Photo by Kim Davis
Dave Cleary will open his historic home on the Historic Garden Week tour in Old Town Alexandria.
The advent of spring beckons us to step outside our homes and enjoy a leisurely walk down the charming tree-lined streets of Old Town Alexandria’s historic district.
It also heralds one of Virginia’s most beloved traditions, the annual Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Garden Week Tour, featuring centuries-old homes and beautifully curated gardens bursting with nature's beauty.
The tour is managed by two local garden clubs, The Hunting Creek Garden Club and The Garden Club of Alexandria, that rotate responsibility for hosting the event annually. This year’s tour includes five Old Town homes and two Garden Club of Virginia restoration projects: George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens and Green Spring Gardens. Proceeds from the event fund the restoration and preservation of Virginia’s historic public gardens and provide graduate-level, research fellowships.
One of the five homes on this year’s Historic Garden Week Tour, 511 Prince St. stands on land first acquired by George Washington in the 1760s. A frame house stood on the lot by the late 18th century, marking the earliest known development of the lot.
Photo by Kim Davis
An equestrian painting by Old Town Alexandria painter Dave Cleary.
In the early 1800s, the property was owned by King Street merchants John Thomas Ricketts and William Newton, reflecting the neighborhood’s distinctly mixed commercial and residential character. A historic marker records that in 1853, owner William McVeigh enlarged the original frame dwelling and encased it in brick, charting its transformation from an 18th-century frame house into the substantial brick residence that survives today.
By 1855, noted Alexandria architect and builder William McVeigh expanded 511 Prince St., connecting the living room and dining room with a hallway. In the early 1900s, the home was divided into a five‑unit apartment building, but by mid‑century, it was returned to a single‑family residence. Today, it features four finished floors, including three bedrooms, a library, den, office, kitchen, and family room. Originally heated by wood, the home has 10 working fireplaces featuring lovely marble surrounds.
Photo by Kim Davis
A book-filled room at historic home at 511 Prince St., on Historic Garden Week tour in Old Town Alexandria.
Current owner Dave Cleary and wife Carol purchased the home in 2001, and they raised a daughter there. “Thankfully, the home was in good condition when we purchased it,” Dave Cleary remarked. “We really didn’t have to change much except replacing the old air conditioning unit and furnace.”
The four-story home opens to an entry hall, a lovely double parlor and a piano room, all beautifully furnished and appointed in shades of soft beige. A pair of Greek Revival columns, added 30 years ago, mark the transition from the living room into the piano room, visually uniting the double parlor while preserving each room’s distinct character. Like most historic Old Town homes, the residence features its original pine floors. Cleary says his favorite part of the house is an upstairs room filled with books. A round table anchors the dining room, which has hosted many family gatherings over the past 20 years.
Photo courtesy of owner
511 Prince St. is one of five featured homes on the Historic Garden Week tour in Old Town Alexandria.
Clarey embodies the classic Renaissance man. A self-taught painter, he developed his skills over time, producing 50 paintings throughout the past five to 10 years. Evidence of his artistic talent is showcased throughout the house. An art nook in the kitchen is home to an easel with a chair, where he continues to create many beautiful paintings. A self-taught pianist, Cleary enjoys entertaining family and friends and frequently shares his love of music with residents of local retirement centers.
“Carol and I fell in love with Old Town’s charm,” Cleary said. “We shared a life in this lovely historic community, enjoyed the company of many wonderful friends, and were committed to helping end child abuse.” The couple was married for 44 years when Carol passed away in 2013.
Cleary grew up on a farm in Illinois, the youngest of 10 children, all of whom enjoyed discussing politics at the dinner table. He graduated from Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering as well as a master’s degree in the same subject from Iowa State, landing a management position at 3M, overseeing acquisitions and mergers. While living in St. Paul, he was elected to the Minnesota legislature, where a parade of bills convinced him that if children were raised in a normal, nurturing environment, prisons would be half-empty. This would shape his commitment to helping children with disabilities overcome their challenges.
He moved to the D.C. area in the 1970s, where he was named a White House Fellow, a prestigious one‑year leadership and public service fellowship that places recipients in the highest levels of the federal government, working for senior White House staff, Cabinet secretaries or other top officials. In 1978, he founded Cleary & Oxford Associates. The company arranged acquisitions and mergers with medical device companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Kimberly-Clark.
Cleary’s unwavering commitment to ending child abuse has shaped and strengthened the community for many years. He served on the Board of Directors of Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and founded SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now), creating vital support and advocacy for vulnerable children and families. In recognition of his leadership and impact, Cleary has been honored as an Alexandria Living Legend.
Old Town’s Historic Home and Garden Week Tour will be held Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Advance tickets are $55 online at gcvirginia.org and at the Alexandria Visitor Center (211 King St.), and $65 on tour day. The event includes entry to five historic homes and complimentary refreshments at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 228 South Pitt St., from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
A highlight of the tour is Hunting Creek Garden Club’s popular Spring Marketplace Boutique at the Atheneum, located at 201 Prince St., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It features an array of vendors, including two beautiful new coffee table books by local authors showcasing the history and preservation of our city’s finest historic homes, Georgetown Paperie stationary and personalized gifts, Heidi Wynne sumptuous cashmere, Charleston-based jewelry designer Janet Gregg’s classic, semi‑precious statement pieces, independent jewelry designer Katherine Jones’s classic, handmade gemstone-designed necklaces, KT Bonacci hand-painted hats and bags featuring motifs and scenic, whimsical imagery, well known Alexandria jewelry designer Meg Carter’s beautiful hand-crafted jewelry, Scamps Toffee, a small-batch, buttery, boutique toffee, Virginia Donelson custom oil portraits, and much more.
Photo courtesy of Kim Davis
Kim Davis
Kim Davis has resided in Alexandria since 1980. Originally from Louisiana, she majored in Journalism, Advertising, and Public Relations at LSU, managing a myriad of clients throughout the years. She and her husband, Randy, raised two children in Alexandria and now enjoy their four young granddaughters.
Kim has been active in many community activities over the years, serving as president of St. Stephens & St. Agnes’s Parent Association, managing PR for the Race for the Cure and serving on the board of the Center for Alexandria’s Children. She is a member and former president of the Hunting Creek Garden Club, which biannually organizes the Garden Club of Virginia’s Historic Home and Garden Tour.
