Rosemont | ALXnow

‘Colored Rosemont’ neighborhood to be recognized with Virginia State historic marker

Published July 25, 2025 at 11:30AM

A historic marker will be placed at the corner of Wythe and N. West Streets recognizing the "Colored Rosemont" neighborhood of Alexandria (via Google Maps)

Alexandria’s “Colored Rosemont” neighborhood will be recognized in September with the dedication of a Virginia State historic marker. The neighborhood was home to the first Black homeowners in the city in the early to mid-20th century.

The marker is a reminder of racial segregation in Alexandria. It will be dedicated at 3 p.m. near the corner of Wythe and N. West Streets — across from the Braddock Road Metro station — on Sept. 13 (Saturday). Mayor Alyia Gaskins, representatives of the Office of Historic Alexandria (OHA) and former and current residents of the neighborhood will attend the ceremony. The event is free and open to the public.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published June 27, 2025 at 2:30PM

National Science Foundation at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via NSF)

It’s been another fast week in Alexandria! Here’s our recap of the most-read stories over the last several days.

Our Tuesday (June 24) story on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development taking over the National Science Foundation’s headquarters (2415 Eisenhower Avenue) garnered more than 125,000 views, making it the most-read story of the year. While bringing in more than 2,700 HUD workers, the move will also displace about 1,800 NSF employees over the next two years.

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Alexandria Police investigate indecent exposure in Rosemont

By James Cullum

Published June 25, 2025 at 12:15PM | Updated June 26, 2025 at 9:41AM

Two indecent exposures were reported a half-mile apart in Alexandria's Rosemont neighborhood on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 (ia Google Maps)

An indecent exposure incident was reported early this morning in Alexandria’s Rosemont neighborhood.

The incident was reported at approximately 5:45 a.m. in the area of Commonwealth Avenue and Linden Street, and then police were called again at around 6 a.m. in the area of Ramsey Street and Adams Avenue. No injuries were reported, and police canvassed the area for 45 minutes, according to the police scanner.

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Annual Rosemont 4th of July celebration canceled for second straight year

By James Cullum

Published June 23, 2025 at 2:45PM

The Rosemont July 4 celebration isn't happening in 2024 because of a construction project at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School (via Facebook)

So much for sinking local politicians with perfectly thrown baseballs at the bullseye of the dunking tank, because the annual Rosemont 4th of July has been canceled for the second straight year.

The closure isn’t due to the heat. For decades, the festivities have been held in the playground and athletic fields of Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School (600 Russell Road). They were held off last year due to a window replacement project. That work will continue this summer, as will the library renovations.

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Rosemont’s annual July 4 celebration canceled by school window replacement project

By James Cullum

Published June 6, 2024 at 10:45AM

The Rosemont July 4 celebration isn't happening in 2024 because of a construction project at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School (via Facebook)

Bad news for Alexandrians pining to dunk local politicians in the frigid depths of the dunking tank at the annual July 4 celebration in the city’s Rosemont neighborhood. Due to a construction project that will replace all exterior windows at Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School, the event has been canceled.

The celebration is traditionally held in the playground and athletic field area of the school.

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Construction starting this month on Rosemont flood mitigation project

By Vernon Miles

Published June 5, 2024 at 9:50AM

Oakland Terrace-Timber Branch Channel Wall (image via City of Alexandria)

Alexandria’s worked on some high-tech flood mitigation projects, but sometimes the old ways are best.

The city is starting work this month on a project to replace a concrete retaining wall in Rosemont with a reinforced vegetated wall, a replacement that should not only benefit the local ecosystem, but help protect a nearby sewer line.

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New research maps racially restrictive covenants around Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published May 8, 2024 at 2:50PM

Documenting Exclusion's map of racial covenants in Northern Virginia (image via Documenting Exclusion and Resilience)

Alexandria’s history with racially restrictive covenants was a major topic during the Zoning for Housing/Housing for All debate last year, and a new interactive map shows the location of those covenants around Alexandria and surrounding localities.

ARLnow reported that the new interactive map comes from researchers at Marymount University. Many of the covenants listed on the map exclude “any person not of the Caucasian race.”

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Two crashes with serious injuries bookend Monday

By Vernon Miles

Published October 18, 2022 at 9:40AM

Alexandria Police at night (staff photo by James Cullum)

Twelve hours after a pedestrian was struck by a driver in the Landmark neighborhood, a crash between the drivers of a Ford Explorer and a motorcycle left the biker with life-threatening injuries.

The second crash occurred at the intersection of West Braddock Road and High Street near the Rosemont neighborhood.

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Senior care facility Woodbine pitches new expansion plans

By Vernon Miles

Published August 8, 2022 at 2:45PM | Updated August 17, 2022 at 3:07PM

Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare Facility (image via Google Maps)

(Updated 8/17) The Woodbine Rehabilitation and Healthcare facility (2729 King Street) near Ivy Hill Cemetery is seeking permission from the city to build a new three-story addition to the healthcare complex, though the overall number of beds will stay the same.

Woodbine is a nursing home just off King Street in the Rosemont neighborhood. Woodbine Property 1, LLC has filed a request for a Development Special Use Permit to construct a new building that fronts King Street.

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Arlandria and Rosemont hit by power outages after severe thunderstorm

By James Cullum

Published May 22, 2022 at 11:00PM | Updated May 23, 2022 at 12:12AM

Updated at 11:15 p.m. It took nearly five hours for the power to turn back on for thousands of Alexandria residents on a steamy Sunday night (May 22).

Alexandria got hit by a severe thunderstorm at around 6 p.m. At 8:36 p.m., Dominion Energy tweeted that there were more than 25,000 homes still without power in Northern Virginia.

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City Council to receive update on stormwater infrastructure projects

By Brandi Bottalico

Published March 22, 2022 at 3:45PM

A construction crew installs a check valve on East Mason Street in November (via City of Alexandria)

City staff laid out what’s ahead for some of the city’s stormwater infrastructure projects in a presentation prepared for the City Council’s meeting tonight (Tuesday).

Three large projects to increase sewer capacity are planned in Del Ray, according to the Flood Action Alexandria presentation. Two of the projects — a $34 million undertaking at East Glebe Road and Commonwealth Avenue and a $16 million project at Ashby Street and East Glebe Road — were merged together for planning purposes. The two projects are next to each other in the Four Mile Run watershed.