Category:Alexandria Academy

English: The Alexandria Academy at 604 Wolfe Street at South Washington Street, Old Town Alexandria, was incorporated by the Virginia Assembly in 1786. Three different schools occupied the three floors of the building: the English School for paying student (grammar, writing, arithmetic, physical sciences) on the first floor, the Learned Language School (Latin, Greek) on the second floor, and the Free School, for girls, orphans and other poor children on the third floor. The Free School was endowed and supported by George Washington.

After the War of 1812, the Free School moved to Georgetown, and an association of free African-Americans established a school on the third floor in 1812, but in 1830 the Virginia legislature banned the education of African-Americans, whether free or enslaved. During the Union occupation of Alexandria in the Civil War, the building once again housed a free school for African-American children, as well as a freeman's hospital and school.

The building was returned to the School Board of Alexandria in 1884, and was used as a public school and administrative offices until 1982. In 1995 it was purchased by the Historic Alexandria Foundation in 1995, which restored it in 1999. It is currently leased to cultural and educational institutions.

(Description sources: "George Washington's Mount Vernon: Alexandria Academy], and Plaque on site)