archaeology | ALXnow

City moves forward with Torpedo Factory operator search, including option to display historic ship hull

Published February 25, 2026 at 3:15PM

The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

A process to select a new operator for the Torpedo Factory Art Center is moving forward, and the option to display remains of an 18th century ship could potentially be part of operators’ plans.

On Saturday, Alexandria City Council gave final approval to a procurement process to select a new operator for the Torpedo Factory Art Center at 105 N. Union Street. Council previously delayed approval of the procurement process to add a provision about exploring displays of historical archaeology artifacts.

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Real estate firm Carr Properties wins Alexandria’s top archaeology award

By James Cullum

Published October 24, 2025 at 12:15PM | Updated October 28, 2025 at 12:21PM

View of the Alexandria Canal lock number 4, looking east from North Pitt Street (via City of Alexandria)

D.C.-based real estate investment company Carr Properties has been awarded Alexandria’s top archeology award.

On Tuesday, Oct. 28, the City Council will announce the award and commend the company for its “commitment to the highest quality archaeological preservation at the site of the Alexandria Canal in Old Town North,” according to a proclamation. Carr Properties partnered with the city after uncovering part of Alexandria’s history as it worked to redevelop a 1980s-era office building into a mixed-use apartment building.

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New exhibit peels back the layers of history on one block in Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published June 13, 2023 at 1:30PM

Alexandria Archeology Museum (image via City of Alexandria)

A new exhibit in the Alexandria Archaeology Museum (on the third floor of the Torpedo Factory, 105 N. Union Street) highlights a “microcosm of the city” on Lee Street.

The new exhibit dives through the layers of history at one site in Old Town, along with glimpses at a few other waterfront sites.

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Raiders of the Back Yard: Alexandria struggles with amateur archaeologists

By Vernon Miles

Published October 12, 2022 at 10:45AM

Pipkin from a local privy (image via AlexArchaeology/Twitter)

While the prospect of buried treasure in the back yard sounds appealing, Alexandria leaders say amateur treasure hunting is hindering historic preservation efforts.

At a City Council meeting last night, Mayor Justin Wilson said the Alexandria Archaeological Commission has expressed concerns about items taken from homes in Old Town that belong in a museum.

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Maryland lab uncovers more details behind an Old Town artifact

By Vernon Miles

Published February 9, 2022 at 9:50AM

X-ray of Robinson Landing South watch fob, image via Arianna Johnston/MAC Lab

An x-ray treatment of an artifact found at Robinson Terminal South has revealed more details about an artifact stuck into a strip of corrupted iron alloy.

The much smaller artifact came from the same area as the buried ships found in 2018. The artifact is a watch fob, a popular 18th and 19th-century accessory, but only part of the original piece was visible. A report by conservator Arianna Johnston from the Maryland Archeological Conservation Laboratory highlighted what their lab learned with further study.

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Museums Across Alexandria Shut Down Due to Coronavirus Concerns

By Vernon Miles

Published March 17, 2020 at 5:45PM

The Office of Historic Alexandria announced this morning (Tuesday) that it will be shutting down immediately and taking most of the city’s museums with it.

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Archaeologists Searching for Hidden Graves in Local Cemeteries

By Airey

Published October 23, 2019 at 2:00PM | Updated October 23, 2019 at 3:23PM

Archaeologist Nadia Johnson uses ground-penetrating radar to locate burials in Penny Hill cemetery (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 3:20 p.m.) While Alexandria heads out on ghosts tours for Halloween, local archaeologists are busy scouting for secret burials under two historic cemeteries.

Archeologists with the city’s Office of Historic Alexandria are working to pinpoint where coffins and headstones may have been swallowed by the changing landscaping in the Penny Hill and Douglass cemeteries as they plan drainage maintenance for the sites.