Click to enlargeThe Alexandria African American Heritage Park, located off Duke Street on Holland Lane is a nine acre memorial park. Eight acres of the park surround a preserved one acre 19th century African American cemetery. Of 21 burials on this site, six identified headstones remain and are in their original location. The park was designed to co-exist with the original landscape of the cemetery and preserves the interesting and varied plant life on this site. The park, designed by nationally recognized landscape architectural firm EDAW, also sustains a wetland area that provides a home for mallards, painted turtles, beavers and crayfish in their natural habitat.
On June 17, 1995 the Norfolk Southern Corporation presented the park to the City of Alexandria. The park is part of a mixed-use Carlyle Development and a satellite site for the Alexandria Black History Museum. The memorial sculptures in the park are the creation of Washington, D.C. sculptor Jerome Meadows. The focal point of the park is a sculpture group of bronze trees called "Truths That Rise From the Roots Remembered." This formation acknowledges the contributions of African Americans to the growth of Alexandria. Other smaller sculptures throughout the park commemorate historic African American Neighborhoods and the people known and unknown buried on this site. A book stand in the park contains a visitors guide which identifies the names of African American citizens and sites etched on the sculptures.
Click to enlargeThe park is available to rent for selected events. Interested parties may inquire at the Alexandria Black History Museum about conditions and rates.
