Orange and Alexandria Railroad Hooff's Run Bridge
Also known as: Dhr# 100-149
Why it's listed
Spanning Hooff's Run in Alexandria, Virginia, this gray sandstone arch bridge was completed in 1856 for the Orange & Alexandria Railroad, the first railroad to serve the city and northern Virginia. The original section is about 28 feet wide with a round brick-vaulted arch of roughly 21 feet. A 16-foot red sandstone addition on the south side, built ca. 1885-1895, made room for a further track. Engineer Thomas C. Atkinson directed the railroad's early construction. The bridge is the oldest surviving bridge in Alexandria and, apart from the Wilkes Street tunnel, the only remaining relic of the line in the city. During the Civil War the railroad was taken over by the U.S. Military Railroads, giving the crossing a military role as a supply route. Remnants of an 1872 Baltimore & Potomac bridge abutment lie to the north. Tracks were removed in 1990, and the deck now serves vehicles.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criteria A and C in the economic, transportation and military history of Alexandria and Virginia. It is the oldest extant bridge in Alexandria and a major remnant of the city's early railroad history, built by the first railroad to serve Alexandria. It was used during the Civil War by the U.S. Military Railroads.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 03000740, listed August 7, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jamieson Ave. at Hooff's Run, Alexandria (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Alexandria |
| Listed | August 7, 2003 |
| Reference number | 03000740 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1856-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Engineer: T. C. Atkinson; Builder: Not known |
| Architectural style | OTHER: stone-arch railroad bridge |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Economics, Military |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The 1856 bridge is described as in good condition; the tracks were removed in 1990 and the deck was gravelled for use as a vehicle surface. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.80301, -77.05860 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 03000740.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7099764
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.