Construction set to begin on drainage project at historic Douglass Cemetery
City to hold pre-construction meeting Dec. 16 as years-long preservation effort moves forward
Construction is set to begin this month on a long-awaited project to address flooding at Douglass Memorial Cemetery, Alexandria’s largest African American burial ground.
The city will hold a pre-construction meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 2:30 p.m. at the cemetery, 1421 Wilkes St. Attendees can meet contractors from Jacobs, the engineering firm leading the work, and Wetlands Studies and Solutions, the archaeology firm that will monitor construction. City staff from the Department of Project Implementation and Office of Historic Alexandria will also be on hand.
Construction is expected to run from December 2025 through July 2026.
The project will install new stormwater pipes and inlets within the Wilkes Street right-of-way to address drainage problems that have caused persistent flooding and standing water at the site. The work will also include improvements to a downstream drainage channel that runs toward Jamieson Lane, affecting areas near Old Town Village, Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery, and Trinity United Methodist Church Cemetery.
Douglass Memorial Cemetery was established in 1895 as a segregated, nondenominational African American cemetery and named in memory of Frederick Douglass, who died that year. Records suggest more than 2,000 people may be buried there. Yet, fewer than 700 grave markers are visible today; many burials were marked initially with impermanent wooden markers or no marker at all.
The presence of unmarked graves has made addressing the cemetery’s preservation challenges especially complex. The city has applied to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources for a permit to disinter human remains if any are encountered during construction lawfully. Archaeologists conducted testing at the site in early 2024 and recommended that all ground-disturbing work be monitored.
The drainage project caps a multiyear effort. In 2019, researchers conducted a non-invasive geophysical survey to help identify potential burial locations. The city secured more than $500,000 in state funding in 2022 and contracted with Jacobs to study the drainage problems. In 2023, the city acquired a quarter of the property, and a Descendant Advisory Group was formed to consult on preservation decisions.
Separate from the stormwater work, gravestone conservators treated 26 markers on the cemetery’s west side in late October and early November, funded by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources’ African American Cemetery and Graves Fund. Another round of conservation work is planned for fall 2026.
The last known burial at Douglass Cemetery was in 1975.
In the event of severe weather, the Dec. 16 meeting will be held at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St.
For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/DouglasCemetery.