A new tool launched by the City of Alexandria will help locals access some of the city’s fascinating historical markers virtually
Some markers not items of historic significance, like the Marshall House where Col. Elmer E. Ellsworth was murdered in one of the events building up to the Civil War. Others are more fantastical, like the spot in Old Town North that was reportedly home to one of Alexandria’s local cryptids: the infamous Goosepigs.
The new tool allows residents and visitors to search by location and explore the signs around Alexandria, the city said in a release.
“An incredible amount of historical and archaeological work over the decades and with a variety of preservation partners has gone into sharing Alexandria’s stories on these signs and we are thrilled to make them more accessible,” City Archaeologist Eleanor Breen said in the release.
According to the City:
The Alexandria Historical Sign Finder map shows the locations of more than 150 historical interpretation signs. These include signs from the Alexandria Heritage Trail, the African American Waterfront Heritage Trails, the King Street Corridor Mini-Kiosks, State Highway History Markers, and other museum and historical site interpretation signs. When the user clicks a point on the map, a digital version of the sign pops up, which allows it to be read from anywhere. The Sign Finder map is meant to be an evolving repository for the research and stories about people and places in the past and will be updated as new historical signs are installed in the City.
