The Ramsey Homes: An Example of Early Public Housing in Alexandria-Symposium

The City of Alexandria invites you to join 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 and the African American enclave known as Uptown. This symposium tackles issues of race and equity in housing, of community and community memory, 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.

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.

Register online.