Old Town is situated in the eastern and southeastern area of Alexandria along the Potomac River and is laid out on a grid plan of substantially square blocks.

[4] On July 9, 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River, formed from land donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia, two pre-existing settlements were included in the territory: the port of Georgetown, Maryland, founded in 1751,[5] and the port city of Alexandria, Virginia, founded in 1749.

[8][9] Robert E. Lee grew up in Old Town Alexandria after his father could no longer afford for them to stay at Stratford Hall.

Lee also attended Christ Church and later moved to the nearby Arlington House after marrying into George Washington's family.

[11] In the 1830s Alexandria's citizens petitioned Virginia to take back the land it had donated to form the district, through a process known as retrocession.

[1] Some of the historic landmarks in Old Town include: The Washington Metro King Street station opened in 1983, it led to a spurt of new hotel and office building developments in western Old Town, and gentrification of townhouse areas west of Washington Street which were previously an African-American community.

In 1964 the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association (NVFAA) bought the building and repurposed it as the Athenaeum.

The museum and its laboratory are located on the third floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, at 105 N. Union Street in historic Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

The King street corridor, which starts at the foot of the George Washington Masonic Memorial, and runs directly east until arriving at the west bank of the Potomac River, is where most of Old Town's commercial footprint lies.

The Crier, as it's called began as a community paper that promoted the history and lifestyle unique to Old Town but has gradually become a regional source for news.

[22] In Old Town are celebrated the following events: These parades and other official events are typically led by Alexandria's town crier, who, often dressed elaborately, by a tradition dating to the 18th century, in a red coat, breeches, black boots and a tricorne hat, welcomes participants.

[27] The event, which involves a parade through the center of Old Town Alexandria, celebrates the city's Scottish heritage, and is the centerpiece of a yearly holiday festival.