Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 11/20/1979
NRHP Listing Date 01/15/1980
NRHP Reference Number 80004305
The seven-mile-long Alexandria Canal system linking Alexandria to Georgetown was begun in 1834 and completed in 1843. The canal’s tide lock No. 4 and adjacent holding basin, the only remaining portions of the city’s canal system, are relics of Virginia’s industrial and transportation history, being part of a waterway that helped to bring on the economic regeneration of Alexandria in the mid-19th century. The canal, which remained in operation until 1886, connected Alexandria with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal running inland to Cumberland, Maryland. It was used largely for transporting coal. The Alexandria Canal Tide Lock and basin had long been filled in but were restored late in the 20th century as a point of interest in the city’s waterfront park development.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: December 5, 2022
