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A Fine Beginning
Carlyle House stands as a reminder of Alexandria’s prosperity and growth during the mid-eighteenth century. One of the founders and first landowners in Alexandria, John Carlyle and his first wife Sarah Fairfax, moved into their completed house on August 1, 1753. That same night, she gave birth to their first son, prompting John to write to his brother George “its a fine beginning.” Sadly, John's beloved wife Sarah died on January 22, 1761 after giving birth to their seventh child, a daughter named Anne. On October 22, 1761 John then married the daughter of town trustee, Hugh West.
The story of Carlyle House parallels the early history of Alexandria, colonial Virginia, and America. Restored during the statewide celebrations for the Bicentennial, the house is owned and operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Carlyle House interprets the lifestyle of an 18th-century Virginia family and their servants and slaves.
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