The Alexandria City Council’s Naming Committee is moving forward with plans to rename or rededicate four streets currently named for Confederate military leaders, focusing on honoring local historical figures and civic leaders instead.
Councilman John Chapman presented the committee’s Phase 2 recommendations during Tuesday’s council meeting, outlining proposed changes for Calhoun Avenue, Stevens Street, Frost Street, and Iverson Street. The changes are part of an ongoing effort to address street names established by a 1953 ordinance that required north-south streets to be named after Confederate leaders.
“We’re going to focus on the remaining street names that were identified from the 1953 ordinance,” Chapman said. “These have been suggested for rededication.”
The committee proposes rededicating Calhoun Avenue, currently named for a major in the Confederate army, to Robert Calhoun Avenue. Robert “Bob” Calhoun was a former Alexandria City Council member.
“Calhoun Avenue, currently named for a major in the Confederate army, and the proposal is to rededicate that street and name it after Robert Calhoun, Robert Calhoun Avenue, that would be a former council member,” Chapman said. “Some of you may have met or known Mr. Calhoun during his time here in the city and on the council.”
Stevens Street would be rededicated to Moses Stevens Street, honoring a pioneering Black businessman in post-Civil War Alexandria who founded Mount Jezreel Baptist Church. The street is currently named for two different Confederate generals.
“Stevens street, named for two different Confederate generals, and the proposed name is going to be Moses Stevens street, who was a pioneering black businessman during post-Civil War Alexandria and the founder of Mount Jezreel Baptist Church here in the city,” Chapman explained.
Frost Street would retain its name but be rededicated to honor a Union soldier buried at Alexandria National Cemetery, rather than the Confederate brigadier general for whom it is currently named.
“The third is going to be a potential rededication of Frost street, and that’s going to go from a brigadier general in the Confederate army to a Union soldier here in Alexandria who’s buried over at Alexandria National Cemetery,” Chapman said.
The committee also recommends renaming Iverson Street to Edmonson Street, in honor of Mary and Emily Edmonson, two enslaved women who attempted to escape aboard the schooner Pearl in 1848.
Iverson Street, which is currently under proposal, is named for Brigadier General Iverson from the Confederate Army. [The proposed] name is going to be Edmonson Street, named after Mary and Emily Edmonson, who are two of the enslaved people that attempted escape along the Pearl in 1848,” Chapman said. “They were jailed at the Bruin slave jail in Alexandria. When they were freed, they traveled the country discussing the need for abolitionism.”
Councilman Abdel-Rahman Elnoubi, who also serves on the naming committee, highlighted the research contributions from local students. High school interns from local private high schools and middle school students from public middle schools have assisted in researching potential street names.
“[We have] interns from local high schools, private high schools, and actually middle school, public middle school, who work on researching the street names and see if we can rededicate those streets,” Elnoubi said. “And as my colleague mentioned, we found some streets that can be easily [rededicated]. And the idea behind that is to make things logistically easier and to be efficient in these resources.”
The committee found that not every street could be easily rededicated, requiring some complete renamings rather than simple rededications to new honorees.
“Unfortunately, not every street could be rededicated. So we’re gonna have to do some renaming,” Elnoubi said. “We decided on one. And then we have several streets coming up, some on major roads, so it’s going to be a bit challenging. Some of them have over 500 addresses.”
The naming committee has already completed Phase 1 of the street renaming process, changing four street names in 2024. North Breckenridge Place became Harriet Jacobs Street, Forrest Street became Forest Street with one “r,” Jordan Street became Thomasina Jordan Street, and Early Street became Earley Street in honor of Charity Earley.
“We changed four different street names. [North] Breckenridge Place to [Harriet] Jacobs Street, Forest Street to Forest Street with [one] R, Jordan Street to Thomasina Jordan Street, and Early Street to another spelling of Early Street in honor of [Charity] Earley,” Chapman said. “All those street signs have already been installed, and we are now moving to our next phase of this, which is going to take place over this year, 2026, and hopefully 2027 as well.”
Chapman indicated the committee will return next month with a discussion about the process they will follow for the Phase 2 renamings.
“We will have next month, we’ll come back with a discussion about the process that we will follow,” Chapman said. “As some of you may remember, we will have a public hearing or have had public hearings about street names, allowing the community to weigh in or suggest additional names.”
For more information about the street renaming process, visit the city’s website. The full Phase 2 renaming recommendations are also available online.
