Torpedo Factory Art Center (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this roadside historical marker:

Torpedo Factory Art Center
City of Alexandria Est. 1749

Originally called the United States Naval Torpedo Station, the Torpedo Factory was built during World War I, and was specifically designed for the fabrications of dangerous naval ordnance. The building was barely completed when that war ended in November 1919, but it was ready for service when World War II began. It was during this time that Alexandria's development, and role in our national defense, expanded rapidly due to a huge increase in defense workers to the Washington region.

During the 1960s, the Torpedo Factory served as a storage facility for the National Archives and it was here that the documents from the famous Nuremburg Trials, which prosecuted major economic, military and political leaders of Nazi Germany after the war, were kept.

The Torpedo Factory Art Center, founded in 1974, was the result of the "sweat equity" of local residents who largely converted the vacant and deteriorated building into art studios with their own hands. It stands as one of the nation's earliest examples of the adaptive reuse of a historic building. The Torpedo Factory showcases the community's dedication to investing in arts and culture, and to providing an educational service to inspire the public. This commitment has positioned the City of Alexandria as one of the top art destinations in America.

The long tenure of what began as a three-year experiment also illustrates that the individuals who conceived this artist "village," and the organization that was created to operate it, had a workable concept. This major cultural attraction, created form a surplus government building, has long been an anchor for the lower King Street area. It continues to serve as an invaluable arts education resource and contributes to the image of the City of Alexandria as a sophisticated community with vibrant cultural options.

Erected by City of Alexandria.


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Here follows an excerpt from the book, “Snake Hill to Spring Bank” which was an oral history project conducted by students at Groveton High School in the mid-1970s. The interviews were transcribed under the direction of their teachers and local historian Edith Moore Sprouse.

From the interview with Kent Crowther:
"I came here December 7, 1940, and have lived here since that time. My dad came here to open up the Torpedo plant. He was one of the four men picked to open the Torpedo plant to make torpedoes for World War II."