Free previewStop 6 of Old Town Alexandria Walking Tour: Duke Street to the Waterfront
Saved by a Baltimore Ice Cream Man
You're on Fairfax Street, a short walk from Carlyle House, standing outside the old apothecary that Alexandrians call simply the Apothecary. Look at the shopfront in front of you. From 1805 until 1933, one family sold medicine from this spot. And inside, most of the artifacts are authentic and date to the day the shop closed.
The shop was started in 1792 by Edward Stabler, a devout Quaker and a savvy businessman. He rented a corner space at King and Fairfax, then moved here. Much of what he sold he made on the spot, from plants and herbs. His customers ran from the local farmer to the local doctor, and from Martha Washington, who bought from him in 1802, to Robert E. Lee. Stabler was also a known opponent of slavery, and he often spent his own money to buy enslaved people so he could free them.
That's the opening. The rest plays at stop 6 of Old Town Alexandria Walking Tour: Duke Street to the Waterfront (3 min in all). Unlock the tour to hear it all, or try stop 1 free first.
