Where are Alexandria's Historic Districts?
Alexandria has seven National Register Historic Districts: Fairlington, Alexandria Historic District , Mount Vernon Memorial Highway, Uptown/Parker-Gray, Parkfairfax, Rosemont, and Town of Potomac. The City also has two local historic districts which are regulated by the Board of Architectural Review (BAR). These local districts are the Old and Historic Alexandria District (OHAD) and the Parker Gray District (PG). Note that the boundaries of the local districts differ from those of the National Register Districts. Additionally, buildings designated by City Council ordinance as One Hundred-Year-Old Buildings are regulated by the Board of Architectural Review.
Refer to the Historic Preservation Map viewer or this pdf of Alexandria's Local Historic Districts to find the boundaries for the city's historic areas as well as locations of 100-year old buildings.
Learn more about Alexandria's Historic Districts, from Out of the Attic, Alexandria Times, May 11, 2023.
Old and Historic Alexandria District
The Old & Historic District, with its protections for historic buildings, was originally established to control development along the George Washington Memorial Parkway as it passed through Alexandria as Washington Street and to protect the city's colonial heritage. Over the years, the District's boundaries have changed. Today, the District generally runs from the southern edge of the City from Hunting Creek north to Bashford Lane and from the Potomac River on the east to near the King Street metro on the west. Additionally, the portion of George Washington Memorial Parkway within the city's boundaries and a buffer zone on either side is included within the boundaries of the Old and Historic Alexandria District. As noted above, the boundaries for the local historic district regulated by the BAR differ from those of the National Register district. The Historic Preservation Map viewer indicates the boundaries for each.
Parker-Gray Historic District
The Parker-Gray District is named for the Parker Gray School which opened in 1920. The school was named in commemoration of John Parker and Sarah Gray who had been principals of two segregated schools in Alexandria during the latter part of the 19th century, the Snowden School for Boys and the Hallowell School for Girls. As previously noted, the boundaries of the local Parker-Gray District regulated by the BAR differ from the Uptown/Parker-Gray National Register Historic District. The Historic Preservation Map viewer indicates the boundaries for each.
One Hundred Year Old Buildings
In addition to the Old and Historic Alexandria District (OHAD) and the Parker Gray District (PG), the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) also oversees the protection of designated One Hundred Year Old Buildings located outside of the locally regulated historic district boundaries. These resources have been designated as historically or architecturally significant by the City Council, and are subject to the regulations in Article 10-300 of the Zoning Ordinance.
Board of Architectural Review
On February 12, 2019, City Council appointed a new Board of Architectural Review (BAR) to oversee both the Parker-Gray and Old & Historic Alexandria Districts, as well as designated 100 year old buildings. The Board is charged with approving a Certificate of Appropriateness for all new construction and exterior alterations for structures designated as visible from a public way. In addition, the Board must approve a Permit to Demolish for any proposed demolition of more than 25 square feet of material on a structure, regardless of the visibility from a public way.
- BAR Members
- Robert “Bud” Adams, appointed in 2020 as a citizen-at-large for a 3 year term. Re-appointed in 2023 for a 3 year term (expires 6/30/2026).
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Theresa Del Ninno, appointed in 2022 as an architect for a 3-year term (expires 6/30/2025)
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Margaret Miller, appointed in 2022 as a representative of OHAD for a 3 year term (expires 6/30/2025)
- James Spencer (Chair), appointed in 2021 as an architect for a 3 year term. Re-appointed in 2024 for a 2 year term (expires 6/30/2026)
- Andrew Scott, appointed in 2022 in a Citizen-at-Large Position for a 3 year term (expires 9/30/2025)
- Michael Lyons, appointed in 2022 in a Citizen-at-Large Position for a 3 year term (expires 10/31/2025)
- Nastaran Zandian, appointed in 2023 as a representative of the Parker Gray District for a 3 year term (expires 3/31/2026)
Questions?
Contact the Historic Preservation staff in the Department of Planning and Zoning, preservation@alexandriava.gov,703.746.3833.