1
May
1779
Alexandria Incorporated as a Town
Alexandria, VA· month date
The Story
The Virginia General Assembly incorporated Alexandria as an official town in May 1779, with Dennis Ramsay serving as its first mayor. Incorporation during wartime gave residents formal municipal authority over their commercial and civic affairs at a moment when the war's demands on Virginia towns were intensifying. The timing — mid-war, with British naval activity along the Chesapeake increasing — reflected the practical need for coordinated local governance that would sustain Alexandria's commercial importance through the war and into the early republic.
People Involved
William Ramsay
Alexandria Merchant
Scottish-born merchant and one of Alexandria's earliest trustees. Active in Patriot organizing, served on the Fairfax County Committee of Safety, and helped coordinate the supply networks that linked Alexandria's commercial infrastructure to Continental Army logistics in the northern theater.
Dennis Ramsay
Alexandria Mayor
Son of William Ramsay and one of Alexandria's most active civic leaders during and after the Revolution. Served as Alexandria's first mayor under its 1779 incorporation charter. Helped organize the farewell address given to Washington in 1789 when the general departed Alexandria for his first inauguration.
Sources for Alexandria