News

Historic Streetcar Tracks Found During Water Main Repair in Old Town

By James Cullum

The Alexandria Department of Transportation and Environmental Services was repairing a water main break on King Street yesterday when a historical discovery was made.

A work crew uncovered streetcar rail lines from the city’s electric streetcar, which ended in 1932.

“In 1906, 30 daily trains between Mount Vernon and Washington carried 1.7 million passengers, a number that was likely boosted by the opening of an amusement park along Four Mile Run with its own station,” according to the city.

The streetcar was established in 1892 and went from the city to Mount Vernon, and was expanded to Washington, D.C. in 1896.

There is currently a free King Street Trolley that runs from the King St-Old Town Metro station to the waterfront, but the trolley is not running until further notice due to COVID-19.

There is a lot of history buried beneath Alexandria, like when an 18th century ship was uncovered at a construction site in 2018.

https://www.facebook.com/DASHBus/photos/a.303875563046014/2545209262245955/?type=3&theater

Photo via DASH/Facebook

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.