Register Here for the Free Forum on The Ramsey Homes, Alexandria’s First Affordable Housing Project
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The City of Alexandria is inviting the general public, especially residents of Parker-Gray, to a symposium on the Ramsey Homes, which served as affordable housing units from 1953 to 2018.
Originally built as temporary housing for African American war industry workers in the 1940s, the homes served as permanent affordable housing for Alexandria residents for 65 years. The Ramsey Homes were located in the heart of the Parker-Gray Historic District in the African American enclave known as Uptown.
This symposium tackles issues of race and equity in housing and community memory, as well as segregation’s impact on the African American workforce and the landscape of public housing.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has made America understand the importance of access to affordable housing, transportation, and amenities for all. This symposium examines Alexandria’s public housing history and the strides made in making Alexandria a livable and welcoming community,” says the Office of Historic Alexandria.
The symposium will combine panel discussions on the building’s role in architectural history, as well as a presentation on the residents who lived there for more than six decades.
Panelists include historian Krystyn Moon, architectural historian Anna Maas, genealogist Char McCargo Bah, civil engineer John Dumsick, and architects Al Cox and Purvi Irwin. A virtual tour of the new project will follow the presentations. Registration is free, and participants can register here.
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