Burke & Herbert Bank seeks approval for illuminated signs

Published September 23, 2025 at 1:45PM

Burke and Herbert Bank at the corner of Fairfax and King Street in Old Town (Staff photo by Jay Westcott)

After 120 years at 100 S. Fairfax Street in Old Town, Burke & Herbert Bank wants to illuminate its signs.

In a proposal that’s going to the city’s Board of Architectural Review, the bank wants to install halo-lit signs facing S. Fairfax and King Streets. The signs would be repainted and LED lights installed behind them, shining on the wall and creating a halo effect around the letters.

Burke & Herbert Bank was founded in 1852 and is the oldest bank in Virginia. The bank moved to 100 S. Fairfax Street in 1905, diagonally across the street from City Hall (301 King Street). It was designed in the style of London’s Westminster Bank, according to the Alexandria Gazette.

The proposal will be presented to the BAR on Oct. 1.

Burke & Herbert Bank at 100 S. Fairfax Street wants to install halo-lit signs facing S. Fairfax and King Streets (via City of Alexandria)

About the Author

James Cullum

Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.