St. John's Academy, Duke & South Columbus Streets, Alexandria, Independent City, Virginia

Significance: St. John's Academy, a military training school for boys is reported to date from 1833. It was founded by the brothers, William F. and Richard L. Carne. Mrs. Mary G. Powell in her History of Old Alexandria relates how drilling of the cadets in the public streets became a feature of the town and that the school had a fine reputation throughout the country. The School appears to have been closed for the duration of the Civil War. By Act of the General Assembly of March 29, 1870, the Governor of Virginia was authorized to lend to St. John's Academy in Alexandria a sufficient number of arms to enable its students to drill as volunteer militia. St. John's Academy was legally incorporated in 1894. Incorporators were Richard L. Carnes, James R. Caton, Lawrence W. Corbett, William F. Carne, Michael B. Harlow, Samuel G. Brent and Leonard Marbury. The Academy did not long survive issuance of its charter.
Survey number: HABS VA-450
Building/structure dates: 1833 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1850 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 66000928