Remnant of Alexandria, DC

Walking around Old Town Alexandria last weekend I caught a glimpse of historic Alexandria from when it was part of the District of Columbia. One of the downspout pipes on a home off Prince Street near the Waterfront bears the stamp of "Alexandria, DC". These are pretty rare to see. Alexandria returned to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1846, so the downspout is probably over 170 years old.

Photo by Patrick Jones. Prince Street, Alexandria, VA.

Michael Lee Pope's book, the Hidden History of Alexandria, DC covers this period in great detail and is worth a read if you are interested in the history of Alexandria (see also this Washington Post article from 5 October 2011 titled "How Alexandria Lost its DC").

This downspout bears the stamp of the T.W. and R.C. Smith Foundry, which was located in Alexandria.

See also "Looking for rainy signs of social status in Old Town Alexandria", from the Washington Post on 11 September 2013.