Effective Thursday, June 20, the City of Alexandria will rename three streets currently named for Confederate figures and rededicate a fourth. 

The four impacted streets are the first to be impacted during what will be a 15-year process of renaming and rededicating roadways currently named for Confederate figures. The City is committed to reckoning with its past and the legacy of a 1953 ordinance that ruled that all streets running North-South in the city should be named for Confederate officers. 

Alexandria City Council voted unanimously on Saturday, January 20, to undertake these changes as the first steps in the City’s Confederate Street Renaming initiative, which aims to foster a more inclusive community in the city. 

The Historic Alexandria Research Committee (HARC) compiled a list of streets in Alexandria named for Confederate figures as well as a list of 63 new names for consideration by City Council and the City Council Naming Committee. Community members, particularly those most impacted by changes, had opportunities to attend public hearings or send feedback to City Council. The name Charity Earley was suggested by residents in place of the original name that came from the HARC list, and Thomasina Jordan and Harriet Jacobs were the names that residents of those respective streets indicated they most preferred. 

The City of Alexandria is committed to making progress but wants to ensure that any changes create the least disruption possible to residents and businesses. An up-to-date Street Renaming FAQ page covers what residents and businesses must do if affected. City Staff will provide additional information to impacted residents and businesses on each street in advance of the change. If you aren’t sure whether you will be impacted, reference the Confederate Street Renaming Map. 

If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email LanguageAccess@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3960.