Lawrence Washington (1718–1752)

Who was Lawrence Washington (1718–1752)?

Lawrence Washington (1718–1752) was a soldier and prominent landowner in colonial Virginia. As a founding member of the Ohio Company of Virginia, and a member of the colonial legislature representing Fairfax County, he was chiefly responsible for establishing the town of Alexandria, Virginia on the banks of the Potomac River in 1749.

Washington was the older and beloved half-brother of George Washington, the future United States President. He was the first of the family to live in the Mount Vernon estate, which he named after his commanding officer in the War of Jenkins' Ear, Admiral Edward Vernon.