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November/December 2017
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THE DAVEY BULLETIN
WSSI'S THUNDERBIRD ARCHEOLOGY UNCOVERS
RICH HISTORY OF ALEXANDRIA CHURCH
Alfred Street Baptist Church, the oldest African-American
church in the city of Alexandria, Virginia, enlisted the help
of Thunderbird Archeology, a division of Wetland Studies
and Solutions, Inc., a Davey company, to complete an
archeological investigation before the construction of a new
sanctuary and to assist with a historic rehabilitation tax credit
feasibility study before restoration of the original church.
The congregation formed in 1803, built a church at this site
in 1818, and rebuilt the church that stands today in 1855.
Over the last 160-plus years the church acquired over a city
block and continued to grow.
Anna Maas, principal architectural historian, said the city of
Alexandria is one of the few places in the U.S. that has an
archeological protection code, thus, whenever a project in
the city requires a site plan, the developer must consider the
potential impact of the project on archaeological resources.
Located within the third-oldest local historic district in the
country, the developer also must have all alterations and
additions to its exterior approved by the city of Alexandria
board of architectural review.
Maas said her job was to assist with a property history of
the site by researching all the historic records to figure out
if an archeological dig is necessary. The research also helped
outline the evolution of the original church's construction,
which the church's architect is using to determine whether
using historic tax credits makes sense.
In terms of the archeological potential, Maas said there used
to be several 19th-century houses along the alley way and
the street where the church proposes to expand. These were
Top: The Alfred Street Baptist Church hosted integrated services and
lectures in the early 20th century, had female ministers at an early date
and hosted guest speakers from around the world. The church also
donated $1 million to the Smithsonian Institute's new National Museum
of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
Above: Excerpt of 1863 Bird's Eye View of Alexandria, Va.
removed during urban renewal in the 1960s and 1970s.
"The Union Army, which occupied the city throughout
the Civil War, built a giant engine house for the military
supply trains, and that was in the backyard of the church,"
Maas said.
Maas said she has been impressed with all the historical
events and important figures the church and its members
have been involved with.
"They have a history of giving back to the community,"
Maas said.
