On This Day in Alexandria History — “On May 13, 1904, in the center of the intersection of Prince and South Washington Streets, a decorative iron fence, cast iron urns and landscaping was installed around the statue Appomattox, the location where upwards of 800 Alexandria troops gathered in the early morning hours of May 24, 1861 as Union troops began their Civil War occupation of Alexandria. In May 1889, the statue sculpted by Caspar Buberl, based on a soldier in John Elder’s battlefield painting of the same name, was installed at the site.” [Historic Alexandria]

Del Ray House & Garden Tour Raises Over $27K for Local Causes — Hundreds attended the tour featuring a dozen homes in the Del Ray neighborhood on Saturday, May 9. Proceeds from the tour will go to the Little Red Caboose restoration between the Mount Vernon Rec Center, Mount Vernon Community School, and Duncan Library, as well as Mount Vernon Community School after-school tutoring, and the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria. [Del Ray Citizens Association news release]

On This Day in Alexandria History — “On May 12, 1909, a large fire broke out at Smoot Lumber at Union and Cameron streets. Originating at the planing mill near Lee Street, the fire caused an estimated $500,000 in damage. Firefighters drafted water from the Potomac River to help put out the blaze.” [Historic Alexandria]

Worries About Supreme Court Decision on Voting Rights — “The decision significantly narrowed how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act can be used in redistricting disputes and made it more difficult to challenge maps that dilute minority voting strength. The ruling stopped short of invalidating Section 2 altogether, but critics across Virginia say it represents the most consequential rollback of federal voting rights protections since Shelby County v. Holder, the 2013 ruling that eliminated the federal preclearance system requiring states with histories of discrimination to obtain federal approval before changing election laws.” [Virginia Mercury]