Picture a naval munitions plant swapped for artist studios: that transformation happened in 1974, right here on the Potomac in Old Town, Alexandria. The building at 105 North Union Street, near the eastern end of King Street, is home to the largest number of publicly accessible working artist studios in the United States. Each year more than a half‑million visitors interact with its community of artists. As of March 2022 it housed 82 artists' studios, eight galleries and workshops, and some 165 professional visual artists working in painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry, stained glass, fiber, printmaking, and sculpture.
After months of planning, on November 12, 1918—the day after Armistice Day—the U.S. Navy began construction of the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station. The Torpedo Factory has become a model of creative placemaking. Artists are selected through an annual jury and re‑jury process; once accepted they receive a three‑year lease of publicly subsidized rent. Beyond these walls, the Potomac River flows past, and King Street stretches away toward its eastern end.