Take a step back in time on Oct. 4, as the Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden (614 Oronoco Street) hosts a Roaring Twenties speakeasy night.
The annual event commemorating the centennial of state-level prohibition against alcohol will take place in the museum’s historic garden, with music from the Conservatory Classic Jazz Band. Since 2016, the fundraiser has raised over $50,000 to support the museum. Tickets for the event cost $97.88.
A new tour will bring locals on a tour around the ‘Lost Buildings’ around the historic Black neighborhoods of the Berg and Parker-Gray.
The Berg is a neighborhood around North Pitt, North Royal and North Fairfax Streets. The neighborhood was founded by liberated Black families who moved to the neighborhood and sought the protection of the Union Army. Many were from Petersburg — thus “the Berg”. Many of the new Alexandria residents worked on the wharves and railroads during the Union occupation of the city.
Candlelight is one of the best ways of exploring a historic home, and staff at the Lee-Fendall House (614 Oronoco Street) are offering unique candlelight tours next month of the home’s Victorian-style holiday decorations.
On Friday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 16, tours led by candlelight will explore Victorian-era decorations in the home.
Spring gets into full swing in Alexandria this month, and there are dozens of events around the city to get you out of the house.
Visit Alexandria has compiled a list of events this month around town, including Easter egg hunts, book signings, a film screening and musical performances.
During the Civil War, the former home of Revolutionary War hero Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee was converted into a hospital for wounded Union soldiers. On Saturday (March 19), the Lee-Fendall House will briefly be converted into a hospital with living history reenactors.
The home of the former Virginia governor, and father of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, was also the site of the first-known successful blood transfusion.
GW Parkway to go on road diet next month — “The restriping program will alter lane configurations in an effort to make the Parkway safer for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists. The NPS will restripe the road between the City of Alexandria and George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate to create just one southbound lane instead of two, a turning lane and two northbound lanes between Stratford Lane (near Mount Vernon Estate) and Tulane Drive (just south of Belle View).” [Alexandria Living]
Couple donate Edward R. Murrow World War II microphone to National Press Club — “Casey Murrow’s father, broadcaster Edwin R. Murrow, used this microphone for his legendary radio broadcasts from London rooftops to describe live Germany air raids during World War II.” [Gazette]
What an unexpectedly busy summer week in Alexandria. Here’s the rundown.
Our top story was on an Alexandria woman who claims she was roofied at a restaurant on the waterfront on the evening of July 9. A police report has been filed, and no charges have been made.
Look, don’t go around telling people we told you this, but there’s going to be a little booze and a little dancing at the Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden in September.
The museum is hosting a “secret” speakeasy fundraiser that both pays homage to Old Town’s bootlegging legacy and will help raise money to support the rebuild of a collapsed historic wall on the property.
What was an intense week in Alexandria. Here is the rundown.
History was made, as the new marquees at Alexandria City High School and Naomi L. Brooks Elementary Schools were unveiled this week, and the name changes to T.C. Williams High School and Matthew Maury Elementary School will go into effect July 1. It’s a victory for civil rights, as the namesakes of both old schools had backgrounds steeped in racism. Maury was a Confederate leader and Williams was an ACPS superintendent who worked intently against racial integration.
The garden wall of the historic Lee-Fendall House (614 Oronoco Street) in Old Town took a beating earlier this week, but support from the local community has helped put the wall on the road to repair.
A few days after announcing that a significant portion of the home’s wall had collapsed, the home has raised $5,005 to help boost repair efforts.
220-year-old garden wall at Lee-Fendall House collapses — “About 69 tons of 220-year-old bricks are lying in a pile behind the Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden after the property’s thick, historic garden wall collapsed following a torrential downpour earlier this month. This weekend, volunteers carefully moved bricks to make space for a temporary, protective wall around the rubble — and launched a fundraising campaign for the $125,000 or more it will take to rebuild the historic structure.” [Alexandria Living]
Retiring police chief to be recognized by City Council Tuesday — Retiring Police Chief Michael Brown will be recognized Tuesday by City Council, and the city proclamation says that Brown has “dutifully served for four-and one-half years.” [ALXnow]
