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  • Live

    Make the most of Alexandria's outstanding quality of life with information and services of interest to residents.

    • Be Prepared

      Are you ready? Find resources and information to help residents, businesses and visitors to prepare for all types of emergencies, and to stay safe.

      • Flooding Preparedness
      • Snow and Ice Control
      • Hurricane Preparedness
      • Emergency Preparedness
      • Public Health Emergency
    • Community Life

      Learn more about pets and animals, schools and libraries, parks and farmers' markets, community gardens, and more.

      • Community Gardens
      • Farmers' Markets
      • Parks
      • Pets
      • Recreation
    • Get Involved

      There are many opportunities to get involved to help better the City of Alexandria. Opportunities include serving on a Board, Commission or Committee, providing input on a new City project or speaking at a City Council meeting.

      • Boards and Commissions
      • Civic Engagement Policy
      • City Academies
      • Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
      • Speak at a Meeting
      • Volunteering
    • Getting Around

      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

      • Bicycling in Alexandria
      • Bus and Rail
      • King Street Trolley
      • Parking in Alexandria
      • Street Maps
      • Taxis
      • Water Taxis
    • Historic Preservation

      Historic Alexandria is a treasure trove of early structures, artifacts, and records that creates a unique way of life for its citizens and provides enjoyment for thousands of people who visit this special community every year. The City continues to add resources to its collection of local and nationally designated historic districts.

      • Alexandria History
      • Board of Architectural Review
      • Historic Alexandria
      • Historic Districts
    • Licenses & Permits

      Find out whether a permit is required, the type of permit needed, fees involved, and what requirements are necessary for the activity you want to engage in Alexandria.

      • Building & Construction
      • Business Licenses
      • Health Permits
      • Marriage Licenses
      • Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
    • Parking

      Information about parking in the City of Alexandria, including parking options, enforcement, districts and permits.

      • Contest a Parking Ticket
      • Guest Parking Permits
      • Parking Permits
      • Parking Studies
      • Parking in Old Town
      • Pay a Parking Ticket
    • Public Health & Wellness

      Alexandria is committed to ensuring our residents thrive through physical, mental, and social health.

      • Aging & Adult Services
      • Domestic Violence
      • Environmental Health
      • Environmental Quality
      • Health Department
      • Health Clinics
      • Sexual Assault
      • Substance Abuse Prevention
      • Substance Abuse Services
      • Teen Pregnancy Prevention
      • Teen Wellness Center
    • Public Safety & Courts

      Agencies and programs that help maintain our safety and overall quality of life. These links contain information about the City of Alexandria's law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations, courts and judicial system.

      • Fire Department
      • Police Department
      • Sheriff's Office
      • Circuit Court
      • Clerk of Circuit Court
      • General District Court
      • J&DR Court
      • Court Service Unit
    • Public Works

      Learn more about how the City maintains streets, sidewalks, bridges, and other infrastructure in the City.

      • Bridge Maintenance
      • Paving and Potholes
      • Sewer Maintenance
      • Street Sweeping
    • Real Estate & Taxes

      The City collects car and real estate taxes, maintains tax relief programs and assesses property values. Taxes can be paid in a variety of ways including online, by phone and by mail.

      • Payments
      • Personal Property/Car Tax
      • Real Estate Assessments
      • Real Estate Tax
      • Tax Guide
      • Tax Relief
    • Schools & Libraries

      Did you know that ACPS is one of the most diverse school systems in the country? Our students come from more than 80 different countries, speak more than 60 languages, and represent a myriad of ethnic and cultural groups. The Alexandria Library is an educational, user-oriented service institution providing free public access to recorded knowledge and ideas.

      • Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS)
      • Alexandria Library
      • Child Care
      • Higher Learning
      • Out of School Time Programs
    • Social Services

      The City provides public assistance as a safety net for individuals and families, including help with homelessness prevention, food, rent, utilities, medical coverage and prescriptions, job training and placement assistance, and much more.

      • Aging & Adult Services
      • Child Care Assistance
      • Homeless Services
      • Housing Resources
      • Mentoring Programs
      • Military & Veteran Services
    • Trash & Recycling

      Find information on the City's refuse, recycling and yard waste collection programs.

      • Recycling
      • Refuse Collection
      • Yard Waste
    • Utilities

      The City of Alexandria does not operate any public utilities. The following companies are the primary providers of their respective service:

      • Cable TV (Comcast / Xfinity)
      • Drinking Water (Virginia American Water)
      • Electricity (Dominion Energy)
      • Natural Gas (Washington Gas)
      • Sewage/Water Treatment (Alex Renew)
      • Wired Telephone (Verizon)
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  • Play

    Whether you live here or are just visiting, Alexandria is a great place to shop, dine, take in the arts, get outdoors, and just have fun.

    • About Alexandria

      If you are looking for small-town charm and big-city amenities, Alexandria is the place to find them. Alexandria has a fascinating history, and many of its historic buildings are still preserved today. The City's many historic homes, churches, businesses, and museums allow residents and visitors alike to experience the past that makes it the charming town it is today.

      • Alexandria's History
      • Demographics & Statistics
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    • Arts & Culture

      Through engaging the community, encouraging participation, and facilitating access to arts and culture, the City builds a vibrant community for its residents, workers, and visitors.

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      • Office of Historic Alexandria
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    • Entertainment

      Find events and activities, shops and restaurants, concerts and performances, arts and culture, historic attractions, parks and libraries, farmers' markets, and more.

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      • Visit Alexandria: Things to Do
    • Getting Around

      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

      • Bicycling in Alexandria
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    • Museums & Historic Sites

      Alexandria is a desirable location to live, work and play. The City owns many of the premier historic sites in Alexandria and it is charged with the conservation, interpretation and promotion of these links to the past.

      • City Museums
      • Historic Sites & Attractions
      • Office of Historic Alexandria
    • Parks & Recreation

      Alexandria is an active community that offers more than 900 acres of parks and dedicated public space, and a wide variety of neighborhood and recreation centers, pools, dog parks, farmers' markets, waterfront activities and more.

      • Classes & Camps
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      • Parks & Trails
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    • Visit Alexandria

      Information about visiting Alexandria, including shopping, dining, attractions, accommodations, events listings and more. Plan your visit with an itinerary builder, interactive maps, hotel booking, online restaurant reservations and much more.

      • Group Tours
      • Meet in Alexandria
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  • Services

    We are here to serve you. Browse the topics to the right to learn more about the programs and services we offer.

    • Alex311

      Connect with professional and knowledgeable staff for City service and information requests from every City department.

      • Missed Collection
      • Parking
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    • Animals

      What you need to know about animals, pets and wildlife in Alexandria.

      • Animal Adoption
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    • Buildings & Construction

      The City provides services to residents, businesses, contractors, and visitors needing permits for constructions and other developments.

      • Building Codes
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      • Green Building
      • Land Use & Zoning
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    • Environment

      "Green" initiatives, air quality, noise, water conservation, mosquito and rodent control.

      • Air Quality
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      • Eco-City Alexandria
      • Green Building
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    • Jobs
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      • Alexandria City Public Schools
      • Job Search Assistance (Workforce Development Center)
      • Collective Bargaining
    • Maps & GIS

      Geographic Information Systems (GIS) centrally manages, shares and analyzes information about locations through specialized mapping technology. This information increases transparency, improves many City technology applications and provides critical data to decision makers and the public.

      • Interactive Maps
      • Open Data
      • Standard Maps
    • Parks & Recreation

      Alexandria is an active community that offers more than 900 acres of parks and dedicated public space, and a wide variety of neighborhood and recreation centers, pools, dog parks, farmers' markets, waterfront activities and more.

      • Classes & Camps
      • Dog Parks
      • Facility & Park Rentals
      • Farmers' Markets
      • Marina & Waterfront
      • Parks & Trails
      • Pools & Aquatics
      • Recreation Centers
      • Sports Leagues & Programs
    • Property & Housing

      The City administers various housing-related programs and services.

      • Housing Master Plan
      • Landlord & Property Manager Resources
      • Maps & GIS
      • Office of Housing
      • Parcel Viewer
      • Real Estate Assessments
    • Public Health & Wellness

      Alexandria is committed to ensuring our residents thrive through physical, mental, and social health.

      • Aging & Adult Services
      • Emergency Mental Health Services
      • Environmental Health
      • Environmental Quality
      • Health Department
      • Health Clinics
      • Sexual and Domestic Violence Services
      • Substance Abuse Services
      • Teen Pregnancy Prevention
      • Teen Wellness Center
    • Public Safety & Courts

      Agencies and programs that help maintain our safety and overall quality of life. These links contain information about the City of Alexandria's law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations, courts and judicial system.

      • Fire Department
      • Police Department
      • Sheriff's Office
      • Circuit Court
      • Clerk of Circuit Court
      • General District Court
      • J&DR Court
      • Court Service Unit
    • Public Works

      Learn more about how the City maintains streets, sidewalks, bridges, and other infrastructure in the City.

      • Bridge Maintenance
      • Paving & Potholes
      • Sewer Maintenance
      • Street Sweeping
    • Real Estate & Taxes

      The City collects car and real estate taxes, maintains tax relief programs and assesses property values. Taxes can be paid in a variety of ways including online, by phone and by mail.

      • Payments
      • Personal Property/Car Tax
      • Real Estate Assessments
      • Real Estate Tax
      • Tax Guide
      • Tax Relief
    • Social Services

      The City provides public assistance as a safety net for individuals and families, including help with homelessness prevention, food, rent, utilities, medical coverage and prescriptions, job training and placement assistance, and much more.

      • Aging & Adult Services
      • Child Care
      • Children & Families
      • Discrimination & Disabilities
      • Gang & Youth Violence Prevention
      • Homeless Services
      • Housing Assistance
      • Human Rights
      • Job Search Assistance (Workforce Development Center)
      • Mentoring Programs
      • Military & Veteran Services
    • Trash & Recycling

      Find information on the City's refuse, recycling and yard waste collection programs.

      • Recycling
      • Refuse Collection
      • Yard Waste
    • Transportation

      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

      • Bicycling in Alexandria
      • Bus & Rail
      • King Street Trolley
      • Parking in Alexandria
      • Street Maps
      • Taxis
      • Transportation Planning
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  • Business

    Ideally located just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., Alexandria is nationally recognized as one of the best places to live and do business on the east coast. Learn how we can help you start or relocate your business in Alexandria, and access resources for existing businesses and commuters.

    • Business Resources

      The City provides services and resources to help existing businesses expand within the City and promotes recruiting new businesses in Alexandria.

      • Alexandria Economic Development Partnership (AEDP)
      • Alexandria Small Business Development Center (SBDC)
      • BIPOC Small Business Program
      • Doing Business with the City
      • New Business Guide
      • Public-Private Partnerships
    • Jobs

      Alexandria offers wide range of job opportunities and services. Work for City government or City Public Schools, find out about an internship opportunity or learn about workforce development and career training options.

      • City Government Jobs
      • Job Search Assistance (Workforce Development Center)
      • Collective Bargaining
    • Licenses & Permits

      Find out whether a permit is required, the type of permit needed, fees involved, and what requirements are necessary for the activity you want to engage in Alexandria.

      • APEX Permitting & Land Use System
      • Business Licenses
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      • Health Permits
      • Permit Center
      • Zoning Information
    • Real Estate & Taxes

      The City collects car and real estate taxes, maintains tax relief programs and assesses property values. Taxes can be paid in a variety of ways including online, by phone and by mail.

      • Business License Tax
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      • Lodging Tax
      • Meal Tax
      • Payments
      • Real Estate Assessment Search
      • Real Estate Assessments
      • Sales Tax
    • Transportation

      Information on how to get to and through the City of Alexandria, including walking, biking, bus, rail, air, ridesharing, and more.

      • Getting Around
      • Vehicle Registration
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  • Government

    Learn more about Alexandria's accountable, effective, and well-managed government.

    • City Council

      The Alexandria City Council is composed of a Mayor and six Council members who are elected at-large for three-year terms. The Mayor, who is chosen on a separate ballot, presides over meetings of the Council and serves as the ceremonial head of government.

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    • Boards & Commissions

      The City of Alexandria has a strong commitment to citizen participation as evidenced by the number of citizen boards and commissions established by City Council. These bodies compose a formal system through which citizens can advise City Council on all major issues affecting the City.

      • Meeting Dockets & Video
      • Apply for a Board or Commission
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    • Departments & Agencies

      View a list of City departments, offices and other agencies, and learn about their role in the organization.

      • City Government Departments & Offices
      • Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
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      • Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA)
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      Information about the City of Alexandria's law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations, courts and judicial system.

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      Alexandria voters elect a Mayor and City Council and three local officers, as well as state and federal representatives.

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      There are many opportunities to get involved to help better the City of Alexandria. Opportunities include serving on a Board, Commission or Committee, providing input on a new City project or speaking at a City Council meeting.

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      The City government acts with integrity in an open process, and provides timely access to clear, trustworthy information, presented and employed by all parties from the beginning to the end of the process, including the reasoning that leads to and supports the policy conclusion.

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  • Projects & Plans

    Much of our work involves creating and improving infrastructure and planning for the future. Learn more about major projects and plans here, and how you can get involved!

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      Information about arts, culture and historic projects in the City.

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Archaeology at Shuter's Hill Plantation

An ongoing excavation on Shuter's Hill near the Masonic Memorial is exploring the Mills/Lee/Dulaney plantation, built in 1782. The mansion house burned in 1842, and was replaced by a larger brick house that was used by Union troops during the Civil War.
Page updated on December 21, 2021 at 9:37 AM

Alexandria Archaeology

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Shuter’s Hill: A Wealth of History

Mills/Lee/Dulaney plantation, built in 1782

Located on the grounds of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia, the Shuter's Hill site occupies a bluff overlooking Old Town, the city’s historic downtown on the Potomac River. The use of the name Shuter’s Hill for this prominent landmark dates back to the late eighteenth century, perhaps a reference to a “Shooter’s Hill” in London or to a local resident by the name of Shuter who lived in the area in the 1740s.

Registered as an archaeological site (44AX175) with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, the property has been investigated by Alexandria Archaeology since 1995. Volunteers, field school students, and summer campers have worked with City archaeologists, slowly scraping away the more recent soil layers and peeling back the pages of history.

They found that this prominent landmark has been visited and inhabited by people for over 5,000 years. As the 20th-century deposits were scraped away, the archaeologists uncovered evidence of a mid-19th-century estate, artifacts associated with Civil War occupation, vestiges of a late 18th/early 19th-century plantation, and traces of Native American activities.

View a brochure to learn about some of the archaeological discoveries at this important site, and to see some images from the excavations.

  • Native American Occupation
  • The Mills/Lee/Dulany Plantation, 1780s-1840s (reprinted below)
  • The Plantation Laundry (reprinted below)
  • Profile of a Washerwoman: from Slavery to Freedom
  • The Final Dulany Years, 1850-1905
  • Civil War, 1861-1865
  • The Twentieth Century

The Mills/Lee/Dulany Plantation 1780s-1840s

European settlers initially used the hilltop for agricultural purposes, and archaeologists have found soil stains of plowing that occurred in the 18th century or even earlier. John Mills, a merchant, constructed the first known historical residence, an elegant frame mansion, on the property in 1781. A 19th-century sketch depicts the structure as a magnificent two-story residence with a large portico and two one-story wings. Overlooking the expanding 1749 town of Alexandria, the Mills plantation operated with the labor of enslaved African Americans. A 1784 advertisement for rental of the property after Mills' death highlights the "beautiful situation and the absolute perfection of plan" of the mansion house.

Ludwell Lee, a lawyer, politician, and planter, purchased the estate in the 1790s. Lee's daughter, Matilda, described this impressive home:

The house was large and roomy. You entered a large passage; to the right was a spacious dining room elegantly furnished. A large press with glass door held the silver, glass and china. Across the passage on the left was an elegantly furnished drawing room with mirrors down to the floor, before which I danced many a day. We were waited on by three stately servants in livery which was blue turned up with white, with buckskin short breeches with shoes and stockings.

In 1797, Lee took out fire insurance policies on the house and two small outbuildings (a laundry and a gardener's house) for $10,300. These policies provide archaeologists with information about the dimensions and construction materials of the 18th-century buildings on Shuter's Hill, but contain no information about their exact locations.

Lee sold the property to Benjamin Dulany in 1799. A wealthy planter, Dulany used the property as a summer home for his family; his main residence was in town on Duke Street. According to an article in the Alexandria Gazette, the mansion caught fire and burned down on February 7, 1842. Within two years, another, much smaller house was built on the property. Rebecca Dulany, great-granddaughter of Benjamin, wrote in 1844 that she was "living in a very small house which my grandmother has erected since the fire." No known additional reference is made to this structure until 1873, when there is a small notice in the Alexandria Gazette that this house, "unoccupied...[with] a little hay in one of the rooms," also burned down.

The Plantation Laundry

While the City archaeologists have yet to discover remnants of the large 18th-century mansion or small house built for Rebecca's grandmother, they have found the stone foundation of an outbuilding on the Mills/Lee/Dulany property. When the foundation was first uncovered, its function was unknown, but a variety of clues led the archaeologists to conclude that it once supported the plantation laundry. A stone foundation pointed to a late 18th- or early 19th-century construction date. According to architectural historians, stone was rarely used for this purpose in Alexandria after 1830.

In addition, dates of the artifacts found within the structure confirmed that it had been occupied in the late 18th can early 19th centuries. The finds included numerous buttons, thimbles, needles, pins, and a lead bale seal for a bolt of cloth, all types of artifacts that can be expected in a plantation laundry.

The laundry was one of the structures that Ludwell Lee insured in 1797; it was described in the insurance documents as "built of wood, one story high, 16 by 16 feet." When the excavations revealed that the stone foundation measured 16 feet on a side, it became clear that the building dimensions were compatible with those of the structure insured by Lee. The size of the structure, the date of the foundation and associated artifacts, and especially the types of artifacts, all led to the interpretation of the building as a plantation laundry. Putting together the information obtained from the historical documents with information gained from the excavation thus allowed for a more complete understanding of the discovery.

The laundry originally had a chimney supported by a stone foundation, but this was later replaced by one constructed entirely of brick. An area of flat bricks, just outside the laundry structure, served as an outdoor work area. Unfortunately, the western edge of the laundry foundation had been destroyed by the construction of a house in the mid-19th century.

The running of a plantation prior to the Civil War relied on the hard labor of numerous enslaved African Americans. In the laundry, slaves sewed, mended, and cleaned the clothes for the residents of the plantation. A 19th-century account describes the work of doing laundry as a dreaded "Herculean task." The washerwomen carried a total of at least 50 gallons of water, weighing about 400 pounds, to wash, rinse and boil just one load of clothing.

Remnants of daily life discovered during the excavation indicate that slaves were living, as well as working, the the laundry. The investigation yielded thousands of ceramic sherds from many different, unmatched types of pottery, including refined dinnerwares (creamware and pearlware imported from England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries) as well as locally manufactured earthenware and stoneware for more utilitarian purposes, such as food storage. The recovery of wine bottle fragments suggests that the inhabitants of the laundry consumed alcohol, perhaps given to them as an allotment of spirits from the plantation owner. Plant and animal remains recovered at the site, such as pig, chicken, and fish bones; oyster shells; and seeds, provide information about the diet and nutrition of the slaves living in the laundry. Other artifacts, such as a toothbrush and lice comb, attest to concerns about personal hygiene, while fragments of tobacco pipes made of white kaolin clay conjure up images of relaxation after a grueling day of work.

Information about the daily lives of enslaved African Americans is rarely available in written records. Archaeology helps fill in these gaps in knowledge of the past. The laundry is highly significant as one of the few places in Alexandria where an assemblage of artifacts directly related to a slave household has been discovered.

  • Archaeology
  • Historic Alexandria
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