Born from the original sin of the United States, Alexandria once belonged to the 10 square miles of the Nation’s capital, Washington DC. Fearing the loss of profit from the slave trade the port city along the Potomac petitioned the Federal and commonwealth of Virginia governments for retrocession, which was granted in 1846, fourteen years before the Civil War. Washington DC lost a third of its area. The Union then occupied Alexandria during the Civil war and its importance regarding Naval Affairs of the Nation has persisted ever since. Thomas S. Jamieson and the subsequent Alexandria Ironworks played a role in those endeavors as well as provided ornamental ironwork for the White House. The former Ironworks was located at South Royal and Wilkes streets, now a Safeway supermarket, but this ironcover or Opercula, is still extant on Kings Street in the historic district. A twelve-sided starburst that is interrupted by twelve circles characterizes the cover. The foundry name and abbreviated location round out the circumference with a familiar-shaped gum splat at four O’clock.