Unseen Old Town: Grittier Glimpse of South Union Street in 1972
Alexandria, VA – The photo featured in July’s Unseen Old Town offers a grittier glimpse of our hometown.
We’re looking down the 100 block of South Union Street, approaching Captain’s Row. This photograph, taken by Julian Burke just after Tropical Storm Agnes struck in June 1972, captures a sandy, storm-swept street still bearing the mark of rising Potomac floodwaters.
Notice the sandbags bracing the doorways of the old warehouse on the corner—an attempt to hold back the surge brought on by Agnes’ heavy rains. Sand may also have spilled over from the Virginia Concrete Plant, just out of frame to the left. That site would later become the large office building that now dominates the east side of the block and overlooks Waterfront Park.
This image hints at a city in transition—from a modest Southern town to the ever-evolving part of the DMV we know today. Though it may be hard to picture now, Alexandria once moved at a slower, more provincial pace.
On the immediate right, you can spot signs of change already underway: a plumbing supply yard, its fading ghost signage visible on the brick wall, was about to become the elegant King’s Landing restaurant. In 1968, Virginia updated its liquor laws to allow cocktails in restaurants—a turning point that inspired bold restaurateurs to transform old warehouses into new dining destinations like The Wharf, The Warehouse, and King’s Landing.
Even historic structures like the Norman Fitzhugh Warehouse—one of Old Town’s oldest—found new life. For decades, it housed the beloved Christmas Attic, a cherished shop that reigned from the 1970s until it closed in 2020.
Next time, we’ll explore more of the pivotal changes that helped Alexandria grow into the vibrant city and tourist destination it is today.
