St. John's Academy was established on September 8, 1833 on Prince Street in
Alexandria, Virginia by brothers William F. Carne and Richard L. Carne, along with Reverend John Smith, S.J. and other
Jesuits. In 1834, it moved to 57 South Royal Street, on the corner of Duke and South Royal Streets. In 1841, St. John's shut down. In 1847, the school reopened under the leadership of Richard Libbey Carne Jr. (1826–1911). Carne, the son of founder Richard L. Carne and previous student of St. John's, would serve as its principal for 45 years. The Academy initially had a reduction in students during the
Civil War, but the number enrolled steadily increased to 154 in the 1863–64 school year. St. John's was incorporated in 1894. St. John's closed in late 1895, before its charter was issued.
St. John's Cadets In September 1869, the St. John's Cadets were organized. They were known to attend local Alexandria and
Washington, D.C. parades. • 1895 – J. M. Vianney Ficklin ==Notable alumni==