During the era of Federal Urban Renewal programs, which threatened the demolition of the oldest parts of Alexandria, the Historic Alexandria Foundation initiated a program of marking early historic buildings with oval bronze plaques. Intense lobbying by the Foundation in conjunction with the Old Town Civic Association served to limit the advance of Urban Renewal destruction in the 1960s to three blocks along King Street, and today historic homes and shops are being restored instead of demolished.
This program continues today, with additional structures judged on their merits for inclusion within the ranks of plaqued houses. If you think your house merits a bronze plaque, call the Historic Alexandria Foundation at 703-549-5811 or the Office of Historic Alexandria at 703-838-4554 to learn more about this program.
Aubrey Nesbitt
View posts by Aubrey NesbittAubrey Nesbitt is a native of Northern Virginia who attended Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a veteran of the US Army and helps his family business by providing informational articles like this one. In addition to photography and blogging, Aubrey provides administrative support for the office.
Aubrey is a service-disabled retired veteran and a part of our family. We give him the opportunity to work at the office and on the web as part of his recovery. The opinions and statements presented by Aubrey are his own and we don't necessarily agree with them.