Carr Properties and the City of Alexandria Host Viewing of Alexandria Canal Remains

Map of Alexandria Canal (Courtesy of the City of Alexandria)

On Sunday, January 19th, in less than desirable weather conditions, a sizable crowd turned out in Old Town North to learn about the history of the Alexandria Canal and view the canal remains that have been uncovered at the 425 Montgomery St. site (formerly known as 901 N. Pitt. St.).  Archaeologists from the City of Alexandria and from Wetland Studies and Solutions (the private firm retained by Carr Properties) were on hand to lead visitors on a tour of the site. 

A crowd braves rain, snow, and cold to learn about the Alexandria Canal (image courtesy of the Old Town North Alliance)

History of the Alexandria Canal

The Alexandria Canal connected Alexandria to the C&O Canal in Georgetown and ultimately all the way out to Cumberland, MD. The Alexandria Canal was completed in 1845 and consisted of seven miles of waterway on level ground through Arlington County and Alexandria followed by four lift locks and three basins between N. Pitt St. and the Potomac River. These lift locks were required in order to help the barges navigate the approximately 40 foot elevation drop between N. Pitt St. and the Potomac River, and the basins served as waiting areas for barges that needed to travel through the locks as well as storage areas for the water needed to operate the locks.  An aqueduct bridge was constructed in the same location as today’s Key Bridge in order to allow barges to travel safely across the Potomac River from Alexandria to Georgetown. 

The Aqueduct Bridge connecting the Alexandria Canal to the C&O Canal in Georgetown (image courtesy of the City of Alexandria)

The construction of the Alexandria Canal was intended to keep the City involved in western trade by connecting Alexandria with the C&O Canal. In the early years of its operation, the primary incoming goods were agricultural products, but starting in 1850 when the C&O Canal to Cumberland, MD opened, the primary incoming product was coal.  The primary outgoing products were manufactured goods and fish.  With the exception of the Civil War years when the aqueduct bridge was drained to make it available for troop movement across the Potomac River, the Alexandria Canal remained in use until the 1880’s when railroads became the preferred mode of transporting goods. The Alexandria Canal was ultimately abandoned in 1886.

Canal Remains Uncovered at 425 Montgomery St. 

Alexandria’s Archaeological Protection Code requires developers to create an archaeological monitoring plan and to maintain an archaeologist on site to monitor ground disturbances. Carr Properties retained Wetland Studies and Solutions in order to comply with these requirements. Compliance with these requirements ensures that any archaeological finds are handled properly so a proper record and documentation can be preserved before development proceeds.

In Fall 2024, the north stone wall of the fourth lock and third basin of the Alexandria Canal were discovered during exploratory pre-trenching at the 425 Montgomery St. site. Archaeologists have worked in recent months to carefully uncover the canal remains so that they can be properly documented. This is not the first discovery of canal remains in Old Town North.  In the late 1970’s, Alexandria archaeologists unearthed the outlet lock and pool #1 at the mouth of the Potomac River. Years of excavation and study enabled archaeologists and engineers to understand the lock, basin, and walls and facilitated the construction of an interpretive reconstruction of the outlet lock that can be viewed today in Tide Lock Park. 

Archaeologists at work at the 425 Montgomery St. Site in Fall 2024 (image courtesy of the City of Alexandria)

One City archaeologist explained that if archaeologists are doing their jobs right, they are rarely surprised about what is uncovered at dig sites, however, they are sometimes surprised by the condition in which things are found. At the 425 Montgomery St. site, City archaeologists did not expect such a large portion of the canal lock and basin to be so well-preserved.  They were surprised to uncover such a large portion of the north side wall intact as well as the floor of the canal.  As a result of these well-preserved remains, archaeologists are able to understand more about the way the canal was constructed. 

Alexandria Canal Remains at the 425 Montgomery St. Site on January 19, 2025 (image courtesy of the Old Town North Alliance)

When the redevelopment of the 425 Montgomery St. site is complete, a parking garage will occupy the area where the canal remains currently sit. Thanks to the careful work of Carr Properties and Wetland Studies and Solutions along with the City, the details of this historic discovery will be well-documented.  In the coming weeks, archaeologists from Wetland Studies and Solutions will be laser scanning all of the canal remains to preserve a digital record of what has been found.  City archaeologists hope to be able to remove some stones for future reuse in a park or other projects, but it remains to be seen how feasible that would be given the weight of the stones.

For more information about the Alexandria Canal remains, visit: https://www.alexandriava.gov/archaeology/revealing-sections-of-the-alexandria-canal

If you would like to see a replica of a canal lock, you can visit Tide Lock Park along the water near Canal Center Plaza where there is an interpretative reconstruction of the Tide Lock: https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/100-0099/

If you would like to learn more about archaeology in Alexandria, visit the Alexandria Archaeology Museum on the 3rd floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center:  https://www.alexandriava.gov/Archaeology