Alexandria’s “Colored Rosemont” neighborhood will be recognized in September with the dedication of a Virginia State historic marker. The neighborhood was home to the first Black homeowners in the city in the early to mid-20th century.
The marker is a reminder of racial segregation in Alexandria. It will be dedicated at 3 p.m. near the corner of Wythe and N. West Streets — across from the Braddock Road Metro station — on Sept. 13 (Saturday). Mayor Alyia Gaskins, representatives of the Office of Historic Alexandria (OHA) and former and current residents of the neighborhood will attend the ceremony. The event is free and open to the public.
The marker is part of the Colored Rosemont Community History Initiative, a collaboration between the Office of Historic Alexandria and former and current residents of Colored Rosemont. The neighborhood, known as West Braddock today, was started in 1926 when plots were sold to individual Black families, and development was completed in 1939, according to the city…