City of Alexandria Revives Historic Pendleton Rooming House for Affordable Housing

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A historic gem in Alexandria’s Parker-Gray neighborhood is getting a new lease on life. The City of Alexandria has officially begun a large-scale rehabilitation of the Pendleton Rooming House, located at 1022 Pendleton Street, with an ambitious project aimed at preserving its cultural legacy while ensuring long-term affordability for low-income residents.

The project, led by the City’s Office of Housing, includes extensive interior and exterior renovations such as upgrades to the building’s plumbing and electrical systems, installation of insulation, geothermal energy improvements, and modern safety and accessibility features. A key component of the rehabilitation also involves restoring the former commercial storefront on Henry Street, which once housed businesses central to Alexandria’s Black community.

A Legacy of Shelter, Community, and Culture

In 1920 John W. and Corrine Jackson acquired the property which at the time included 12 rooms, a bathroom, a hot water heater, as well as a barn, stable, and blacksmith shop. Trained as a baker, John W. established the Alexandria Home Bakery on the property. He became a figure of local renown, known simply as “Baker John” in the community, and operated a thriving business for close to three decades until his death in 1949.

The Jacksons also continued to rent rooms in the building, continuing the legacy that Harvie Johnson began some ten years earlier. For more than a century, throughout Alexandria’s segregated past, the residential portion of the building has served as a sanctuary for African American travelers and local residents in need of accommodations. The list of luminaries who were guests of the Jacksons included Elijah Muhammed, the founder of the Nation of Islam. The property also served as a meeting place for local African American organizations and later became a community social hub when it functioned as a beauty salon and barber shop.

Three generations of Jacksons have owned the historic property at 1022 Pendleton St., beginning with John W. and Corrine Jackson, continuing with their daughter Corrine J. Dixon, and now their granddaughter Janice Howard. The Pendleton Street Rooming House Rehabilitation Project will ensure that the building will continue to enhance housing affordability in the community, and stand as a significant landmark within the historic Parker-Gray neighborhood for generations to come.

Since the 1970s, the house has functioned as a rooming house for Alexandria’s working poor, continuing its mission of shelter and support for those in need.

Preserving Affordability and Honoring the Past

The rehabilitation is being funded through federal Community Development Block Grants via the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, with critical backing from Congressman Don Beyer and U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

“Preserving affordable housing in our city while honoring its history is exactly the kind of investment we should be making,” said Rep. Beyer. “This project reflects both Alexandria’s heritage and our commitment to a more equitable future.”

“Maintaining affordable housing in historically significant properties like this helps us preserve not just our buildings but our collective memory,” said Helen McIlvaine, Director of the Alexandria Office of Housing.

Community-Driven Collaboration

The rehabilitation is a collaborative effort between several city departments and the building’s longtime operator, Ms. Janice Howard, whose stewardship of the home continues a legacy of community care. Ms. Howard, a direct descendant of the family that built and operated the property for generations, has worked closely with the city to support the renovation.

The City says in the Pendleton Project papers that they are “grateful for the cooperation and collaboration of Ms. Janice Howard in choosing to continue to preserve the property and operate it as a rooming house following renovation in honor of her mother’s legacy of helping others.”

Existing residents were relocated within the city prior to the start of the construction and will have an opportunity to return upon completion. A referral process is being created in coordination between Ms. Howard and the Office of Housing and Department of Community and Human Services, as vacancies occur in the future. Rents will be restricted and help ensure residents at risk of homelessness remain stably housed. .

“Seeing this building restored means so much to my family and to the community,” Howard said. “It’s a chance to honor our history while ensuring it remains a home for others.”

Looking Ahead

The City says that once complete, “the revitalized Pendleton Rooming House will continue to serve Alexandria’s most vulnerable while honoring a rich and complex history. It stands not just as a building under construction, but as a symbol of resilience, remembrance, and renewal in one of the city’s most historically significant neighborhoods.”

For more details and construction updates, visit the City’s Pendleton Rooming House Project Page here.