Wilkes Street Tunnel — Attraction in Alexandria

Iron and Valor: The Wilkes Street Tunnel

Beneath the bricks, where echoes dwell, A tunnel carved through stone and shell— Wilkes Street bore the iron tide, As war and rails ran side by side.

The Civil tempest raged and burned, But through the earth, the wheels still turned— The U.S. Military's lifeline laid, By sweat and steel, the war was stayed.

Soldiers, laborers—grime and grit— Drove iron veins through the heart of it— With hammers' clang and lanterns' gleam, They forged the path for Lincoln’s dream.

Through smoky arches, freight would roar— With cannon, rations—tools of war— To feed the fight, to heal, to hold— The tunnel’s spine both fierce and bold.

But more than war was carved in stone— A pulse, a promise, the nation’s bone— For when the cannons ceased their cry, The rails remained, the steel would fly.

Today, in shadowed, moss-clad peace, The tunnel’s whispers never cease— They sing of labor, loss, and might— A buried road—a...

According to legend the Wilkes Street Tunnel is haunted by an old ghost train. The Wilkes Street Tunnel was part of the eastern division of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, founded in 1848 to promote trade with western Virginia. The Orange and Alexandria Railroad inaugurated it's track in Alexandria on 7 May, 1851 with a run from the north end of union street to the Wilkes Street Tunnel. The tunnel linked the railroad to the warehouses and wharves along the water front. Located nearby,the Smith and Perkins Foundry manufactured locomotives for the Orange and Alexandria and other railroads.

The Wilkes Street track continued in operation until 1975 when declining industrial activities along the waterfront no longer warranted...

Very neat place to visit! Situated in the middle of Wilkes Street, this tunnel spans a length of about 170 feet. It has an interesting past, dating back to the mid 1800s. It was used as a railway passage between DC and Richmond, shepparding troops and supplies to and from the front lines during the Civil War. The tunnel was also used considerably during World War I. The tunnel also has history with accidents of several persons around and during the time of the Civil War, where one person was stabbed to death. For this reason, there continues to be speculation that this tunnel is...