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BHistory
History · Alexandria

Alexandria dates to 1793, and 8 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 55% of U.S. towns · #75 of 142 in Kentucky. What drives it

Most of Alexandria was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1994. Below: maps from 1936 on and the census since 1870.

1793founded
8on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Alexandria began

When was Alexandria founded?

1793

Alexandria dates its founding to 1793 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1870.

First census: 381 in 18702020 census: 10,341233 years

How historic is Alexandria?

B

More historic than 55% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1819.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Alexandria’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Alexandria is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #75 of 142 in Kentucky. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Alexandria’s overall grade.
Founding era1793, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 19401.5% of homes (±1.1) · typical KY town 5.9% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register8 listings, 31 historic buildings, 29.4 per 10,000 residents · typical KY town 29.9 · U.S. 2.4B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 55%
NewerOlder
Kentucky towns of 2,500+ (142)Ahead of 48%

Kentucky towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Kentucky town has 29.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Alexandria’s 29.4 sits near the middle of its state (51% of Kentucky towns have fewer) while its 31 historic buildings outnumber those of 82% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1793.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A−. The pre-1940 share (±1.1 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Alexandria’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Alexandria are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Landmarks on the Register8 places on the National Register.Deep rootsEstablished in 1793: 233 years of Alexandria.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Alexandria’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Alexandria’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

8 historic places in Alexandria

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
8
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
31
each building in a district counts
first listed
1983
Blenk House
Blenk HouseNicholas Kremer HouseSt. Joseph's Catholic Church and Cemetery, built 1864Andrew Ritter FarmFrederich Kremer HouseOrt-Heeb FarmReitman HouseUebel House
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Vernacular7
Blenk HouseVernacular
Nicholas Kremer HouseVernacular
St. Joseph's Catholic Church and CemeteryBuilt 1864
All 8 listings
Andrew Ritter FarmBuilding · listed 1983Frederich Kremer HouseBuilding · listed 1983Ort-Heeb FarmBuilding · listed 1983Reitman HouseBuilding · listed 1983Uebel HouseBuilding · listed 1983

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Timeline

Alexandria, 1793 to 1997

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 18th century
  2. 1793
    FoundingAlexandria is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1819Post officeThe Alexandria post office opens
  5. 1864BuiltSt. Joseph's Catholic Church and Cemetery is built
  6. 20th century
  7. 1936On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  8. 1974Born hereJohn Brannen is born here
  9. 1997Born hereCiara Bravo is born here
The story

How Alexandria came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Alexandria.

Read it all →

It is believed that the area that is now Alexandria was first settled by Frank Spilman and his family c. 1793. The Spilman family was from King George County, Virginia, and they may have named their settlement after Alexandria, Virginia. The family had begun developing and selling lots in the settlement by 1819, the year the first post office was established. On February 22, 1834, Alexandria was formally established by an act of the state assembly.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Alexandria, decade by decade

Today24 recent
Main Street2020Main StreetMain Street2020Main StreetLittle Free Library, Jefferson Street2020Little Free Library, Jefferson StreetKentucky Motor Service, Main Street2020Kentucky Motor Service, Main StreetKentucky Motor Service, Main Street2020Kentucky Motor Service, Main StreetKentucky Motor Service, Main Street2020Kentucky Motor Service, Main StreetKentucky Motor Service, Main Street2020Kentucky Motor Service, Main StreetKentucky Motor Service, Main Street2020Kentucky Motor Service, Main StreetJefferson Street2020Jefferson StreetHitching Post Fence, Main Street2020Hitching Post Fence, Main StreetHess & Racke Store, Main Street2020Hess & Racke Store, Main StreetHess & Racke Store, Main Street2020Hess & Racke Store, Main StreetHess & Racke Store, Main Street2020Hess & Racke Store, Main StreetHess & Racke Store, Main Street2020Hess & Racke Store, Main StreetHess & Racke Store, Main Street2020Hess & Racke Store, Main StreetHess & Racke Store, Main Street2020Hess & Racke Store, Main StreetHess & Racke Store, Main Street2020Hess & Racke Store, Main StreetHess & Racke Store, Main Street2020Hess & Racke Store, Main StreetHess & Racke Store, Main Street2020Hess & Racke Store, Main StreetGarage, Jefferson Street2020Garage, Jefferson StreetGarage, Jefferson Street2020Garage, Jefferson StreetGarage, Jefferson Street2020Garage, Jefferson StreetGarage, Jefferson Street2020Garage, Jefferson StreetChurch of God, Washington Street2020Church of God, Washington Street
On the map

Alexandria on the map, 1936 to 1981

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Alexandria. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Alexandria on the 1936 USGS mapAlexandria on the 1953 USGS mapAlexandria on the 1961 USGS mapAlexandria on the 1981 USGS map1936Alexandria sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Alexandria.

People over time

Alexandria, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,0001880190019201940196019802000202010,341

Grew from 381 people in 1870 to 10,341 in 2020, more than tenfold.

15 censuses, 1870–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Alexandria’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Alexandria

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Ciara BravoAmerican actress · b. 1997
J
John BrannenAmerican basketball coach · b. 1974
Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Alexandria’s post office has been open since 1819.

Gone or out of use
Campbell County PoorhouselocalePoplar Ridge Schoolschool
2cemeteries and burying grounds inside Alexandria
AlexandriaSaint Mary's

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Cold SpringIts storyCClaryvilleIts storyC−

Questions about Alexandria’s history

What year was Alexandria founded?

In 1793, according to Wikidata. Alexandria’s post office opened in 1819, and the census of 1870 counted 381 people here.

How does Alexandria rank for history?

Alexandria is more historic than 55% of U.S. towns, #75 of 142 in Kentucky. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Alexandria?

8 listings: 8 buildings, among them the Blenk House (listed 1983, the first). 31 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Alexandria?

2% of Alexandria’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.1 points), against a typical 5.9% for a Kentucky town; the median home was built in 1994.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (24), the National Register of Historic Places (8), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.