned off, and thus, the town of Alexandria was on its way to becoming a thriving port community.


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Here follows an excerpt from the "Jaybird's Jottings" blog written by Jay Roberts:

First Lot Sale
"209" Cameron

The other day I mentioned the joy of discovery, that of walking along the streets and finding these bronze tablets that transport you back to the earlier days of Alexandria and remind us of the rich heritage of the city. There’s also the joy of discovering authors that have written about Old Town’s past.

So far, I’ve found several that have assisted me in learning more about the people and events that have been immortalized in bronze. The aforementioned William Francis Smith and T. Michael Miller’s A Seaport Saga, Robert Madison’s Walking With Washington and Pamela J. Cressey’s Walk and Bike the Alexandria Heritage Trail are proving invaluable, as well as A Guide to Historic Alexandria by William Seale.

When I came to this plaque on the sale of lots, it occurred to me I needed a good explanation of why Alexandria held such a high place in the minds of those powerful merchants who saw dollar signs and fame dancing in their heads.

A visit to the Lyceum provided the answer in the form of Maritime Alexandria by Donald G. Shomette (eventually I will get to the bibliographies, but for now, I’m loving the old-fashion book shelve hunting and asking the docents for their opinions)

Shomette notes the shallow depths of the bay that were ideal for river going vessels, and then the close deeper depths which allowed sea going ships to dock. Its position above the river meant the elevated land blocked the cold northwest winds, thus preventing ice buildup on the bay portion of the Potomac. Alexandria, called Belhaven by some back then, also gained by its situation right before the fall line of the Potomac. The crescent shape of the bay that sloped down to the river added a desirable touch of beauty.

On July 14, 1749, the town’s trustees gathered at West’s Point, located at the northern tip of the bay, on land that has been occupied by Robinson Terminal’s northern warehouse. They walked the short distance to the corner of Cameron and Lee (then Water) and began the sale.

Alexandria would become one of the most important towns in the young nation, a vital seaport and a home for government, commerce and pleasure. It all started on that spot between 207 and 211 Cameron Street, or as I discussed the other day with a certain distinguished Alexandria historian who wondered if that is the precise location, somewhere close by.