This Week in Historic Alexandria - May 13, 2024
What's New
Friendship and Firefighting in Alexandria: Celebrating 250 Years of Friendship Fire Co.
Join us Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Friendship Firehouse Museum at 107 South Alfred Street for a muster of antique, hand-drawn firefighting apparatus. Participating vehicles will include 19th-century suction fire engines and hose reel carriages. Friendship Firehouse Museum will also be open for free during the event. Suction engines, invented in the early 19th century, drew water from wells, hydrants, and other sources through a hose, and provided a powerful and constant stream of water. The first hoses were typically made in 50-foot lengths, and only a few pieces could be carried on the fire engine itself, so additional vehicles were created specifically to carry extra lengths of hose.
Fire was a constant danger in a town of mostly wooden buildings, where open flames provided heat, light, and cooking. The Friendship, Sun, Relief, Hydraulion, and Star volunteer fire companies served the community faithfully, particularly during enormous blazes in 1827, 1855, and 1871.
Friendship Firehouse Museum’s historic firefighting vehicles includes the Prettyman Hose Reel Carriage, built in Alexandria in 1858 by coachmaker, and Friendship Fire Company member, Robert Prettyman. It was ornately decorated and fitted with two large bells to sound the alarm as the vehicle bounced through Alexandria’s streets. Thanks to fundraising efforts led by the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association, the Prettyman hose carriage recently underwent much needed conservation, returning to Friendship Firehouse in 2022.
Friendship & Firefighting in Alexandria is sponsored by the Friendship Veterans Fire Engine Association and the Office of Historic Alexandria. Admission is free.
Celebrate National Preservation Month: A Lecture by Nicholas Redding
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum
Wednesday, May 22
7 p.m.
The Alexandria Historical Society presents a lecture by Nicholas Redding, President and CEO of Preservation Maryland, who will highlight the work of the organization to save key resources, invest in historic trades, and promote affordable communities.
- Nicholas has led Preservation Maryland since 2014, and oversees its operations, programs and growing professional staff.
- Since his arrival he has overseen a complex merger and the subsequent creation of Smart Growth Maryland, a dynamic new program of the organization.
- Nicholas has worked in partnership with the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center to establish the Campaign for Historic Trades, a new program dedicated to developing the next generation of traditional tradespeople.
For additional information, please visit the AHS website: https://sites.google.com/view/alexandria-historical-society/home
Upcoming Events
View the Historic Alexandria Calendar
Community Cookout
Fairlington Presbyterian Church, 3846 King Street
Wednesday, May 16
6- 7:30 p.m.
Free
Join us for Community Cookouts in 2024! A great time for neighbors and families to come together and connect with community resources. There will be free food, face painting and activities, games for the kids and giveaways. For more information, contact Michael Johnson at 703.898.5115, michael.johnson@alexandriava.gov or Officer Bennie Evans at 703.627.0728.
Traditional Concert Series
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St.
Friday, May 17
7:30-9:30 p.m.
$25/$12 Ages 12-17 at ticketstripe.com/Jeff Warner
This concert features Jeff Warner, who is among the foremost performers /interpreters of traditional music. His songs from the lumber camps, fishing villages and mountaintops of America connect 21st-century audiences with the everyday lives - and artistry - of 19th-century Americans. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Free snacks; cash bar for beer, wine, and a specialty cocktail.
Preservation Tours: Lost Buildings of Alexandria - The Berg & Parker-Gray
Tours begin at Lee-Fendall House Museum, 614 Oronoco Street
Every Saturday in May, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
$20/50% off for Lee-Fendall museum members.
Tickets can be purchased at leefendallhouse.eventbrite.com.
In honor of Historic Preservation Month, Lee-Fendall House and Carlyle Historic Park bring a new "Lost Buildings" walking tour, focused on the Berg and Parker-Gray neighborhoods.
The City of Alexandria has seen older buildings and spaces being restored, preserved, and reused in different ways. However, there were many buildings that were not preserved. Explore the Berg and Parker-Gray neighborhoods of Alexandria and stop at locations where historic buildings once stood.
The program is a joint effort between the Lee-Fendall House and Carlyle Historic Park. The tour includes walking over many city blocks, so please dress appropriately for the terrain and weather. Tours are limited to 10 people. For more information, please call (703) 548-1789 or email contact@leefendallhouse.org.
Specialty Tour: Peeling Back the Layers
Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 201 S. Washington St.
Every Sunday in May (next tour is May 19)
10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
$15/$12 for Historic Alexandria Members
Tickets available online.
May is Preservation Month! See the multiple layers of Gadsby’s Tavern Museum in this speciality tour! Explore the 18th century buildings, including spaces rarely opened to the public. From graffiti in the attic to clues about the building’s construction date in the basement, learn to “read” a building and its changes through time. Wear comfortable shoes, be prepared for stairs, and bring your camera! The tour begins in the shop of Gadsby’s Tavern Museum.
Lecture: Remember the First Ladies
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St.
Tuesday, May 21
7-8:30 p.m.
$15/$12 for Members and Volunteers
Tickets available online.
Please join us for a moderated program featuring Diana Carlin, Anita McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith, co-authors of a new book, “Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women.” The book illustrates First Ladies’ unique position to influence American society, policy, diplomacy, and life in the White House and illuminates how many of them broke barriers to make a mark on our country and, at times, the world. A book signing will follow the program.
Beyond the Battlefield: A Civil War Walking Tour
Saturday, May 25
10 a.m.
$15/Free for Museum Members
This walking tour shares the stories of soldiers, citizens, and self-liberated African Americans in Civil War Alexandria. It covers the military occupation, the conversion of public and private buildings into hospitals, and emancipation.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. The tour is limited to 12 participants and lasts approximately an hour and a half. Walking tours take place rain or shine, so please wear appropriate shoes and clothing. Tour begins at Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco Street. For more information, please call 703-548-1789 or e-mail contact@leefendallhouse.org.
Lewis Cass White: Preserving the Legacy of Fort Stevens
Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site, 4301 West Braddock Road
Exhibition Opening May 25
To honor the 160th Anniversary of the Battle of Fort Stevens, learn more about Lewis Cass White and his large collection of almost 200 documents, objects, and photographs related to his Civil War service and post-war mission to preserve the Defenses of Washington. More about the Lewis Cass White Collection: https://www.alexandriava.gov/museums/the-lewis-cass-white-collection
Vietnam War Veterans Plaque Dedication
Alexandria Union Station, 110 Callahan Drive
Memorial Day, May 27
9 a.m. (gather at 8:45 a.m.)
Free event, no registration required.
VFW Post 609 and American Legion Post 24, in partnership with the Office of Historic Alexandria, are memorializing Alexandrians who lost their lives in the Vietnam War with a plaque dedication ceremony on Memorial Day. The plaque will be installed at the city’s Monument to its War Dead at Union Station. A second duplicate Vietnam War Veteran plaque will be dedicated on the exterior of the American Legion Post 24 building at 400 Cameron Street on June 14th at 6 p.m.
Civil War Living History Day at Lee-Fendall
Lee-Fendall House, 614 Oronoco Street
Saturday, June 1
11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
$15/Free for Museum Members
Visit the Lee-Fendall House and learn how it was a Union Army hospital, and the site of the first and only successful blood transfusion, during the Civil War. Through living history demonstrations, a special house tour, medicinal plants table, and a brass band performance, you will immerse yourself in what it would have been like at the house during the mid-19th century
Entry is on the hour from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM and advance registration is required. Members, please call or e-mail the museum to reserve your tickets. Questions? Please call the museum at 703-548-1789 or e-mail contact@leefendallhouse.org.
Annual D-Day Commemoration
Market Square; 301 King Street
Sunday, June 2
1-4 p.m.
Free event, no registration required.
Join the Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy. The event will feature a commemorative ceremony, historical displays, reenactors, 40s music, swing dancing, and children’s activities.
Annual D-Day Lecture, “How Patton’s ‘Ghost Army’ Beat Hitler"
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Thursday, June 6
7-9 p.m.
$10 per person. Tickets available online.
The Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee welcomes Dr. Kim Bernard Holien, U.S. Army Historian (retired) to share the true story of a top-secret mission in Normandy, France, that paved the way for a successful Allied invasion on “D-Day.” In 2024, more than 80 years after their mission, soldiers of the “Ghost Army” received the highest civilian honor of the United States, the Congressional Gold Medal, for their clever tactics outwitting the enemy in the most unlikely ways. Their tactics were unconventional, including inflatable convoys, sound effects, fake radio shows, and misinformation. A reception will follow the lecture. How & why were the Nazis fooled? As Sir Walter Scott wrote: "Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." Come and learn how the Allies weaved the web that held the German 15th Army at Calais, ensuring victory in Normandy. Reception to follow the lecture.
Traditional Concert Series
Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street
Friday, June 7
7:30-9:30 p.m.
$25 per person/$12 ages 12-17 at https://ticketstripe.com/Conway-Dolan
Irish music featuring Brian Conway (fiddle) and Brendan Dolan (piano, flute, and whistle). Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Free snacks; cash bar for beer, wine, and a specialty cocktail.
Story Time for Little Historians
Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street
Saturday, June 8
10-10:45 a.m.
Free event, no registration required. Call 703-746-4356 for more information.
This FREE, fun, and educational story time is geared to children ages 5-8 years old and features stories related to Black History. The program uses books written by and about African American people and other communities of color to educate and inspire our youngest visitors. Along with the book reading, Museum Staff provides historical context and local community connections. Story time will be held in the Museum’s Parker-Gray Gallery.
Historic Alexandria receives City operational funding to support its mission; however, these resources do not cover the full scope of the department’s strategic goals and projects. Donations, special revenue, and grant funding help supplement staff, conservation work, and educational programs. Please consider making a gift today.
Historic Alexandria Museum Hours
- Alexandria Archaeology Museum
Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays, 1-5 p.m. - Alexandria Black History Museum
Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays, 1-5 p.m. - Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum
Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays, 1-5 p.m. - Fort Ward Museum
Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays, 1-5 p.m. - Freedom House Museum
Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays and Mondays, 1-5 p.m. - Friendship Firehouse Museum
Saturday, May 18, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. - Gadsby’s Tavern Museum
Thursdays and Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays through Tuesdays, 1-5 p.m. - Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum reopens this Saturday, May 18 after being closed for preservation work!
Wednesdays–Fridays, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m., Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sundays & Mondays 1 - 5 p.m.
Visit our website and follow us on social media to discover new things about your hometown. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic. Admission to City of Alexandria museums is complimentary for city residents.
For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.
This Week in Alexandria's History
On May 17, 1860, the first passenger in the Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad traveled from Alexandria to Leesburg. A year later, when the Civil War started, Union troops seized the AL&H rails, equipment and buildings, and converted the station at Princess and Fairfax into offices for the Quartermaster Department.
Upcoming Commission and Committee Events
Commissions Supporting Historic Alexandria
- May 13 Alexandria-Caen Sister City Committee
Sister Cities Conference Room 1101, Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street
7-9 p.m. - May 15 Alexandria Archaeological Commission
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7-9 p.m. - May 20 Sister Cities Committee (SCC) Dundee and Helsingborg
Sister Cities Conference Room 1101, Alexandria City Hall, 301 King Street
7-9 p.m. - May 20 George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee (GWBCC)
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7-9 p.m. - May 20 Public Records Advisory Commission
Archives and Records Center, 801 S Payne Street
7:30 p.m. - May 21 Historic Alexandria Resources Commission (HARC)
Lloyd House, 220 N. Washington Street
7-9 p.m.