For Immediate Release: February 27, 2025
Media Contacts: Jeanene Harris, Office of Historic Alexandria, Jeanene.harris@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4734.
Katie Bishop, Office of Communications and Community Engagement, Katie.Bishop@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3961.
Historic Alexandria Receives Commonwealth History Fund Grant from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In recognition of their dedication and drive to saving, sharing, and studying history in Virginia, Historic Alexandria has received the Commonwealth History Fund grant from the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC). The $75,000 grant will allow Historic Alexandria to conduct a major research project to better understand the full history of Alexandria’s Market Square. The project’s findings will inform future efforts to interpret and share the complex history of this early urban center.
For more than 275 years, Market Square has served as the seat of local government and a key economic hub while previously functioning as a space of enslavement and racial oppression.
In 2025, more than $500,000 was awarded to Virginia-based historical societies, community centers, educational institutions and state-recognized American Indian tribes. 2025 is the fourth and largest grant cycle for the Commonwealth History Fund, which will see VMHC award more than $2 million over the first five years.
“VMHC is proud to play a leading role in the enduring and far-reaching mission of saving and sharing Virginia’s history,” said VMHC President and CEO Jamie Bosket. “We are similarly proud to be able to provide meaningful financial support to our fellow history organizations—empowering great preservation and education efforts taking place in communities all across Virginia.”
As part of VMHC’s Commemorating America’s 250th Anniversary initiative, and associated with the upcoming exhibition “Give Me Liberty: Virginia & the Forging of a Nation,” grant applications related to America’s semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) were given special consideration, though this focus was not a requirement. More than 80 applications were submitted with requested funds totaling more than $5 million.
Joining Historic Alexandria as awardees are the Fredericksburg Area Museum & Cultural Center, Historic Richmond Foundation, Historic Staunton Foundation, Historical Society of Western Virginia (Roanoke), The JXN Project (Richmond), Monacan Nation Cultural Foundation (Amherst), Pamunkey Indian Tribe (King William), Toano Historical Society, Virginia Tribal Education Consortium (Ashland), and WHRO Public Media (Norfolk).
More information about each recipient and the projects that were funded is available at VirginiaHistory.org/HistoryFund.
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For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Jeanene Harris, jeanene.harris@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.4734.
About Historic Alexandria
The Office of Historic Alexandria preserves and shares the history of the City of Alexandria with eight museums, historic sites, archives, archaeology, tours, exhibits and public programs. Through powerful storytelling and confronting the City’s past, Historic Alexandria enriches the present and inspires the future. We enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors and serve as a partner in the City’s equity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Historic.
About the Virginia Museum of History & Culture
Founded in 1831 as the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, a private, non-profit organization, is the oldest museum and cultural organization in Virginia and one of the oldest and most distinguished history organizations in the United States. The museum cares for a renowned collection of more than nine million items representing the far-reaching story of Virginia.
About the Commonwealth History Fund
Founded in partnership with Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources in 2021, with the support of Dominion Energy and others, the Commonwealth History Fund furthers VMHC’s mission to support and encourage meaningful history education and preservation projects throughout Virginia. Previous awards have funded preservation, publications, artifact acquisition, research, conservation of artifacts and educational programming.