03/18/2023
The Friendship Place is hosting an Open House at their new Alexandria Office (1020 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314) March 23rd from 4:30PM - 6:30PM!
Join us to welcome our new friends to Old Town!
The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
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With more than 800 member businesses ranging from one-of-a-kind small businesses to leading global or W.A. Smoot, Jr.
In late 1906, a group of Alexandria's business leaders came together with the idea of forming an organization to assure business standards, to work toward better business conditions and to serve as an active voice in framing public policies affecting the business community. That organization was called the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and pioneered a new form of business representation, advocacy
and service. The following year the Alexandria Chamber went on to become a founding member of the newly organized United States Chamber of Commerce. served as the first president of the Alexandria Chamber with the mission of providing a voice for those engaged in business. The Alexandria Chamber also serves as a catalyst for registering and mobilizing business opinion for the betterment of the community. There have been many changes over the years, however, our fundamental concept and mission has remained unchanged. The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization dedicated to the advocacy of business interests. The Chamber has played a key leadership role by:
lobbying to keep Alexandria's tax rates among the lowest in Northern Virginia;
promoting public parking opportunities in the City's historic district;
supporting the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project;
Launching the Alexandria Education Partnership to ensure a bright future for Alexandria's youth; and promoting quality commercial development to ensure Alexandria's economic stability for years to come. Today, the City of Alexandria is thriving and the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce continues to provide vital services to its members and takes the lead in striving to maintain the balance of high quality of life and economic vitality.
Operating as usual
03/17/2023
NEXT MONTH! Join Friendship Place as they walk to end homelessness on the National Mall! On April 29th, join forces with schools, friends, neighbors, and organizations all dedicated to ending homelessness and rebuilding thousands of lives!
Register for yourself or your team at FriendshipPlaceWalk.org
03/17/2023
Ting is an internet service provider that delivers fiber-optic internet to homes and businesses in cities across the U.S. Their lightning-fast internet is built with fiber optics and blows away old, slow, and unreliable copper internet connections. Fiber internet brings you up to speed. It’s lightning fast, boringly reliable and future proof, so you can stay connected no matter what!
Happy 1st Chamber Member Anniversary, Ting Internet!
03/17/2023
Today's Cargo Social Media Takeover Day 5
In today's video Carla from Today's Cargo answers her final question. Check out her video to see what she enjoys about being located in Old Town, Alexandria!
03/17/2023
Happy 1st Chamber Member Anniversary, Paula Beck Organizing!
Paula Beck Organizing is a professional organizer who helps induvial, and or small businesses organize, downsize, and or visually design your space!
03/16/2023
The Ting Internet Alexandria Team has officially “SWITCHED ON”! Select Alexandrian neighborhoods will be able to sign up for Ting’s high-speed internet for $89mo. Ting will expand through 2023 & 2024. Additionally, Ting has struck an agreement with the City to provide free internet to 4,000 affordable housing units qualified for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
Ting, we are appreciative and grateful for the support of the Alexandria community.
03/16/2023
Earlier this week at at the Alexandria campus of NoVa Community College. Sponsored by The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and presented by campus, the event brought together local business leaders and students for a morning of learning. Move2Learn's Prez and CEO Brooke Sydnor Curran was on the panel and spoke about her passion—how to start a nonprofit. Another special panelist: Nikita Montgomery (front), wife of M2L board member, Bryan Montgomery-Realtor. Great morning! Nikimontyconsults
03/16/2023
There is still time to apply!
There is still time to apply! https://conta.cc/42bZ9ka
The 2023 40 Under 40 Awards application is now live! Nominate or apply for this program, which recognizes emerging business leaders. You can help us choose our next class in four easy steps. 1.
03/16/2023
Happy 13th Chamber Anniversary, Radiant Logistics, Inc.!
For over 25 years, Radiant/Adcom Worldwide has offered the finest specialized services available in the transportation industry. Radiant/Adcom's network of independent, licensed agency entrepreneurs designs customized transportation, management, and distribution services that satisfy the logistical needs of their customers. Radiant/Adcom Worldwide driving philosophy remains as it was in the beginning—to meet their customers' needs and expectations without fail.
03/15/2023
Today's Cargo Social Media Takeover Day 3
Carla of Today's Cargo talks about one of her favorite Alexandrian businesses. Watch this video to find out who it is!
03/15/2023
Minuteman Press of Alexandria, Happy 2nd Chamber Member Anniversary!
Minuteman Press of Alexandria is a family-owned full-service printing company serving Northern Virginia and the Greater DC area. Minuteman Press of Alexandria offers digital and offset printing services and also provides creative artwork development and design support using our full-time pre-press staff. Minuteman Press of Alexandria prints business cards, letterhead, envelopes, stationery, invitations, business forms, brochures, flyers, folders, labels, postcards, booklets, pamphlets, and much more!
03/15/2023
For over 45 years, Capital City Nurses has been serving clients across DC, Maryland and Virginia by providing exceptional levels of care and support in the home. Capital City Nurses have become the benchmark for providing high quality, consistent in-home care services while establishing a reputation for doing things the right way!
Capital City Nurses, Happy 4th Chamber Member Anniversary, and cheers to many more!
03/15/2023
Join us for our Annual General Assembly Breakfast!
Join us for our Annual General Assembly Breakfast! https://conta.cc/3mOUpAM
2023 General Assembly Breakfast presented by Transurban Join us for a timely conversation with our General Assembly delegation where we will discuss the 2023 session and the opportunities and challeng
03/15/2023
Land Rover Alexandria serves the greater Alexandria, Chantilly, Washington DC, Fairfax and Clarksville MD areas. Not only will you find Land Rover models at their dealership, you'll also find a friendly and accommodating staff eager to assist you!
That's true no matter what you're looking for - be it a test drive in a new Land Rover Range Rover Sport, Range Rover, Discovery Sport, Land Rover LR4, Range Rover Evoque or used car, auto financing options, car service appointments, or help figuring out what auto part you might need. Check them out if you're looking for a Luxury Vehicle!
Happy Chamber Anniversary, Jaguar Land Rover Alexandria!
03/15/2023
Located outside our Nation's Capitol, VIDSOL Media takes a strategic approach to video production. Vidsol Media develops original video content and ancillary products for corporations, associations, non-profits, and government entities. Vidsol Media partners with their clients to ensure a seamless integration of all media content with existing outreach plans, and branding efforts!
Cheers on your 28 years of Chamber Membership! We are glad to have you as a part of the Chamber!
03/14/2023
Today's Cargo Social Media Takeover Day 2
In today's video Carla shares why Today's Cargo enjoys being a member of the Chamber ALX.
03/14/2023
Do you have your tickets yet?
Do you have your tickets yet? https://conta.cc/401sk7I
Join us on March 24, 2023 for our 10th Annual Women's Leadership Forum, presented by The Goodhart Group! The forum will bring together women (and men) at all stages of their careers for an interac
03/13/2023
03/13/2023
Photos from The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce's post
03/13/2023
Today's Cargo Social Media Takeover Day 1
Meet Carla, and listen as gives some insight on Today's Cargo!
03/13/2023
Happy 5th Chamber Member Anniversary, Fairfield Inn & Suites: Alex West/Mark Center!
Comfort and convenience come together at Fairfield Inn and Suites Alexandria West/Mark Center . Fairfield Inn & Suites: Alex West/Mark Center is located near Alexandria's Mark Center, home of Washington Headquarters Services, and Van Dorn Metro Station. From the Van Dorn metro station you can access famous destinations in Washington, D.C., including the Pentagon, in addition to Northern Virginia sights such as Old Town Alexandria. Fairfield Inn & Suites: Alex West/Mark Center rooms and suites have plenty of space to work and relax. Free high-speed Wi-Fi, large flat-panel TVs and spacious desks are among amenities you'll appreciate in our accommodations. Their fitness center is readily available when you have some downtime during a getaway. Free hot breakfast at their onsite IHOP restaurant!
03/12/2023
News From the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
News From the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce https://conta.cc/3ykgOIL
UPCOMING EVENTS The Chamber ALX's Women's Leadership Forum, presented by The Goodhart Group Friday, March 24th | 7:45am-10:30am | The Westin Alexandria Join us for our 10th Annual Women's Leadership
03/12/2023
Each studio is a locally owned and operated franchise location. YogaSix Kingstowne offers 6 different class types from hot and powerful to slow and mindful. YogaSix Kingstowne also offers beginner classes and sculpt classes. Their teachers have been trained in the YogaSix methodology to provide a consistent but creative experience for each class type every time. They teach in a way that is easy for everyone to follow and understand. Their expert staff will help you find the right class to help you achieve your goals!
Happy 2nd Chamber Anniversary, YogaSix!
03/12/2023
Happy 4th Chamber Member Anniversary, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medicine!
Permanente Medicine means fulfilling the promise of medicine.
Through their unique approach to total health, Mid Atlantic Permanente Medical Group delivers the focused, personalized care that they would want for their loved ones and themselves. Their team-based care lets Mid Atlantic Permanente Medical Group build healthier communities, patient by patient, person by person.
At our core, Mid Atlantic Permanente Medical Group celebrates the idea of “respect,” and they apply this to everyone and everything around them — patients, physicians and care teams, our communities, and our environment. This drives their decisions and lets us work with a collaborative spirit and an unbounded enthusiasm to do the right thing for their patients and each other!
03/11/2023
Alteon Health partners with hospitals to deliver the highest quality patient care. Alteon empowers clinicians to employ innovative and adaptable care-delivery models and fosters the clinician through mentorship, education, and professional development. This aligns well with USACS’ mission to care for patients, and its core values to lead with a servant’s heart and owner’s mind.
In 2022, Alteon Health agreed to join US Acute Care Solutions (USACS), the national physician-owned and led leader in integrated acute care. Through the partnership, Alteon Health significantly expands USACS' national footprint in the areas of hospitalist medicine and post-acute care.
Happy 2nd Chamber Anniversary Alteon Health!
03/10/2023
Salon deZen SMT Day 5
Salon Dezen owner, Maria Elizabeth answers her final question today. Watch as she shares why she loves being located in Old Town, VA!
03/10/2023
The Harvey Group, Happy 1st Chamber Member Anniversary!
The Harvey Group is an independent firm that helps people establish and maintain their long-term financial goals through wealth management.
The Harvey Group started their practice in May 2005 because they felt that many investors were being underserved by the typical Wall Street model of investment firm: the one where they sell you their own products to meet their target sales goals, not your financial ones. The Harvey Group has chosen to partner with Commonwealth Financial Network, an independent broker/dealer. This partnership ensures that you receive access to a wide variety of investment choices to complement your financial goals.
03/10/2023
Marks-Woods Construction Services, Happy 3rd Chamber Member Anniversary!
Marks-Woods Construction was born in 2001 when Byron Woods and Greg Marks cast the vision for a construction company that would offer expertise, an enjoyable customer experience, and a stunning end result. The founders met while working for one of the premier top 20 national construction companies. The two men joined years of experience and a common commitment to excellence in construction to create Marks-Woods Construction. Years later, Drew Marks joined Byron and Greg in ownership of the company, and Marks-Woods Construction became complete. The company first focused on a combination of residential and commercial projects, but eventually found its true niche as a design-build firm dedicated to making the vision and desires of homeowners a reality.
Marks-Woods Construction is now the top choice for major additions, kitchen renovations, interior design, and a variety of other major residential construction services. With hundreds of projects completed, Marks-Woods continues to grow and hopes to expand to more geographical areas in future years.
03/09/2023
Tactical Land Care (TLC Design) specializes in conservation landscaping, stormwater management solutions, including permeable hardscape and rain gardens. TLC understands and values the importance of sustainability and innovation. By working together, TLC can maximize the ecological benefit of your property!
Happy 2nd Chamber Member Anniversary, TLC Design!
03/09/2023
Register Now for our Annual General Assembly Breakfast!
Register Now for our Annual General Assembly Breakfast! https://conta.cc/3yqIVpO
2023 General Assembly Breakfast presented by Transurban Join us for a timely conversation with our General Assembly delegation where we will discuss the 2023 session and the opportunities and challeng
03/09/2023
Happy 5th Chamber Member Anniversary O'Hagan Meyer!
While corporate, nonprofit, association and individual clients hire O’Hagan Meyer attorneys because of their broad and deep expertise, stellar reputation, and outstanding track record in the courtroom, they rehire O'Hagan Meyer primarily because of one key attribute: they tell it like it is. When a case or matter comes to O'Hagan Meyer, they examine it thoroughly but quickly and if they and their client believe they should litigate, they’ll roll up their sleeves and fight to win. But if O'Hagan Meyer's attorneys determine that it’s in the client’s best interest to settle, they’ll say so, explain why, and get rid of the problem as fast and efficiently as possible. O'Hagan Meyer attorneys are straight shooters, straight away!
03/09/2023
Cheers Windows Catering Company on your 23rd Chamber Member Anniversary!
Known as one of the premier off-premise caterers in Washington D.C., Windows has an established national reputation for exceptional food, creativity and presentation combined with outstanding service. Windows’ New American-style cuisine is abound with inventive interpretations and modern creations based on the very best traditions of American, regional and international cuisine!
03/08/2023
Amazing Lash Studio located at 374 South Pickett Street Alexandria, VA 22304 is having a soft opening March 24th!
Utilize this post for a limited time PRE-SALE offer you're not going to want to miss!
03/08/2023
Salon deZen SMT Day 3
Maria Elizabeth, owner of Salon Dezen is back in today's video to share what her favorite Alexandrian brand is! Check it out, we know you are dyeing to know!
03/08/2023
Happy 1st Chamber Member Anniversary, Nick Genovese - Loan Officer, George Mason Mortgage NMLS 2149234! Nick also is a member of the Ambassador committee of the Chamber ALX!
Whether you’re moving into your first home, moving up to something bigger, building or renovating or refinancing your current mortgage, Nick is here to help you build your brighter future. Nick's website is designed to offer you general information on home buying and mortgage tips, current loan programs and mortgage news!
As your mortgage loan officer, Nick is committed to providing:
-Prompt & Transparent Communication
-Your unique home financing needs and thoroughly explaining the lending process
-High commitment to customer service
-Competitive rates, programs and fees
-Service even after settlement
Get more information at https://www.gmmllc.com/nick-genovese/
03/08/2023
Celebrate by Registering for Our 2023 Women's Leadership Forum!
Celebrate by Registering for Our 2023 Women's Leadership Forum!
Join us on March 24, 2023 for our 10th Annual Women's Leadership Forum, presented by The Goodhart Group! The forum will bring together women (and men) at all stages of their careers for an interac
03/07/2023
Check out this exciting speaker series from George Mason University!
03/07/2023
The Friendship Place is hosting an Open House at their new Alexandria Office (1020 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314) March 23rd from 4:30PM - 6:30PM!
Join us to welcome our new friends to Old Town!
Address
333 N. Fairfax Street, Ste 302
Alexandria, VA
22314
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 3pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 3pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 3pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 3pm |
| Friday | 9am - 3pm |
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Videos
Alexandria Lighting didn’t let the weather rain on their parade. Thank you for inviting the Chamber ALX to your Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. For those who weren’t able to attend Alexandria Lighting + Design is located at 444 S Pickett St, Alexandria VA 22304. Experience their beautiful fixtures first hand and enjoy a beverage at their electric café located inside their show room. You will not be disappointed!
Social Media Takeover - Building Momentum Day 5
Last but certainly not least meet Building Momentum's Chief Strategy Officer, CHEYANNE! In Cheyanne's video you'll hear what she enjoys about being a member of the Chamebr ALX, one of her favorite places to go in Alexandria, and what she enjoys about being located in the west end!
Social Media Takeover - Building Momentum Day 4
Meet Building Momentum's Manager of Marketing & Programming, Emma Quinn! Catch her video as she shares what she enjoys about the Alexandria community, the Chamber ALX, and more! #thechamberalx
Social Media Takeover - Building Momentum day 3
Meet Henry, Director of Training at Building Momentum! Watch Henry as he answers questions about what he likes about the West End and being a member of the Chamber ALX! #thechamberalx
5 Questions with The Chamber ALX - Building Momentum Day 2
Today you'll get to meet Mary, Events Coordinator from the Building Momentum team. Listen as she answer her 5 questions about the community, local businesses, and the Chamber ALX! #thechamberalx
5 Questions with The Chamber ALX
For this week's Social Media Takeover meet 5 members of the Building Momentum team as they answer questions about their business, involvement with the Chamber and what they love about our community. First up is Allen Brooks, Chief Creative Officer at Bulding Mometum.
2022 The Chamber ALX's 40 Under 40 Awards
Wow! Another fantastic class of emerging talent in Alexandria! Meet our seventh class of 40 Under 40 honorees, hear what this recognition means to them, and learn their hopes for the next generation of leaders. Thank you to our presenting sponsor, The Patterson Group for their support of the 40 Under 40 Awards Celebration, hosted on July 21st. Additional thank you to Hilton Alexandria Old Town, The Greenhill Companies, GuROO, LLC, Cotton, A Sikich Company, & Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh, P.C.. For a our full sponsor list, visit our website at thechamberalx.com! Major shoutout to Galactic Panther: gallery for hosting our interviews in their colorful gallery. Video credit: StoryQuest Video
ICYMI: Last month we spotlit @hazelosalon! Be sure to meet Nikita, learn the history behind the salon’s name, and take a tour! @nikicmonty’s also shared some of her favorite businesses. Check out the recap!
Day 5 of our #socialmedia takeover, Hazel O. Salon's apprentice introduces herself and shares why she enjoys working at Hazel O Salon!
Day 4 of our mini member #socialmedia #chamberalxmember Hazel O. Salon's Co-Founder Nikita gives you a glimpse into Hazel O's Old Town headquarters. #ChamberALXMember
Day 4 of our mini member #socialmediatakeover. Hazel O. Salon's Co-Founder Nikita shares her favorite business in the Old Town Alexandria community. #ChamberALXMember
In today’s mini social media takeover Hazel O. Salon's Co- Founder and Managing Partner Nikita will share why she enjoys being a part of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce! #ChamberALXMember
We are excited to introduce our next social media take over participant Nikita Montgomery, Co Founder and Managing partner of Hazel O. Salon. Hazel O Salon has been serving the Alexandria region since 2019! Hazel O provides the “quintessential urban beauty oasis,” where clients can escape the intensity of the city in a tropical, soothing environment. Guests can enjoy the calming vibe of the salon while getting their hair, lashes, and brows done. The space includes a curated selection of stationery, candles, and the like made by local makers and small business owners from across the country. Hazel O. Salon also features a designated area with a platform ideal for industry classes and events. Enjoy Nikita's social media take over as she shares more about Hazel O and what she enjoys about Old Town Alexandria. #ChamberALXMember
ICYMI: Take a look back at last month’s IG Takeover with @thegoodhartgroup! Thank you to Sue and Allison for sharing their favorite parts of Alexandria with us. Want to be featured next? DM us! #igtakeover
Day 5 of our mini member #socialmediatakeover. The Goodhart Group's CEO & Top Producing Agent Sue Goodhart shares why she loves #AlexandriaVA! #ChamberALXMember
Day 4 of our mini member #socialmediatakeover. The Goodhart Group's COO Allison Goodhart DuShuttle revels her favorite business in the Alexandria community. #ChamberALXMember
Day 3 of our mini member #socialmediatakeover. Watch The Goodhart Group's COO Allison Goodhart DuShuttle give you a glimpse into The Goodhart Group's headquarters located in Old Town. #ChamberALXMember
In today’s mini social media takeover The Goodhart Group's CEO & Top Producing Agent Sue Goodhart talks about why she enjoys being a part of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce #ChamberALXMember
We are excited to introduce our next social media take over participant Sue Goodhart, CEO & Top Producing Agent of the Goodhart Group. The Goodhart Group has been serving the Alexandria region for over 30 years and whether they are helping clients buy or sell, Sue and her team always strive to match clients with a home and community that perfectly suits them. Sue has just recently joined the Chamber’s board of Directors but has been a member of Chamber for many years. Enjoy Sue’s social media take over as she shares more about The Goodhart Group and what she enjoys about Old Town Alexandria. #ChamberALXMember
The CRASH heard from every corner of Alexandria! Demolition began today on the West End, the future home of a walkable mixed-use development with Inova Alexandria Hospital as its beating heart. The entire development will also feature over 2,500 apartment/condos, affordable housing, parks, office space, and a new fire station. And so the construction journey begins!
Redevelopment of the #LandmarkMall site has officially begun! Congratulations West End Alexandria, Foulger-Pratt and Inova Alexandria Hospital
ICYMI: This week we spotlit our member @mekanicbrands! 🔦 Learn more about their company and take an office tour in this stitch of the week’s stories. Big thanks to CEO @mekanicceo Erik Hansen on sharing his favorite businesses and parts of Alexandria! #thechamberalx DM us if you’d like to be highlighted next!
Day 5 of our mini member #socialmediatakeover. Mekanic CEO Erik Hansen shares why he loves #AlexandriaVA! #ChamberALXMember
Day 4 of our mini member #socialmediatakeover. Mekanic CEO Erik Hansen gives you a glimpse into Mekanic’s Old Town headquarters. #ChamberALXMember
Day 3 of our mini member #socialmediatakeover. Mekanic CEO Erik Hansen reveals some of his favorite businesses in our community. #ChamberALXMember
In today’s mini social media takeover Mekanic CEO Erik Hansen talks about the importance of The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce #ChamberALXMember
We’re excited to start a new series of mini “social media takeovers” that highlight our incredible members! Each day this week our featured member will answer a different question about their business, involvement with the Chamber and what they love about our community. First up is Chamber Board Communications chair Erik Hansen who is CEO and Founder of Mekanic. Mekanic is a DC area branding agency delivering go-to-market brand systems in concentrated time frames to maximize the impact and reach of organizations that serve communities of people with shared goals, values, interests, lifestyles, and professions. #ChamberALXMember If you’d like your business featured drop us a DM.
2021 40 Under 40 Award Honoree Video
The Chamber ALX's 2020 40 Under 40 Awards
2020 Business Leader of the Year Presentation
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DISCLAIMER:
While we welcome member contributions about Chamber activities to this site, we remind all our members that posts should be of a respectful and collegial nature, in the spirit of our organization. The Chamber’s mission is to foster a robust business environment in the City of Alexandria and the region. In support of this mission, we strive to be diverse, inclusive and respectful of the broad spectrum of political, religious and social views of all businesses and residents. We reserve the right to delete posts that to not conform to this basic tenet of decorum.
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Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexa
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Alexandria Economic Development Partnership
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National Survey Research Group
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National Organizations for Youth Safety - NOY
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Edwards Educational Services, Inc.
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Office of Emergency Management, City of Alexa
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Conference Of Minority Transportation Officia
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Neighborhood Improvement Corps
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Edwards Educational Services, Inc.
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Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexa
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Duke Street
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Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition
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Metro Park Drive
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Comments
We received this very nice card from FedFam.org for our Fed. Government Shut Down Special. We at Diya aim to be your "Neighborhood Indian" place, we are very glad that we were able to help the community around us! Please let us know if there are any future opportunities to help lift up our neighbors with food and hospitality.
We're so excited to have Brooklyn Mack, formerly of Washington Ballet, join Metropolitan School of the Arts Nutcracker! Don't miss this spectacular international principle guest dancer! Dec. 8/9 in Alexandria at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Center. www.metropolitanarts.org
Dear The Alexandria Chamber of Commerce community – We thought you might be interested in our Leadership Coaching for Organizational Well-Being program at George Mason University. The program, which includes certification from the International Coach Federation, is designed for professionals who want to bring positive change to their careers and organizations. Learn more and read our coaching whitepaper here: https://bit.ly/2P663S0
Don’t miss Broadway Dance Center elite teachers at Metropolitan School of the Arts' Master Dance Class weekend, Sept. 22 & 23 in Alexandria. Open to the public! Got dance? Join us! http://metropolitanarts.org
Congrats to our Metropolitan School of the Arts seniors--heading to elite college performing arts programs like Pace and Elon Universities! Keeping dancing! www.metropolitanarts.org
So excited to celebrate Academy's 5-year anniversary! Dancers, singers, actors in the making! www.metropolitanarts.org
Don't miss Metropolitan School of the Arts' Snow White Ballet on Sat, May 5 in Annandale! Celebrating Snow White's 80th anniversary! Tix only $15. http://metropolitanarts.org
“Transforming the Lee Boyhood Home in Alexandria, Virginia into the Headquarters of an Interpretive Center and Urban Walking Trails on the Civil War”
Various media sites reported at the end of March 2018 that the boyhood home of Robert E. Lee, at 614 Orinoco Street, in Alexandria, Virginia, is being sold by its private owners.
The sale of the historic home of the Civil War general, educator, and pre-war head of West Point presents a unique opportunity to make Old Town Alexandria an even greater center of American history than it already is, as the hometown of George Washington, the Lees, and many other important figures and events in U.S. history.
We propose, and ask interested parties to support, the purchase of the Lee Home, and transforming it into the headquarters of a city, state, and/or federally designated Interpretive Center, along with Urban Walking Trails, on the Civil War.
Such a headquarters, visitors center and related trails would be a perfect complement to, and spur to, the expansion of Old Town Alexandria’s already rich array of events, locales, and personalities relating to America’s greatest saga, the Civil War, which speaks to the proud heritage of all Americans.
The Lee Home was in the past a museum, and is time to return it to its traditional, historic status. The abode was the boyhood home of Robert Edward Lee, the former superintendant of the Federal Army’s West Point military academy, and important staff officer during the Mexican-American War, then the Confederate commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, and after the war the President of what became Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, VA.
Across the street from the well-maintained private residence and grounds is the Lee-Fendall House, built by businessman Philip Kendall, a Lee relation. During the Civil War the Union Army, after taking control of the town, turned the house into a hospital, where surgeons performed the first successful blood transfusion. (And outside of which a later owner, United Mine Workers leader John L. Lewis, was burned in effigy during World War II for staging labor strikes during that conflict.)
Walking trails, along the lines of the self-guided Cultural Tourism walks in Washington, D.C., or Boston’s Freedom Trails, could be readily & fairly inexpensively constructed throughout Old Town. They would complement the historic markers the city has recently placed in Old Town, as well as the famed series of markers the state of Virginia has placed throughout the Commonwealth. There could be a multitude of trails, on different aspects of the war, such the Union Army, Confederate spies, African-American institutions, war-time medicine, and many other themes. The trails would be made up of attractive posters showing the trail map, explanatory text, and illustrations.
Along with fostering interest in Alexandria’s history and scholarship on the war, the Center and trails would be a boon to the city’s economy by bolstering its growing tourism industry.
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A brief outline of the historic places just on a major Old Town thoroughfare, Washington Street, just yards west of the Lee and Lee-Fendall homes, shows what a unique opportunity the area presents for exploring the Civil War.
On the west side of Washington Street is the historic home of Edmund Lee, a backer of the American Colonization Society for free “men and women of color”, which led to the establishment of the African nation of Liberia. (Liberia’s capital city is Monrovia, named for one of the antebellum Presidents, James Monroe, who held inaugural festivities at Old Town’s Gadsby’s Tavern.) Within a block to the north is a vast, 1840s-era cotton mill (now condominiums), the perfect symbol of the antebellum South’s economy.
Several blocks south on Washington St. is the stately Lloyd House. It became a schoolhouse for noted Quaker educator Benjamin Hallowell; one of his math students was the young Robert E. Lee, who went on to study engineering at West Point. Another prominent Alexandria Quaker family were the Janneys. John Janney ran the two state assemblies whereby Virginia decided against, and then for, seceding from the Union. (John Janney’s home is three blocks away.)
Around the corner is the Kate Waller Barrett Library, where in 1939 a group of African-American men staged one of the first sit-down protests against “separate but equal” segregationism. Not far from where Mary Custis Lee--the elderly daughter of Robert E. Lee--had a similar, personal protest, in 1902, on one of the segregated trolley cars of the time. (The home of town heroine Kate Waller Barrett, who grew up on a post-bellum plantation and dedicated her life to public service, is several blocks to the southeast.)
A block further south is the magnificent English country-style edifice, Christ Church, by the architect James Wren, designer of the eponymous church in Falls Church, Virginia, and descendent of Christopher Wren, architect of London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. Confederate soldiers who died in the city’s many war-time hospitals are buried in mounds by the Church entrance. In the Church itself is a commemoration of its most prominent member, Washington, who freed and educated all his slaves based in part on his experiences with black soldiers in the American Revolution. Robert E. Lee contributed a substantial sum of money to the Church.
Across the street and a block north you’ll find a house of the Society of Odd Fellows, a fraternal order of black and other professionals formed after the conflict. One of whose members was the black architect George Seaton, whose mother was a servant of Martha Washington, who endowed a school on the site. Seaton served on the jury that presided over the trial of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis. (Seaton’s own home is located a half a dozen blocks away.)
Two blocks further south on Washington St. is the Appomattox statue, with its Confederate soldier meditating on the war and the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse by General Lee to General Ulysses S Grant. The bronze figure was sculpted by Czech immigrant Caspar Buberle, who created as well the elegant frieze of Union Army soldiers on the old Pension Building for Union Army veterans, in Washington, D.C., now the National Building Museum. Buberle was selected for that task by Union Army General Montgomery Miegs, designer of Arlington National Cemetery, originally laid out on the grounds of Lee’s Arlington House during the war. The Appomattox statue was unveiled in 1889 by Virginia Governor Fitzhugh Lee, nephew of Robert E. Lee, and a former Confederate general, as well as a future Federal Army general of the Spanish-American War.
This intersection at Washington St. and Duke St. is primed with poignant reminders of many facets of the Civil War. Next to the statue is the Lyceum, Alexandria’s history museum, and a speakers hall that featured such ante-bellum luminaries as John Quincy Adams, the President and congressman responsible for the successful Supreme Court defense of the escaped slaves from the Amistad ship. Half a block north is the attractive façade of the United Methodist Church which, reflecting the nation’s divisions, split into North and South denominations in the run-up to the War Between the States. Occupied as a stable by the Union Army, the federal government later paid the Church restitution.
One block further south is the Beulah Baptist Church, one of the town’s initial African-American places of worship, and one of its first black schools, noted for the education of the free men and women fleeing, or emancipated from, slavery. Prominent African-American leaders such as Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass visited it and other, extant black churches a few blocks to the south and west. Up the street from the Beulah Church is the Downtown Baptist Church, turned into a hospital where Alexandrian women were blocked by Union soldiers from bringing linen and food to wounded Confederate soldiers treated inside by Union doctors.
Another block south of it is the Alexandria Academy, founded by George Washington as a free public school, for boys and girls, at the same time he endowed what became Washington and Lee University and George Washington University. Before the Civil War, children of James Madison and Lighthorse Harry Lee, the latter Washington’s cavalry commander and Robert E. Lee’s father, were educated there, as were groups of black children. During the Civil War, the Academy became a school and a hospital for freedmen.
The amazingly rich Civil War heritage of Alexandria isn’t limited to Washington St. of course. Old Town and its environs boast scores of other sites. The heritage trails would connect all the sites, but in a compact area only several miles across.
Several of the most prominent locales are:
• The Carlyle Mansion, home to the Green family and a Union Army hospital that was the real-life locale of the “Mercy Street” PBS television series
• The Marshall House hotel, now the site of the Alexandrian Hotel, where Union Colonel Elmer Ellsworth and pro-Southern hotel owner James W. Jackson killed each other in a firefight, over a Confederate flag that Jackson had unfurled at his hotel, thus becoming among the first fatalities of the war.
• The unique “Bank of the Two States”, a grand merchant bank that hosted the twin, war-time governments of Union Virginia, as opposed to the Confederate state of Virginia, including the breakaway state of West Virginia. Confederate General John Mosby, later a U.S. ambassador in the Far East for President Grant, conducted secret war-time surveillance of the place.
• The former publishing house of the Alexandria Gazette newspaper, burned by Union troops after its editorials backed the refusal of the reverend of a nearby church, designed by architect of the U.S. Capitol Benjamin Latrobe, to endorse “either President”, Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis, in his sermons. The fire-blackened walls are still visible, as is the fire house, across the street (now a private home), whose firemen attempted to douse the blaze.
• Various sites associated with Harriet Jacobs, a enslaved woman of mixed heritage turned abolitionist, author, and college founder. Jacobs founded various charities and schools for escaped, “contraband” slaves and freedmen in war-torn and post-bellum Alexandria.
• The grand Vowell-Smith House, Old Town’s second-largest house, and home of attorney Francis Smith. Smith successfully argued before the Supreme Court a case under which the federal government paid Robert E. Lee’s heirs compensation for the transformation of his Arlington House property into what became Arlington National Cemetery.
--------------------
This notion for an interpretative visitors center and walking trails on Alexandria’s large role in the Civil War is a preliminary one. It is hoped this document will spur discussion and generate interest in this fascinating and educational topic.
The next step may be to establish a group to attract interested parties and funds for the purchase of the Lee Home, and to begin planning its transformation into a Civil War museum and interpretative center, as well as the construction of themed walking trails in Old Town.
If you or your organization is intrigued by this exciting, once-in-a century project of living history, kindly respond with interest and ideas.
Together, we could transform Alexandria into one of the prime places in America--along with Gettysburg, Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.--on the exploration of the Civil War, America’s most enthralling saga!
Respectfully yours,
Edward P. Moser
Historian, author, professional tour guide
Alexandria, VA
[email protected]
http://thezebra.org/2018/04/08/letter-to-the-editor-lee-boyhood-home-should-be-museum-again/
https://www.meetup.com/Lafayette-Sq-Tours-of-Scandal-Assassination-Spies-Meetup/
https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-America-Thigngs-American-Should/dp/1596525495/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517173322&sr=8-1&keywords=america+a+z+moser
Various media sites reported at the end of March 2018 that the boyhood home of Robert E. Lee, at 614 Orinoco Street, in Alexandria, Virginia, is being sold by its private owners.
The sale of the historic home of the Civil War general, educator, and pre-war head of West Point presents a unique opportunity to make Old Town Alexandria an even greater center of American history than it already is, as the hometown of George Washington, the Lees, and many other important figures and events in U.S. history.
We propose, and ask interested parties to support, the purchase of the Lee Home, and transforming it into the headquarters of a city, state, and/or federally designated Interpretive Center, along with Urban Walking Trails, on the Civil War.
Such a headquarters, visitors center and related trails would be a perfect complement to, and spur to, the expansion of Old Town Alexandria’s already rich array of events, locales, and personalities relating to America’s greatest saga, the Civil War, which speaks to the proud heritage of all Americans.
The Lee Home was in the past a museum, and is time to return it to its traditional, historic status. The abode was the boyhood home of Robert Edward Lee, the former superintendant of the Federal Army’s West Point military academy, and important staff officer during the Mexican-American War, then the Confederate commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, and after the war the President of what became Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, VA.
Across the street from the well-maintained private residence and grounds is the Lee-Fendall House, built by businessman Philip Kendall, a Lee relation. During the Civil War the Union Army, after taking control of the town, turned the house into a hospital, where surgeons performed the first successful blood transfusion. (And outside of which a later owner, United Mine Workers leader John L. Lewis, was burned in effigy during World War II for staging labor strikes during that conflict.)
Walking trails, along the lines of the self-guided Cultural Tourism walks in Washington, D.C., or Boston’s Freedom Trails, could be readily & fairly inexpensively constructed throughout Old Town. They would complement the historic markers the city has recently placed in Old Town, as well as the famed series of markers the state of Virginia has placed throughout the Commonwealth. There could be a multitude of trails, on different aspects of the war, such the Union Army, Confederate spies, African-American institutions, war-time medicine, and many other themes. The trails would be made up of attractive posters showing the trail map, explanatory text, and illustrations.
Along with fostering interest in Alexandria’s history and scholarship on the war, the Center and trails would be a boon to the city’s economy by bolstering its growing tourism industry.
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A brief outline of the historic places just on a major Old Town thoroughfare, Washington Street, just yards west of the Lee and Lee-Fendall homes, shows what a unique opportunity the area presents for exploring the Civil War.
On the west side of Washington Street is the historic home of Edmund Lee, a backer of the American Colonization Society for free “men and women of color”, which led to the establishment of the African nation of Liberia. (Liberia’s capital city is Monrovia, named for one of the antebellum Presidents, James Monroe, who held inaugural festivities at Old Town’s Gadsby’s Tavern.) Within a block to the north is a vast, 1840s-era cotton mill (now condominiums), the perfect symbol of the antebellum South’s economy.
Several blocks south on Washington St. is the stately Lloyd House. It became a schoolhouse for noted Quaker educator Benjamin Hallowell; one of his math students was the young Robert E. Lee, who went on to study engineering at West Point. Another prominent Alexandria Quaker family were the Janneys. John Janney ran the two state assemblies whereby Virginia decided against, and then for, seceding from the Union. (John Janney’s home is three blocks away.)
Around the corner is the Kate Waller Barrett Library, where in 1939 a group of African-American men staged one of the first sit-down protests against “separate but equal” segregationism. Not far from where Mary Custis Lee--the elderly daughter of Robert E. Lee--had a similar, personal protest, in 1902, on one of the segregated trolley cars of the time. (The home of town heroine Kate Waller Barrett, who grew up on a post-bellum plantation and dedicated her life to public service, is several blocks to the southeast.)
A block further south is the magnificent English country-style edifice, Christ Church, by the architect James Wren, designer of the eponymous church in Falls Church, Virginia, and descendent of Christopher Wren, architect of London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral. Confederate soldiers who died in the city’s many war-time hospitals are buried in mounds by the Church entrance. In the Church itself is a commemoration of its most prominent member, Washington, who freed and educated all his slaves based in part on his experiences with black soldiers in the American Revolution. Robert E. Lee contributed a substantial sum of money to the Church.
Across the street and a block north you’ll find a house of the Society of Odd Fellows, a fraternal order of black and other professionals formed after the conflict. One of whose members was the black architect George Seaton, whose mother was a servant of Martha Washington, who endowed a school on the site. Seaton served on the jury that presided over the trial of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis. (Seaton’s own home is located a half a dozen blocks away.)
Two blocks further south on Washington St. is the Appomattox statue, with its Confederate soldier meditating on the war and the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse by General Lee to General Ulysses S Grant. The bronze figure was sculpted by Czech immigrant Caspar Buberle, who created as well the elegant frieze of Union Army soldiers on the old Pension Building for Union Army veterans, in Washington, D.C., now the National Building Museum. Buberle was selected for that task by Union Army General Montgomery Miegs, designer of Arlington National Cemetery, originally laid out on the grounds of Lee’s Arlington House during the war. The Appomattox statue was unveiled in 1889 by Virginia Governor Fitzhugh Lee, nephew of Robert E. Lee, and a former Confederate general, as well as a future Federal Army general of the Spanish-American War.
This intersection at Washington St. and Duke St. is primed with poignant reminders of many facets of the Civil War. Next to the statue is the Lyceum, Alexandria’s history museum, and a speakers hall that featured such ante-bellum luminaries as John Quincy Adams, the President and congressman responsible for the successful Supreme Court defense of the escaped slaves from the Amistad ship. Half a block north is the attractive façade of the United Methodist Church which, reflecting the nation’s divisions, split into North and South denominations in the run-up to the War Between the States. Occupied as a stable by the Union Army, the federal government later paid the Church restitution.
One block further south is the Beulah Baptist Church, one of the town’s initial African-American places of worship, and one of its first black schools, noted for the education of the free men and women fleeing, or emancipated from, slavery. Prominent African-American leaders such as Booker T. Washington and Frederick Douglass visited it and other, extant black churches a few blocks to the south and west. Up the street from the Beulah Church is the Downtown Baptist Church, turned into a hospital where Alexandrian women were blocked by Union soldiers from bringing linen and food to wounded Confederate soldiers treated inside by Union doctors.
Another block south of it is the Alexandria Academy, founded by George Washington as a free public school, for boys and girls, at the same time he endowed what became Washington and Lee University and George Washington University. Before the Civil War, children of James Madison and Lighthorse Harry Lee, the latter Washington’s cavalry commander and Robert E. Lee’s father, were educated there, as were groups of black children. During the Civil War, the Academy became a school and a hospital for freedmen.
The amazingly rich Civil War heritage of Alexandria isn’t limited to Washington St. of course. Old Town and its environs boast scores of other sites. The heritage trails would connect all the sites, but in a compact area only several miles across.
Several of the most prominent locales are:
• The Carlyle Mansion, home to the Green family and a Union Army hospital that was the real-life locale of the “Mercy Street” PBS television series
• The Marshall House hotel, now the site of the Alexandrian Hotel, where Union Colonel Elmer Ellsworth and pro-Southern hotel owner James W. Jackson killed each other in a firefight, over a Confederate flag that Jackson had unfurled at his hotel, thus becoming among the first fatalities of the war.
• The unique “Bank of the Two States”, a grand merchant bank that hosted the twin, war-time governments of Union Virginia, as opposed to the Confederate state of Virginia, including the breakaway state of West Virginia. Confederate General John Mosby, later a U.S. ambassador in the Far East for President Grant, conducted secret war-time surveillance of the place.
• The former publishing house of the Alexandria Gazette newspaper, burned by Union troops after its editorials backed the refusal of the reverend of a nearby church, designed by architect of the U.S. Capitol Benjamin Latrobe, to endorse “either President”, Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis, in his sermons. The fire-blackened walls are still visible, as is the fire house, across the street (now a private home), whose firemen attempted to douse the blaze.
• Various sites associated with Harriet Jacobs, a enslaved woman of mixed heritage turned abolitionist, author, and college founder. Jacobs founded various charities and schools for escaped, “contraband” slaves and freedmen in war-torn and post-bellum Alexandria.
• The grand Vowell-Smith House, Old Town’s second-largest house, and home of attorney Francis Smith. Smith successfully argued before the Supreme Court a case under which the federal government paid Robert E. Lee’s heirs compensation for the transformation of his Arlington House property into what became Arlington National Cemetery.
--------------------
This notion for an interpretative visitors center and walking trails on Alexandria’s large role in the Civil War is a preliminary one. It is hoped this document will spur discussion and generate interest in this fascinating and educational topic.
The next step may be to establish a group to attract interested parties and funds for the purchase of the Lee Home, and to begin planning its transformation into a Civil War museum and interpretative center, as well as the construction of themed walking trails in Old Town.
If you or your organization is intrigued by this exciting, once-in-a century project of living history, kindly respond with interest and ideas.
Together, we could transform Alexandria into one of the prime places in America--along with Gettysburg, Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.--on the exploration of the Civil War, America’s most enthralling saga!
Respectfully yours,
Edward P. Moser
Historian, author, professional tour guide
Alexandria, VA
[email protected]
http://thezebra.org/2018/04/08/letter-to-the-editor-lee-boyhood-home-should-be-museum-again/
https://www.meetup.com/Lafayette-Sq-Tours-of-Scandal-Assassination-Spies-Meetup/
https://www.amazon.com/Patriots-America-Thigngs-American-Should/dp/1596525495/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517173322&sr=8-1&keywords=america+a+z+moser