News

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On October 15, 1862, with deaths from Civil War battles in Virginia increasing drastically, the City of Alexandria formally leased land at the west end of Wilkes Street to the Federal government for creation of the Alexandria National Cemetery, the nation’s first military cemetery. Within a year, the cemetery was filled almost to capacity nearing 4,000 graves, most of which contained the remains of soldiers brought to Alexandria for medical care. Running out of burial ground in Alexandria, Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs seized on the idea of burying war dead on the lawns surrounding ‘Arlington House,’ the vacated Custis homestead owned by the wife of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, which was then occupied by Union troops just north of the city.” [Historic Alexandria]

Old Town Eyed as Stop for Ferry Study — “Old Town is one of six sites recommended for further study as a terminal for a hydrofoil ferry pilot that its backers say could reach Navy Yard in 20 minutes, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments board heard Wednesday.” [Alexandria Brief]

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On, October 14, 1918, a contract was awarded by the United States government for construction of the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station on the Alexandria waterfront. Ironically, work on the building began on November 12, 1918, the day after Armistice Day, which marked the official end of World War I. The first torpedo was produced there in November 1920. Once fully operational, the Torpedo Station was responsible for the manufacture and maintenance of torpedoes for the next five years … In 1974 the building was converted into the Torpedo Factory Arts Center, one of the nation’s first adaptive reuse projects for a historic building.” [Historic Alexandria]

Whistleblower in Pet Death Case Unveils New Allegations — “Jackie Long, 61, worked for more than 14 years for Your Dog’s Best Friends, a popular dog grooming and boarding facility in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood. She told 7News that the July 2024 death of Abigail, a young golden retriever, could have been avoided had managers heeded her earlier warnings about animal abuse at the facility … She added that she complained to both managers and business owner Paul Haire about ‘four or five’ other employees of Your Dog’s Best Friends engaging in what she considered to be abusive behavior toward dogs.” [WJLA]