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Page 5 text:
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COMPASS 1965 VOLUME 30 GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA The clock tower on City Hall reaches proudly for the sky with the announcement that Alexandria has been selected as an All-America city.
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Page 6 text:
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THE COMPASS PROUDLY SALUTES HISTORIC PAST POINTS WAY TO PROMISING FUTURE In 1669 William Berkley, governor of the British colony Virginia, granted to Robert Housing six thousand acres of land for bringing one hundred and twenty colo- nists to the area. During the same year, this land, which included the future site of Alexandria, was sold to John Alexander for 6,600 pounds of tobacco. By act of the Virginia General Assembly, Alexandria was founded in 1748 on a parcel of land containing sixty acres. The following year this land was divided into eighty-four lots of half an acre each. At the direction of the trustees, the town was called Alexandria for the Alexander family. It was originally settled by Scottish merchants. The city prospered as a thriving port dur- ing colonial days, surpassing the port of New York and rivaling that of Boston. By act of the General Assembly in 1789, the State of Virginia ceded to the federal government a portion of its territory, including Alexandria, to make a ten- mile square area for the seat of the government of the United States. Thus, until 1846, when it was again declared to be an integral part of the Commonwealth, Alexandria was included in the District of Columbia. In 1852 it became known as the City of Alexandria and has remained to this day one of three cities of the United States having the unique distinction of being an independent city without any county affiliation. Alexandria was strategically located for the defense of the British colonies, and for this reason in 1755, Gen- eral Braddock arrived with his army from England to reinforce American troops fighting the French. His forces were drilled in Alexandria’s old Market Square. During the Revolutionary War, Alexandria was a center of ac- tivity. Many French volunteers frequented the city and The recommended Marine Terminal Development is only one example of the commercial revitalization of the city ' and waterfront. If successful, the development program will once again make Alexandria a port for sea-faring vessels. it was used as a safekeeping place for Hessian prisoners. During the War of 1812, the defenseless city surrendered to the invading British forces. In 1827 a benevolent society composed of Quakers was organized, with Thomas Jacobs as president and Benjamin Hallowell as secretary, to aid freed slaves. A petition was signed by prominent Alexandrians asking the end of slavery, but it was ignored by Congress. Alex- andria riflemen served with Colonel Robert E. Lee in suppressing John Brown and his raiders at Harper’s Ferry. The city became a no-man’s land during the Civil War. For the four-year duration of the war, it was occupied by the Union Army, but Confederate raids near the city were frequent. In 1863 the restored government of Virginia was moved from Wheeling, West Virginia to Alexandria. Federal hospitals were established here and prison ships were anchored in the harbor. From its beginning more than two hundred years ago, Alexandria today is a thriving community with a population of 115,000. In 1921 the municipal gov- ernment was changed to a City Manager plan with a City Council consisting of seven members at large. Though at the time the city charter stated that the mayor of Alexandria would be chosen by these seven councilmen, this system was changed in 1956 so that our mayor is now elected by popular vote. Looking toward the future, the planning commission is making great progress in revitalizing some of the older areas of historic Alexandria through urban renewal. The Mudtown project, which will provide twenty-nine single family lots, and the new T. C. Williams High School are in the process of being completed. Down- town revitalization is centered in an eight-block com- mercial area in the heart of the historic business dis- trict. A conservative estimate of this phase, known as the Gadsby Urban Renewal Project, is S20,000,000. Alexandria looks ahead to a bright future. P -on Tue Library of Virginia ' Richmond, VA
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