KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAOn the corner of King and Peyton in Alexandria, Virginia stands the old Coca Cola bottling plant that now houses the headquarters of several businesses, including the offices of the Virginia Railway Express.

On this corner back in 1888 stood the Old Virginia House, a hotel that offered, for 1 dollar a day, large bedrooms, dining rooms, a bar and a parlor for travelers.

The Hotel was later owned and renamed by Washington “Wash” Jackson. The Hotel Jackson served African American clientele and was a venue for African American community and civic activities, such as the staging area for the emancipation celebration in 1903 and the meeting site for a local branch of the National Negro Men's Business League in 1905.

In November 1927, the Hotel Jackson was severely damaged by a tornado and it was ordered razed by the City in 1930.

The Alexandria Coca-Cola bottling plant was built on this corner in 1932. In 1983, the building was renovated and converted for use as office and retail space and Virginia Railway Express moved in in 1998.