Shuter's Hill

Shuter's Hill, a high bluff overlooking King Street, was probably named for a local resident named Shuter who lived nearby in the 1740s. People have visited the site for more than 5,000 years, and archaeologists have uncovered evidence of Native Americans living there, vestiges of a late 18th century plantation, a mid-19th century estate, and Union troops from Civil War times. John Mills, a merchant, constructed an elegant mansion on the hilltop in 1781, and by 1800 the property had been sold to the Lee and then Dulany family. Benjamin Dulany, a wealthy planter, used the property as a summer home, and city archaeologists have excavated the plantation laundry. The mansion burned in 1842 and was replaced by several smaller houses in subsequent years. During the Civil War, Shuter's Hill was a focal point of military activity when Alexandria served as a center for Union troop supplies, transport, and medical care. Two fortifications, Fort Dahigren and Fort Ellsworth, were built atop the hill as part of the Defenses of Washington, a series of 160 forts and batteries built to protect the nation's capital. In 1909 the Wright brothers flew over Shuter's Hill after taking off from nearby Fort Myer. Construction of the George Washington National Memorial began in 1922, and its official dedication took place a decade later.

Alexandria, Virginia · United States