ne and her husband, William Bird, sold
to Jonah Thompson and David Findley for L1,500 (about $7,500) the
property described as being in Fairfax Street, 60 feet to the north of
Cameron, and extending north upon Fairfax Street 119 feet 3 inches to
the line of Herbert, Potts and Wilson, thence East parallel to Cameron
to cross Water and Union Streets into the Potomac River, thence with a
line parallel to Fairfax south 119 feet 3 inches, and included houses,
buildings, streets, lanes, alleys, and so on. But the Birds reserved the
right to the "use and occupation of the dwelling House now occupied" and
the kitchen and garden, until the "1st day of October next" and also
reserved unto Lanty Crowe the house "demised unto him to the end of his
term, he paying the annual rent thereof unto the said Jonah Thompson and
David Findley."[80] Findley died within the year and Jonah Thompson
bought from Amelia Findley, the mother and heir of David Findley, equal
and undivided portion of the already described lot and paid her the sum
of L500 12_s._

[Illustration: Jonah Thompson's House purchased from John Dalton's
daughter, Catherine Bird]

Jonah Thompson was an important citizen of Alexandria. He was a shipping
merchant, banker and large property owner. He married Margaret Peyton
and they had three sons, Israel, William Edward, and James; a daughter,
Mary Ann, married a Mr. Popham, and another daughter, Eugenia, married a
Mr. Morgan.

In 1809 Jonah Thompson mortgaged this property to the Bank of Alexandria
for $13,500, which he paid within four years. In May 1850, the heirs of
Jonah Thompson sold to Benjamin Hallowell for $4,600 a lot beginning at
the south side of the alley which divided the block, running south 43
feet 7 inches. Benjamin Hallowell, in turn, sold to James S. Hallowell
for nine thousand dollars in April 1854, and from James S. Hallowell and
his wife the property passed through various hands until it became St.
Mary's Academy.

The Jonah Thompson house, part of it at least already built in 1793, is
one of the most interesting houses to be found anywhere. It is unusually
large and has two handsome arched stone entrances. One, although
similar, obviously was added, as the line of demarcation is plainly
visible between the bricks.

The house has been sadly abused with no thought given its architectural
merits and much of the woodwork has been removed. The stair is perhaps
the finest in Alexandria, with spindles and ri