Douglass Memorial Cemetery stewards honored as commission prepares National Register nomination

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Friends of Frederick Douglass Memorial Cemetery and the Social Responsibility Group received the Alexandria Archaeological Commission’s 2026 Ben Brenman Award on Tuesday, for work restoring the city’s largest African American cemetery.

Ivy Whitlatch, chair of the commission, told City Council it is preparing a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the entire Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex, and that what has happened at Douglass is one of the driving forces behind it.

“It’s something everyone should be proud about,” she said.