Alexandria’s Naval Torpedo Station Exhibit Opening
A new exhibit is opening November 11 in the main hall of the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Bold graphics and new interpretive panels will surround the green Mark 14 torpedo, highlighting the Naval Torpedo Station's many defense and government workers and the building's use during times of war and peace. View the exhibit on the first floor of the free Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union Street, or online at alexandriava.gov/go/8821.
Construction began on the Alexandria Naval Torpedo Station the day after Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I. The Station increased in size during World War II, becoming the largest employer in the city with over 5,000 defense workers. The green Mark 14 torpedo at the center of the exhibit is one of nearly 10,000 produced and tested by those workers. After the war was over, several Torpedo Station buildings were repurposed as a Federal Records Center. The Center stored, processed, and disposed of records until 1967, including records seized during the war and used to prosecute war crimes.
Today’s Torpedo Factory Art Center is the only remaining building of Alexandria’s U.S. Naval Torpedo Station. The green Mark 14 torpedo was installed on the first floor in the 1980s to recognize the building's beginnings as a munitions factory. The new exhibit panels share the building’s unique history and the stories of people who worked there, from past to present.
About the Office of Historic Alexandria
The Office of Historic Alexandria preserves and shares the history of the City of Alexandria with eight museums, historic sites, archives, archaeology, tours, exhibits, and public programs. Through powerful storytelling and confronting the City’s past, Historic Alexandria enriches the present and inspires the future. We enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors and serve as a partner in the City’s equity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic.
For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.
If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703-746-3960.