Dedication of the Alexandria Academy

View Photo Gallery

The recently restored Alexandria Academy was dedicated on July 11, 1999 as part of the City's 250th Anniversary celebrations. The historic school was originally built in 1785 and 1786 by leading citizens of Alexandria. It stands as a symbol of this country's early commitment to free education for all, including girls and black children, and of the role that George Washington played in making this inclusive education a reality. The Academy, located at 604 Wolfe Street in the heart of Alexandria, Virginia's Old Town, will be both an historic site and a living home for education-related activities.

History of the Alexandria Academy

The Academy was originally built as a private school for the children of Alexandria. George Washington became one of the original trustees, accepting the position with enthusiasm as it allowed him to develop his vision for the educational needs of the new nation.

The simple school was the home to one of the first experiments in public education in the new nation. Free education was a radical concept in the late eighteenth century, but Washington was committed to fostering its development. He pledged his own funds to ensure that orphans and indigent children, including girls, were to be educated in the same schoolhouse as tuition-paying students. Washington's own nephews received their early education at the Alexandria Academy -- as did a number of free black children.

The Academy existed until 1823. The building subsequently became a private residence but was returned to the Alexandria Public School system in the 1880s and used by the schools until 1967. The building is architecturally and historically significant as one of the few surviving examples of an 18th century school building. It is also significant socially as a visible reminder of our first President's belief in universal education.

Restoration of the Alexandria Academy

The Academy stood abandoned and derelict for years before its recent restoration. In 1995 the Alexandria City Council deeded the historic building to the Historic Alexandria Foundation for restoration. The Historic Alexandria Foundation (HAF) is conducting a capital campaign to pay for the restoration of the Academy. It so far has raised over $436,000, with the largest part contributed by local donors.

The Historic Alexandria Foundation, founded in 1954, is one of the oldest and most successful non-profit historic preservation organizations in the country. It is chartered to preserve, protect and restore structures of historic interest associated with the City of Alexandria. For 40 years, it has been a catalist for preserving and restoring historic buildings in the city.

The newly restored Academy will retain its focus on education. A nationally recognized educational non-profit organization, the Remediation and Training Institute (RTI), has been selected to occupy the Academy. RTI provides computer-assisted instruction to disadvantaged students, and will use the Academy as the site of a model project for a network of centers serving children in Alexandria.