100-5015-0006

Davis Chapel

VLR Listing Date

09/10/2003

NRHP Listing Date

01/16/2004

NRHP Reference Number

03001428

Davis Chapel, also known as the Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church, is listed under the multiple property documentation form for African American Historic Resources of Alexandria. The two-story, brick, vernacular Gothic Revival-style structure, with a standing-seam painted metal roof, was constructed in 1834 on South Washington Street in the African American neighborhood called “the Bottoms.” It is the largest structure and the only church on the block of one of the Alexandria Historic District’s most prominent streets. Distinctive features include an ornate façade of decorative brick and stained-glass windows, flanked at either end with small brick towers topped with slate-roofed pinnacles and decorative metal finials. The Davis Chapel building was extensively remodeled in 1894 with the addition of a new façade, entrance, narthex, and stained-glass windows. The church is the site of one of the oldest existing schools in the city, and it still is an important African American social gathering place.

Last Updated: January 30, 2024

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Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark

For additional information Read

Nomination Form

100-0005

Bank of Potomac/Executive Office and Governor’s Residence of the Restored Government of Virginia

Alexandria (Ind. City)

100-0143

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Cemetery

Alexandria (Ind. City)

100-0160

George Washington High School

Alexandria (Ind. City)