RCA Newsletter: October 2025

Jol Silversmith
Oct 31
4 min read

The Rosemont Citizens Association is 100% volunteer-driven, but it is readers, members, and donors like you who power it—thank you! Would you consider a gift to the RCA to keep it moving forward?

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It takes real dollars to carry out the important mission of serving our members in the Rosemont neighborhood.

Here are just a few examples of how we put your donations to work this year:

The RCA launched a new website - www.rosemontcitizens.org
The RCA joined the city’s Adopt-a-Park program and now does weekly clean-ups of two sections of Hooff’s Run Park and Greenway (tennis court, playground).
PELT has Alexandria City’s commitment to keep the Hooff’s Run culvert clean and in good repair to minimize flooding.
PELT is “at the table” with Virginia Rail Express (VRE) to track how its plans to replace the bridges over King Street and Commonwealth Ave. will affect Rosemont.
PELT is leading an effort to renew interest in preserving Rosemont’s architectural history through new Rosemont historical markers and videos on the new RCA website.
The RCA launched a new monthly “Meet Your Neighbor” Happy Hour at Rosemont Cellar with 50+ attendees and regular sponsors.
The 2nd annual “revived” RCA Oktoberfest took place on September 27th.
The RCA newsletter has almost tripled in 18 mos. to 656 subscribers.

We are gaining momentum and have big plans for 2026! Thanks for your renewed support for the Rosemont Citizens Association.

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Voting Tuesday: November 4th

The Tuesday, November 4 election has races for Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Delegate, Commonwealth’s Attorney, and Sheriff on the ballot. A sample ballot is available at https://www.alexandriava.gov/sites/default/files/2025-08/5th_district-_with_color_background-_for_website_0.pdf. The deadline to request an absentee ballot for voting by mail is passed, but early voting in-person is available through November 1; see https://www.alexandriava.gov/elections/key-early-voting-dates-deadlines.

On Election Day, polls will be open from 6am to 7pm; the voting place for most of Rosemont is Brooks Elementary School. For residents north of Braddock Road, the voting place is George Washington Middle School, and for certain residents of the northwest edge of the neighborhood (including Timber Branch Parkway), the polling place is Blessed Sacrament Church.

In Memoriam: Rosemont Historian Anne Doak Taylor

Anne Doak Taylor, 93, died on October 7, 2025 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Many Rosemonters remember Anne Taylor. Anne lived on Rosemont Avenue for many years and was the prime mover behind the creation of the Rosemont Historic District. She was a very capable historian who meticulously catalogued the original homes of Rosemont. After assembling a team of architecture students from the University of Virginia, Anne prepared the application to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1992, the Rosemont Historic District was recognized by the Department of Interior as a historically significant example of “an early 20 th -century commuter suburb that has remarkable design cohesiveness and has remained essentially intact.”

You can hear Anne’s narration in the video, “Rosemont: a historic neighborhood in Alexandria Virginia” on the RCA website at History | Rosemont Citizens Association

Anne Doak Taylor was born January 9, 1932 in Richmond, she was the daughter of George Barbour Doak and Helen Gould Powell. She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Gregory Blackwell Taylor, who passed away in April of 2025 at the age of 94. Anne is survived by her daughter Sarah Swearer (Hank), of Austin, TX; Jonathan Taylor of Ridgefield, CT and Cleveland, OH; three grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

PELT Committee

More construction between East Walnut and East Oak streets -- repairs to Hooff’s Run culvert

Keeping the Hooff’s Run culvert in top shape helps to keep Rosemont dry during severe rainstorms. During the past year, the City has thoroughly repaired the southern end of the culvert from Linden Street all the way to Duke Street. They repaired breaks in the culvert’s walls and ceiling that snagged debris, causing blockages that impeded the flow of stormwater exiting Rosemont.

Well – the work on the Hooff’s Run Culvert is not over yet! Later this fall, the City will begin rebuilding that section of the culvert between East Walnut and East Oak Streets. That’s the block that contains Rosemont Cellar, the tennis court, and small adjacent lot. The repairs will be extensive. The tennis court and dog park will be closed throughout the construction period. Rosemont Cellar will be unaffected. The engineers will remove the concrete pad that covers the culvert so that they can repair the concrete walls and floor to create a smooth surface. The pad will be rebuilt and replaced. The area will be returned to its previous state.

The construction is expected to start before December and last 6-to-8 months, depending on the weather. Residents impacted by the construction will be notified two weeks in advance. The project manager is Lisa Jaatinen of the City’s Transportation & Environmental Services Department. If you have questions, please direct them to Lisa at lisa.jaatinen@alexandriava.gov.

Next RCA Meeting

Our next meeting will be in-person at the good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Wednesday, November 19; we plan to be joined by Mayor Gaskins (and also will be looking for volunteers to help organize the annual holiday decorations contest). In 2026, we hope to hold at least some meetings virtually, with topics such as the care of trees and city arborist resources.

Resources from Alexandria Sheriff’s Office

The Alexandria Sheriff’s office offers a house-watching service (https://www.alexandriava.gov/sheriff/away-from-home-check). Additionally, the Sheriff continue to offer “Project Lifesaver” to help track adults and children with special needs (https://www.alexandriava.gov/sheriff/project-lifesaver).