Unseen Old Town Alexandria: Dee Campbell Boat House

Alexandria, VA – You probably recognized last month’s Unseen Old Town photo as the boat house of the Alexandria High School rowing program. It’s named for beloved rowing coach, Dee Campbell, who began coaching as the Francis Hammond High School Rowing Coach in 1957.
You may not be aware that competitive rowing on the Potomac finds its roots at the foot of King Street – the site of the original Old Dominion Boat Club, founded in 1880. In 1947 the Boat Club started sponsoring the boys rowing team for George Washington High School.
Later on, in the 1950s, the Boat Club sponsored Hammond High School crew. Campbell, who coached for 47 years, was integral in the success of the program, especially the girls teams, which began in 1974. The ladies won nine National Championships in the 1980s and 1990s. Campbell also took took the first Virginia high school girls team to the Henley Regatta in England.
Into the 1960s, the boys teams rowed out of the Boat Club. As the program grew, and with the addition of a third high school, T.C. Williams, more space was needed. The operation expanded next door to the Torpedo Factory, sharing space with it’s main tenant, The Federal Records Center. This predates the Torpedo Factory Art Center, which opened in 1974.
In 1986 the Dee Campbell Rowing Center was completed and occupied by the T.C. Williams Boys and Girls Rowing teams at the foot of Madison Street. It remains the only high school boathouse owned by a public school in Northern Virginia.
Have you noticed this around town? Where is it? What do you know about it?
To see more quirky photos and close-up angles of secret and not-so-secret spots in Old Town, Alexandria, and jump in with guesses, and comments, follow the discussion, and submit your own photos for consideration, join the Unseen Old Town Facebook group!
As for the photo above, we will reveal what it is and where it is in our next issue, along with a new one for you to ponder.
ICYMI: Understand Alexandria’s Past or Your Own: A Virtual Conversation With Oral Historians