Zebra Misc

THIS WEEK IN ALEXANDRIA HISTORY: CITY COUNCIL REGULATES SIGNAGE, Jan. 29, 1947

ALEXANDRIA, VA – On January 29, 1947, just a year after establishing America’s third regulated historic district in what would become known as “Old Town,” the Alexandria City Council directed that a new ordinance be prepared covering public signs in the City. In the years after World War II, signs across the city began to become larger and larger to attract the attention of the increasingly motorized population driving through the city. Some signs, such as the one pictured here atop the 1922 George Mason Hotel, was one of three neon signs installed on engineered structural frames on the roof of the building, pointed towards City Hall and in both directions on Washington Street. With this new trend starting to accelerate, officials determined it was now time to regulate signage.

(Source: Office of Historic Alexandria)

Mary Wadland

Mary Wadland is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of The Zebra Press, the award-winning Alexandria news publication she founded in 2010 with a mission of celebrating community, culture, and all the good news happening across the city. A longtime community advocate and storyteller, Mary was selected for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce inaugural 40 Under 40 class and has served as President of Living Legends of Alexandria since 2022. Known for her deep local roots, sharp editorial instincts, and passion for connecting people through journalism, she has spent decades chronicling the personalities, businesses, events, and civic life that make Alexandria unique. Originally from Delray Beach, Florida, Mary is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia, and has been part of Alexandria’s publishing and media community since 1987.

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