.]
In 1826, an extensive social description of Alexandria was published by Ann Royall, an itinerant travel writer, who penned a detailed description of its people and physical environs. She had doubts about the town's future prosperity, but commented that the Corporation maintained spacious, well-paved, well-lighted, kept clean and safe streets. She praised the handsome market house and bank buildings and the availability of good seafood and exotic fruits and vegetables. [Ann Royall, Sketches of History, Life, and Manners in the United States (1826), reprinted in Pen Portraits of Alexandria, Virginia, 1739 - 1900, courtesy Sarah Revis; edited by T. Michael Miller, Heritage Books, Inc. 1987]
The economic panic of 1819 severely hurt Alexandria, and a malaise hovered over the community. Numbers of Alexandrians mortgaged their houses and businesses and were forced to sell them at public auction. Bankruptcy records for the period vividly record this turbulent epoch.
By the mid 1820s, however, the economy had dramatically improved. Among the new industrial concerns was T.W. Smith and Co., an early manufacturer of steam engines. The town's recovery, however, was led by flour exports. Flour inspector James Cloud estimated that more than 200,000 barrels would have been inspected here between the October 1, 1825 and October 1, 1826-a number which was expected to "exceed the inspection of Richmond and consequently entitle Alexandria to rank as the fifth flour market in the Union." [Alexandria Gazette, 7/3/1826] Some observers pointed out that the town was making little forward progress depending on this single oar and failing to organize to effectively extend its commercial sphere to the mountains and beyond.
Even the founding of the Franklin and Armfield slave pen to buy up surplus slaves for shipment south was a tacit acknowledgment that the soil of the countryside was largely played out.
Alexandrians largely blamed their commercial condition on the District of Columbia and the government's favoritism toward Washington City. "There seems to prevail amongst the citizens of Alexandria, a deep rooted enmity against the Federal city; they sigh to be reunited to the state of Virginia. They are now engaged in an attempt to separate themselves from the District of Columbia by a petition to Congress...." [Ann Royall, Sketches of History, Life, and Manners in the United States]
And then, a disaster occurred which probably affected Alexandria more adversely than any other single event-the tragic fire of January 1827.
The fire originated, by accident in the workshop of Mr. James Green, cabinet maker, which stood in the interior of the square bounded by Fairfax, Prince, Royal, and King Streets and near the intersection of the two last.... The back buildings of several houses on Royal Street were consumed, as was also a frame dwelling fronting on the alley, and immediately south of Mr. Green's work shop. The fire soon reached Fairfax Street where it was checked on the North by the three story fire proof, occupied by Messrs. Edward Stabler and Sons as a drug store, but every other house on the West side of Fairfax Street south to Prince Street was simultaneously wrapped in flames and speedily consumed. From Fairfax and Prince Streets the fire jumped to the corner of Water [Lee] and Prince. In a few minutes, both sides of Prince-Street, between Water and Union, together with a warehouse on the east side of Water Street-four others on the West side of Union Street south of Prince, and three others on the same side of Union, north of Prince-were all in flames, and every house except two was destroyed-many of them with their whole contents.... For five hours the flames were rushing from house to house with increasing fury-furniture and goods, were scattered in every direction, women and children were flying for safety, and houses that were not burnt, were often on fire, sometimes dozens at once. [Alexandria Gazette 1/23/1827]
A town committee calculated the destruction at "53 buildings consisting of dwellings, ware and storehouses, exclusive of a 