Alexandria Honors McArthur Myers

The African American Heritage Trail Committee and the Office of Historic Alexandria invite the public to join in a week of remembrance of McArthur Myers, local historian and community activist, who passed away on December 4. From December 15 to December 21, Alexandria residents are invited to pay tribute to Myers and the city’s African American history by placing small bouquets of flowers at some of the many historic markers he closely championed. Use this map to find a marker near or dear to you.    

Myers, a beloved community member, believed that Alexandria’s history – good and bad – should be told throughout the city. As a member of the African American Heritage Trail Committee, Myers led the vision and efforts to create two waterfront trails that illuminate the history of the Black community over a span of several centuries. Myers dedicated his passion and energy to ensuring that Alexandria’s lynching victims, Benjamin Thomas and Joseph McCoy, would never be forgotten. In partnership with RiverRenew, Myers’ unwavering commitment to African American history resulted in new historic interpretation signs throughout Alexandria African American Heritage Park. Myers ensured that the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. would be etched in stone in Alexandria on two granite benches. He was also integral in the installation of state historic highway markers, including one about Third Baptist Church and Universal Lodge #1, the oldest Prince Hall Lodge in Virginia. Myers advocated for these initiatives and many more. 

Join the African American Heritage Trail Committee and the Office of Historic Alexandria in honoring McArthur Myers and the city’s African American history.   

Visit the Historic Alexandria webpage for more information about Alexandria’s African American history initiatives. 

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at historicalexandria@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.  

If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703-746-3960. 

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About the African American Heritage Trail Committee 

The African American Heritage Trail Committee members joined forces to recognize and highlight the contributions of African Americans to Alexandria’s history along the waterfront. The committee is comprised of Alexandria residents and staff from the Office of Historic Alexandria. The committee created two trails that tell history online through StoryMaps and can be experienced in-home on your computer, or on your smartphone as you walk the trail along the Potomac River. Eleven historic interpretive signs and two orientation signs along the trails share the history with residents and visitors. For more information the trails, visit https://www.alexandriava.gov/historic-sites/african-american-heritage-trails. 

About the Office of Historic Alexandria  

The Office of Historic Alexandria preserves and shares the history of the City of Alexandria with eight museums, historic sites, archives, archaeology, tours, exhibits and public programs. Through powerful storytelling and confronting the City’s past, Historic Alexandria enriches the present and inspires the future. We enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors and serve as a partner in the City’s equity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic.