Leave the D.C. city limits, pass Mount Vernon, George Washington’s historic plantation home, and you enter American history. Walking the same streets of the founding fathers, the first presidents of the United States and Civil War icons, you note the charming fountain standing in front of the large brick city hall and an American flag flying proudly in the background.

Only a few miles away from Georgetown sits the quaint town of Alexandria, Va. With its city hall, town center and historic King Street, Old Town Alexandria is a quintessential American town with an even more quintessentially American history.

The picturesque town of Alexandria began as a shipping port with its founding in 1749, two years before that of Georgetown. In 1801, Alexandria joined Georgetown as a city within the newly-formed capital city, Washington, D.C. But several years later in 1847, voters in Alexandria decided to secede from D.C. and return to its Virginian roots.

Before the Civil War, Alexandria played host to the Franklin and Armfield Slave Market, one of the largest slave trading companies in the nation from 1828 to 1836. The slave market sent over 1,000 slaves a year to the south and was later turned into a jail during the Union Army’s occupation of the town during the Civil War.

Today, Old Town still maintains most of its rich 18th- and 19th- century architecture, as well as its trolley system, which previously extended throughout all of D.C. for almost 100 years. While trolleys used to run the streets of Georgetown as well, evidenced by the abandoned tracks that still lie on the cobblestone roads Georgetown’s trolley system was replaced with buses in the mid-20th century. But it’s not just the trolleys that make Alexandria reminiscent of America’s past. Long before the tourists of today crowded the stores and restaurants of King Street, famous colonial figures were mingling on the roads of Alexandria, and one of the local favorites of yesteryear remains a thriving social center today. The oldest restaurant in Alexandria, Gadsby’s Tavern Restaurant, was frequented by many prominent customers, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison and James Monroe.

A little further north of King Street is Christ Church, where George Washington, Franklin Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Robert E. Lee attended religious services throughout the centuries. Designed in the colonial Georgian style, it is the oldest Episcopal Church in Alexandria and remains open for worship today.

“So many towns are fast-paced while Alexandria seemed slower with a more close-knit community,” Jenine Boileau (COL ’11) said.

Alexandria keeps its past alive through its museums and historic houses. The Athenaeum used to house the Bank of the Old Dominion, where Robert E. Lee did his banking. Currently, the Athenaeum stands as an art gallery. The Lyceum, originally a hall for lectures and scientific experiments, has since been transformed into a Civil War hospital, a private home, an office and America’s first Bicentennial Center. It rests now as a museum dedicated to Alexandria’s history.

Several historic houses still stand around the town: The Carlyle House, home of the city’s founder John Carlyle, is one of the most notable houses in Alexandria. Not only is it the only stone house in the town, but it was converted for a brief time into General Braddock’s headquarters for the French and Indian War in 1755. The Lee-Fendall House was originally built by Robert E. Lee’s father in 1785. Thirty-seven members of the Lee family inhabited this house until 1903, with only a brief interruption during the Civil War when the Union Army took the house to use as a hospital.

Alexandria’s small town feel does not hinder large numbers of tourists visiting D.C. from flocking to its streets. Although it maintains its historical appearance, Alexandria is not lacking in modern day amenities to accomodate its visitors. One luxury it has that Georgetown does not is its own Metro stop, located right on King Street.

Unlike M Street’s upscale shopping, King Street is home to more boutiques and local stores. Maeva Cosier, an interior designer from local shop Embellishments of Alexandria, said that a majority of her customers are tourists.

“We get many visitors from about 20 to 25 states a week as well as foreign visitors looking for gifts that they can bring home,” she said. “Most business is from visitors and Alexandrians.”

Slightly outside of Old Town Alexandria are still more landmarks — on the outskirts of Alexandria is one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s houses. Through the building of the Pope-Leighey House, Wright wanted to prove that an affordable house could still be a work of art. The all-wood house is only 1,200 square feet, but truly shows that the use of space is much more important than the amount. Mount Vernon, George Washington’s expansive estate and gardens, also stands right outside of Alexandria. The town of Mount Vernon also includes Woodlawn, a house — which, like Mount Vernon, is made entirely of materials native to the area — given as a gift from George Washington to his nephew.

“The town is quaint, fun and educational; a great mix of all three,” Liani Balasuriya (COL ’11), another vistitor said.

In a quieter area outside D.C. limits, Alexandria maintains its colonial feel. The 18th- century architecture, its town trolley, and local shops and restaurants show that Alexandria appreciates its history and small-town charm. While Georgetown seems to grow busier year after year, Old Town Alexandria has found a way to maintain tourists as well as its classic American feel.