Audrey Davis, the first director of the African American History Division in the Office of Historic Alexandria, is at the forefront of preserving and showcasing the city’s Black history.
Black History Month has brought music, historical discussions and exhibits, displays of student art and so much more to Alexandria this month, commemorating a vast history spanning hundreds of years, from the 18th century to the Civil Rights Movement and present day.
The Office of Historic Alexandria celebrated the kickoff of America250 last night (Monday), previewing several city events that will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this year.
City officials joined leaders of OHA, Visit Alexandria and the local business community at The Lyceum to launch the yearlong commemoration, which will include at least two new museum exhibits, a Revolutionary War history forum and this weekend’s George Washington Birthday Parade, among other events.
Gretchen Bulova, director of the Office of Historic Alexandria, won a decisive victory last night (Tuesday) in a firehouse Democratic primary for delegate of the 11th District.
Alexandria’s OHA director is now one step closer to fulfilling the delegate seat of her husband, David Bulova, who resigned last Friday after accepting an appointment in Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger’s administration. He spent 19 years in the House of Delegates.
Three Alexandria museums are participating in a new Virginia tourism campaign to commemorate the country’s 250th anniversary next year.
The new program, called the Virginia 250 Passport, includes Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, the Alexandria Black History Museum and the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum as part of a “passport” sweepstakes. The program encourages residents to visit various museums and historic sites throughout the commonwealth.
The Freedom House Museum will reopen to the public Nov. 6 following the completion of exterior rehabilitation work that restored the building’s pre-Civil War appearance, the city announced Monday.
The Office of Historic Alexandria will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. at the museum, located at 1315 Duke Street. Experts will be available from 1-3 p.m. that day to discuss details of the renovation work.
Alexandria will provide an update later this month on stormwater solutions for the historic, and flood-prone, Douglass Memorial Cemetery (1421 Wilkes Street).
The city says that the cemetery, named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass, faces flooding and drainage problems, and that grave markers have been damaged. After two years of developing a plan to mitigate flooding and repair grave markers, the city will present an update on the project on Oct. 29 (Wednesday) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Lloyd House (220 N. Washington Street).
The Alexandria Cider Festival will return to Lloyd House on Nov. 22, featuring Virginia cideries, live music, and historical context during the state’s annual Virginia Cider Week.
The Office of Historic Alexandria will host the event from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at 220 N. Washington St., in partnership with the Virginia Association of Cider Makers. Last year’s festival sold out.
The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts will host a reception with Richmond-based artist Sandy Williams IV on Oct. 7 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
The event takes place in the Overlook Room, 105 N. Union St., third floor, Room 325. Remarks begin at 7 p.m.
At a meeting next week, the Office of Historic Alexandria (OHA) will show plans to preserve as 18th century home in Old Town and convert it into a City-owned museum.
The City purchased the Murray-Dick-Fawcett House at 517 Prince Street in 2017.
The Office of Historic Alexandria’s weekly newsletter includes fascinating glimpses into the city’s history, and this week the newsletter explored a battle between city leadership and local children.
The Office of Historic Alexandria noted that the ban on public kite flying and marbles in 1876 came from Mayor Kosciusko Kemper, a former Confederate officer, after complaints from local businesses.
Like the discovery of the ships in Old Town years ago, new development on the waterfront has turned up some fascinating local history.
In a release, the Office of Historic Alexandria said archeologists will offer tours of the newly uncovered Alexandria canal lock and basin near the 900 block of N. Pitt Street Old Town North. According to the release, historic maps showed a fourth waterfront lock at the north end of Old Town, part of the Alexandria Canal that opened in 1845 and linked up to the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal in Georgetown.
