Archive for the 'Del Ray' Category
Alexandria’s Historic Uptown/Parker-Gray Neighborhood Added to National Register of Historic Places
January 28th, 2010 Categories: Alexandria, Del Ray, Real Estate News
Almost two years after after submitting application, Alexandria’s Uptown/Parker-Gray Neighborhood has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The area will officially known as the Uptown/Parker-Gray Historic District.
Bordered on the north by First Street, on the south by Cameron, on the east by Columbus and on the west by Buchannon/Oronoco and parts of West Street, the area ultimately known as Parker-Gray was sparsely settled and and primarily rural throughout the Colonial, Federal and Antebellum periods.
Few structures survive from those eras but one of the most interesting would have been Alexandria’s gun powder house, built in the 1790’s at what is today the corner of N. Fayette and Queen Streets. Deemed a potential fire hazard it was deliberately located at a safe distance from the many wooden structures built along the Potomac River.
The largest historically black neighborhood in Alexandria, Parker-Gray was originally a haven for escaped slaves and freedman during and immediately after the Civil War.
Wartime conditions in Alexandria were grim and families crowded into flimsy shanties and shacks. Few if any of these structures have survived and most of the historic buildings present today were built later in the 19th century.
In past years, the more popular nickname for the Parker-Gray neighborhood was “Uptown” to distinguish it from the ”downtown” areas closer to the Potomac River.
The official moniker comes from two schools whose names, in turn, honored leading black educators in the community: Sarah Gray, principal of Hallowell School for Girls and John Parker, principal of the Snowden School for Boys.
Alexandria built the first black high school in 1950 at 1207 Madison Street, which was named Parker-Gray. Prior to this, young African-Americans who wanted to continue their education past the eighth grade were forced to go into the District of Columbia for high school.
Parker-Gray High School was re-designated as a middle school in 1965 and was closed completely in 1979. A memorial plaque designates the school’s former location among the townhouses now standing on Madison Street.
A listing in the National Register of Historic Places provides formal recognition of a property’s historical, architectural, or archeological significance based on national standards used by every state.
The nomination recognizes the historic architecture of the district and social history of the Uptown/Parker-Gray Historic District, including the African-American contribution, that has occurred in this neighborhood since its inclusion within Alexandria City boundaries in the 1790s.
The listing identifies nearly a thousand contributing historic structures within the Uptown/Parker-Gray Historic District.
There are some wonderful properties available in this area - call me at 703.927.4554 and let’s find your historic home in this newly designated neighborhood.
Michael
Photographs courtesy of MarieMcC
| Currently No Comments »
Del Ray Bake Sale Benefits Haiti and Doctors without Borders
January 25th, 2010 Categories: Del Ray
Out of the mouth of babes - four to be exact - came the idea for a Del Ray Bake Sale to benefit Haiti and Doctors without Borders.
Led by Skylar (8) and Rain (6) Camerlinck and Mein (10) and Phoebe (8) LaMountain, the effort raised $1, 216.17 on Saturday morning at the Del Ray Farmer’s Market.
After all, how could anyone resist this?
As adults we are so aware of being good role models and this is a perfect example of how it should work. Joe LaMountain and his wife are very active in the community and Tom Camerlinck works for Greenpeace.
Helping others is obviously part of the DNA here.
Special thanks to Jackie Camerlinck who worked with Phoebe, Mein, Skylar and Rain to collect, bag and price all the goodies. Thanks to the friends, families and citizens of Del Ray who donated and bought baked goods.
back row, left to right: Phoebe LaMountain, Skylar Camerlinck, Will Bruno, Mein LaMountain and Lila Greiner
front row center: Rain Camerlinck
A bake sale to support Haiti and Doctors without Borders - just another reason why Del Ray is a very special place to live. Want to know more? Call me at 703.927.4554.
Michael
| Currently No Comments »
The Calvert Apartments and Calvert Shops on Mt. Vernon Avenue
January 23rd, 2010 Categories: Del Ray
Our friends over at the Arlandria posted on an interesting development with the Calvert Apartments and Calvert Shops on Mt. Vernon Avenue and we want to share the news.
Located in north Del Ray , the Calvert is located directly across from a larger redevelopment in the triangle where Mt. Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues split.
UDR, the owner of the Calvert Apartments and a major player in the WDC rental market, has offered early conceptual plans for updating and renovating this poorly aging complex.
A recent preview of what is described as an on ongoing concept, would reface the existing tower and replace the front parking lot and retaining wall with a mid-rise (4 story), street-front apartment building.
The new construction would incorporate the existing ground-floor retail but move it adjacent to Mt Vernon Avenue. Some of the retail space would likely surround a central art or water feature in an open air plaza at the intersection of the T-shaped building as shown below.
Most of the parking would be placed underground with some above-ground parking on the north side of the property, just as it is now. The current south parking lot would be replaced with green space adjoining Warwick Village and Goat Hill Park.
We’ve never been inside the Calvert Apartments but have always been intrigued by the large glass enclosed roof top pool and what has to be a spectacular view.
When we first moved to Del Ray some 20 years ago, one of the few ‘local’ places to eat was the Calvert Grille (now Del Meire) and we’re delighted to think that this under appreciated area is going to get a face lift.
Michael
| Currently No Comments »
