Alexandria's Confederate Street Renaming Proposal Up For Review In January

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Street names with Confederate references will be up for renaming consideration in Alexandria when the new year begins.

There are at least 40 streets with Confederate names based on Office of Historic Alexandria research, and other street names are being evaluated for potential Confederate references. Many of these streets were named under a 1953 ordinance to establish street names honoring Confederate military officials for north-south running streets.

In early 2023, Mayor Justin Wilson had proposed a new process to streamline renamings of streets with Confederate references. Under the renaming process, three streets will be renamed each year after public hearings. The process is expected to take 15 years due to the number of streets with Confederate references.

City Council's Naming Committee, made up of Councilmembers John Taylor Chapman, Sarah Bagley and Alyia Gaskins, voted 3-0 in late November to recommend the first streets for renaming. The renaming recommendations will go to City Council on Jan. 9. A final vote will happen after a public hearing at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 20 in City Council chambers.

North Breckinridge Place is proposed to be renamed in honor of Harriet Jacobs, an African American abolitionist who published "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl." The current street name refers to John Cabell Breckinridge, who was a U.S. vice president who later was Secretary of War for the Confederate States.

Forrest Street is proposed to be renamed Forest Street. The current street name refers to either Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest or Confederate Navy Commander French Forrest.

North Jordan Street, South Jordan Street and Jordan Court are proposed to be rededicated or renamed. The committee's preferred option is rededicating the street for Thomasina Jordan, the first Native American in the U.S. Electoral College who was later an Alexandria resident. The other option is renaming the streets in honor of the Hughes family, an enslaved family in the 1860s with two members serving in the Alexandria-based U.S. Colored Infantry. The current street name refers to Confederate Brigadier General Thomas Jordan.

North Early Street and South Early Street are proposed to be renamed or rededicated for James Early, Charity Earley, Early as a time concept, or Principal of the African American Hallowell School for Girls Sarah A. Gray. The current name of Early Street refers to Jubal A. Early, a Confederate brigadier general.

Thomasina Jordan, James Early, and Charity Earley were name suggestions from the community that the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission is researching before City Council's January action.

"I’m thankful for the Naming Committee's work and the input received from our community on these proposals," said Mayor Justin Wilson in a statement. "I look forward to the Council's discussion and action on these recommendations as we work to reckon with our past and ensure Alexandria is a welcoming community for all."

If a homeowner's street name is changed, they will need to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles, IRS on the next tax filing, Social Security to collect Medicare benefits, financial institutions, insurance and subscriptions. Passports do not need an address change until the next expiration. For wills and trusts, the city can provide a certified letter as an addendum.

The City of Alexandria will be responsible for updating homeowners' addresses for the U.S. Postal Service, personal property taxes, land records and permits, AlexRenew, Dominion Energy, Comcast or Ting internet, Washington Gas, the voter registration office, public schools, the Alexandria Police Department, Alexandria Fire Department, 311 system and 911.

More information on the process is available at www.alexandriava.gov/StreetRenaming.