[1] John Wise, a local Alexandria businessman and hotel keeper, hosted a meeting in his home in 1789 to discuss the creation of a Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge.

James Muir, physician Elisha Cullen Dick, and George Washington's personal attorney Charles Lee.

Druggist Edward Stabler was elected the first librarian and the library's first location is believed to have been housed in his apothecary shop.

James Kennedy was elected the second librarian, and the library moved to his residence and place of business.

The collection grew over time, bolstered in part by the fact that some members paid their dues in books.

Speakers included Professor Joseph Henry of the Smithsonian, Colonel Francis H. Smith of the Virginia Military Institute, and humorist George W. Bagby.

They petitioned the school board to open a subscription library in Peabody Hall, using the old books stored there.

[2] An informal agreement provided that the interments would not be disturbed, although the few gravestones were transferred to the Woodlawn Quaker Meetinghouse and a granite marker acknowledges the former use.

Due to practices common in Virginia and other Southern states at the time, the public library originally only permitted white residents to use the facility.

On August 21, 1939, several young African American men, in a strategy devised by attorney Samuel Wilbert Tucker (who grew up about two blocks from the new library), staged a peaceable sit-in at the library to enable African Americans to use that public facility in the first known non-violent sit-in of the Civil rights movement in America.

[4][5][6][7] Although they were arrested, charges were ultimately dropped by city attorney Armistead Boothe, and a branch library was built in 1940 for African Americans and named after Robert H. Robinson, which closed circa 1960 and now houses the Alexandria Black History Museum.

[12] Patrons check out more than 1.5 million titles annually, including books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, eAudioBooks, and other items.

Thus residents of the District of Columbia, the Maryland Counties of Montgomery, and Prince George's, the Virginia cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, and Virginia counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, and Prince William are all eligible.