Photo courtesy of City of Alexandria
Members of the African American Heritage Trail Committee in Alexandria.
The Office of Historic Alexandria (OHA) and the African American Heritage Trail Committee (AAHTC) invite you to an open house to celebrate the launch of the new southern route of the African American Waterfront Heritage Trail!
The event will take place on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, 10 a.m. at the Alexandria History Museum at the Lyceum at 201 S. Washington St. in Alexandria. Registration is requested.
Learn more about history along the waterfront as organizers recreate a sample of the stops along the trail inside the Lyceum. Enjoy an opportunity to “talk history” with members of the AAHTC. Each stop highlights the importance of Black history in Alexandria, what archaeological and historical research reveal about the past, and the impacts of community history initiatives like this one. Prominent and lesser-known stories of African American people, places and neighborhoods from the time of Alexandria’s founding through the 20th century will be featured. Remarks begin at 11 a.m. Light refreshments will be served.
The African American Waterfront Heritage Trails illuminate the history of the African American community over a span of centuries. These trails highlight the contributions of Black Alexandrians, free and enslaved, to the history of Alexandria’s waterfront.
The South Trail Route consists of 19 stops and is the second in a series of trails covering the waterfront. The North Trail Route, launched in 2021, includes 11 stops.
Together the two trails span a little over three miles from Montgomery Street to the south end of Jones Point Park. The trails can be experienced on a computer or as a StoryMap on a smartphone as you walk the trails along the Potomac River. The African American Waterfront Heritage Trail Committee is made up of volunteer community members and historians and is supported by staff from the Alexandria Black History Museum and Alexandria Archaeology.
Parking is limited in the Alexandria History Museum at The Lyceum parking lot. Metered parking is available on the street and there are several Old Town Alexandria parking garages. The closest garage is the Courthouse Square Garage at 111 S. Pitt St. More information about parking is available at AlexandriaVA.gov/parking.
Visit alexandriava.gov/historic-sites/african-american-heritage-trail-south-waterfront-route for more information about the southern route of the African American Waterfront Heritage Trail.
For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Eleanor Breen, City Archaeologist, at eleanor.breen@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.4399, Virginia Relay 711.
