Old Town North
PRESERVE/scapes was retained by the City of Alexandria to develop an Interpretation Plan for the Old Town North neighborhood.
Old Town North has played an important role in Alexandria’s history from early settlement through the 1960s. The local environment would have been conducive to various traditions and customs of Native American life. After European colonization, the area evolved from riverfront plantations in the 1700s to an industrial hub in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Neighborhoods for workers developed around the factories and industrial facilities, many of which were occupied by thriving African American communities. With development pressures rising in this part of the city, interpretation of the past can be used to preserve and strengthen the community’s sense of place.
PRESERVE/scapes was challenged to develop a plan that preserved and conveyed the rich history of a neighborhood where many historical points of interest are no longer physically present. Planning included extensive archival research, community engagement and working sessions, coordinating with a team of archaeologists, and developing a graphically intensive planning document. The resulting Old Town North Historic Interpretation Guide provides a framework for a holistic interpretive program that provokes an interest in the past, fosters a sense of place, and encourages stewardship of the historic elements that remain.
PRESERVE/scapes sought to explore ideas beyond traditional walking tours and interpretive signage to develop more creative ways of incorporating and celebrating the past. The guide encourages interpretation through a variety of experiences, ranging from material and place-based to more academic and virtual. The Guide establishes a Thematic Palette for each city block, which includes ideas for Textures (materials, products, objects, etc.), Words, and Forms (building forms, styles, spatial patterns, treatments, etc.). The Thematic Palette informs how history can be incorporated into new construction, interpretive installations, and city right-of-way treatments throughout the neighborhood.