Once again, the Confederacy has been handed a defeat in Richmond that sends ripples up to Alexandria.
Alexandria has debated and put plans in place for the Appomattox statue at the intersection of Prince and S. Washington Streets for years, but state law stood in the way of actually making any progress toward removing it.
A new deli is in the works for a building on S. Washington Street that was once Union officers’ quarters during the Civil War.
The site is planned to be turned into Delicious Deli Inc., a full-service, 1,600 square foot restaurant. The restaurant will be a neighbor to Ally & Indy Pet Boutique, which shares the ground floor of the double-house.
City Finalizes Freedom House Purchase — “What happened at 1315 Duke St. had a terrible and lasting impact on America. Freedom House encourages us to speak truth to power and delve deeper to confront the hard, honest truths about race, class and equity in this country.” [City of Alexandria]
The Birchmere Starts GoFundMe Fundraiser For Staff — “As you know, we have had to cancel or postpone all of our shows for the foreseeable future, at least into May. With no shows this means that all of our hourly and tipped workers (kitchen, wait & bar staff) are not getting paid. We have been asked by many fans of The Birchmere if there was a way they can help so we have setup this GoFundMe page for them.” [GoFundMe]
The Office of Historic Alexandria announced this morning (Tuesday) that it will be shutting down immediately and taking most of the city’s museums with it.
City Releases Multi-Language Coronavirus Fact Sheets — “The Alexandria Health Department has made multiple resources available regarding the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (now called “COVID-19″), and the Department of Community and Human Services encourages residents to read and share this information, especially in communities where languages other than English are primarily spoken, and with vulnerable residents, including those who may not have access to traditional media.” [City of Alexandria]
ARHA Looks to Redevelop Affordable Housing Properties — “Alexandria is now looking to redevelop five of its public housing communities, putting out a call for developers to replace 288 affordable homes around the city while building new “mixed-income communities… The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority recently issued a request for qualifications for interested developers on the projects, renewing a similar effort launched more than six years ago.” [Washington Business Journal]
After working decades to get legislation passed for a museum dedicated to women’s history on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the National Women’s History Museum is negotiating to open a two-level 40,000-square-foot location at Union Station.
The proposed museum’s administrative offices have been based in the Alexandria’s West End since it was founded in 1996, with the goal of eventually opening on or near the National Mall. Last month, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women’s History Museum Act, but it does not include a timeline or location.
Mark your calendars, the Del Ray community is planning to open some of the neighborhood’s iconic homes and well-kept gardens to the public.
On May 9, the Del Ray Citizens Association is scheduled to host the 2020 Del Ray House and Garden Tour. There are 10 homes on the list this year, ranging from a cottage that was one of the first homes built in Del Ray.
Twenty years before slavery was abolished, there were black Freemasons in Alexandria. This month, Alexandria’s Universal Lodge No. 1, which is the first “Prince Hall” in Virginia, celebrated its 175th anniversary.
“We are standing on the shoulders of previous generations looking forward,” McArthur Myers, the 174th past master at the lodge told ALXnow. “We have to recognize all who went before us and the responsibility of the stewardship in our presence as we look at the future.”
Shirley Marshall-Lee has always felt relaxed in the water. The 84-year-old Alexandrian is widely regarded as the first certified female African American sport diver.
“Water makes me comfortable,” Marshall-Lee told ALXnow. “I’ll think about the day, and I don’t have to worry about anything.”
With both the Virginia House and Senate approving legislation to allow localities to remove Confederate statues, it would seem the Appomattox statue’s days are numbered.
The statue sits in the center of the intersection of S. Washington Street and Prince Street, where it’s been occasionally struck by cars.
You may not be familiar with the city’s Historic Preservation Manager William “Al” Cox, but if you walked around Old Town you’re familiar with his work.
After 28 years of shaping the city’s policy on architecture and historic preservation and 10 years as the historic preservation manager, Cox is retiring.
