A sumptuous example of a wealthy merchant’s town house of the mid-19th century, the Bayne-Fowle House was built in 1854 for William Bayne, a commission merchant and grocer. It is one of the few buildings in Old Town Alexandria with a stone façade, although the brown sandstone has been painted for many years. Of particular interest is the richly appointed suite of reception rooms comprising one of the grandest mid-Victorian interiors in the state. The rooms retain their 1870s gasoliers, early pier mirrors, and window cornices. The parlors are separated by a pendant arcade, the only example of this architectural device in the state. The Bayne-Fowle House was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War. In 1864 the Federal government confiscated the property for a hospital. Original graffiti from the occupation remains on the attic walls.