Photo courtesy of the City of Alexandria
Alexandria has renamed a street Calhoun Ave. for a former city leader.
The City of Alexandria has rededicated Calhoun Avenue as Robert L. “Bob” Calhoun Avenue, recognizing the life and public service of a longtime local and state leader, the City announced.
Robert L. “Bob” Calhoun was a Yale-educated attorney and respected public servant who served on the Alexandria City Council, including time as vice mayor, where he was known for his civility, thoughtful leadership, and work on transportation policy. He helped found the DASH bus system and supported reforms in child custody law. He later represented Alexandria in the Virginia Senate, continuing his commitment to regional and community-focused policymaking.
STREET RENAMING IN ALEXANDRIA
The rededication is part of the City’s multi-year Street Renaming and Rededication process. This symbolic but important change to Calhoun Ave. allows the City to remove honors previously granted to Confederate figures and instead uplift individuals whose contributions reflect Alexandria’s present-day values. No changes to addresses, mailing information, voter registration, or official documents are required for this rededication.
The street was previously named for J. Lawrence Calhoun, Major, CSA (Confederate States of America).
Many of these names were established by a 1953 ordinance requiring that north–south streets, "insofar as possible," be named after Confederate leaders. This ordinance was enacted one year after the City’s annexation of the West End, where many of the affected streets had not yet been named, and just prior to the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, such acts were part of a broader segregationist backlash, including the naming of streets and public buildings after Confederate figures.
City staff have confirmed that 41 streets in Alexandria are named for Confederate soldiers.
More information about the multi-year project is available at alexandriava.gov/StreetRenaming.
