Here, at last, is something in Alexandria to see where you learn a lot about who lived there, what he did, his role in history, and why the house was preserved. For $5 and an hour of your time, you get a real sense not only of the resident of Carlyle House, but also of every other "Englishman" who lived in the Alexandria area at the time.
As the docent tells you when you take a tour, and the video at the beginning also explains, there are features of this house that are immediately different from other houses at the time. First, it is not build on the edge of the property against the sidewalk. Instead, the owner, John Carlyle, built the house against the border of the swamp that used to be there, alongside the river, back in the 1700s. This meant that people approaching his house would notice a nice big front yard upon approaching. Second, unlike most homeowners at the time, John Carlyle build the house of out stone, not wood. Lastly, the least obvious difference is that this house was build right on the market and the cross-sections of what was then the main streets. Some people don't like that now, but back then it was fashionable to do, if you could.
These facts raise the salient question: just who was this John Carlyle? He was at least different from other Alexandria residents at the time. John Carlyle was a very successful merchant from a part of England that bordered Scotland. He came to "the colonies" to make some money, and fully intended to return to England for retirement. He was friends with George Washington, and hosted English General Braddock in his home when America was still a colony.
So, the reason his house was made of stone is because that's what he was accustomed to from his part of England, and the reason his house was build against the back property line (and not the sidewalk) was so that his office could look right out the window at the ships approaching Alexandria with his merchandise. There were few other men at the time who had such a large, different, and imposing house back then. But, he resembled most of them because they all thought of themselves as Englishmen, although that was about to change.
What is great about this house and what you learn inside is that it is really steeped in history. In his dining room, John Carlyle hosted English soldiers who were there, at the time, to discuss the French and Native Americans, and the problems they were causing colonials. Unfortunately for the colonials, they learned through the callous behavior of the soldiers that they were different, and that their problems were not British problems, only colonial problems. When the British learned that "the colonials" could not afford to pay for managing their problems with "the natives" and the French, things like the Stamp Act went into effect. And ... the gentlemen of Alexandria such as John Carlyle, and their neighbors down the river such as George Washington (in Mount Vernon) developed a slow sense of being an American. At the time, it was a sentiment of knowing that you're worth more than how the government is treating you.
Inside the house, you also see where the ladies did their sewing and music, original furniture in the master bedroom that John Carlyle bought from his father-in-law who returned to England, which the house still has today. The color of the walls and wallpaper are reproductions to match what the house originally contained, which preservationists discovered through reading letters that John Carlyle wrote to his brother in law and others.
The only information that is lacking is about the garden. From signs on the garden property, this information was difficult to find. Part of the problem is that after John Carlye's family lost possession of the house, someone bought it and actually build a hotel that wrapped all the way around the house, on the grounds of the plot that originally had yard and gardens. The Carlyle house was not actually restored until 1975, and because it was made of stone, it survived the centuries. Although famous soldiers and politicians stayed in the hotel that surrounded the house, the house was the favored subject for restoration.
Out of all the Alexandria history tours that I have taken thus far, this is my favorite. What puzzles me is how little the city, so proud of its history, publicizes the house. I found out about the house by conducting a web search of sights in Alexandria and found it on a parks & recreation site. I didn't know much about this house, even though years ago, some social event had taken place on its patio (a modern addition, not an original part of the house.)
Tourists come to Alexandria for the Torpedo factory, the king street shops, and the waterfront. They might get a taste of history if they try. To me, the Carlyle house is really for the resident. Only people who have lived here long enough to hear and read about the area's history really understand how much occurred in Alexandria. After all, tourists think that Washington DC is the big attraction -- many don't think of Alexandria at all. For these reasons, I recommend the Carlye house to the visiting historian or the local. It's a great taste of your hometown area!
