Del Ray's oldest remaining house

Originally published in the June 2026 issue of Greet Del Ray

Lucy Gary in her living room circa 1900.

Del Ray has lost many of its historic homes in recent years, but one of the oldest remaining in the community as of mid-2026 is at 210 East Howell Avenue.  

William Thomas Gary settled in Washington, D.C. after the Civil War and became successful as a printer in the newspaper business. When Del Ray was first opened for sales in 1894, Gary decided to retire to the new suburb at 63 years old and purchased the house at 210 East Howell Avenue.  He moved there with his wife Lucy and at least six of their children. The Gary family became an influential fixture in Del Ray, owning multiple properties and loaning money to neighbors to buy houses. Being a close knit family, his son-in-law Alexander Slaughter Doniphan purchased two lots across the street at the corner of Howell and Mount Vernon Avenues in August 1894 (see the April 2025 issue of Greet Del Ray).

Gary passed away in 1900, and his wife Lucy lived there until her death in 1916.  In 1921, John and Gertrude Rosson from Culpepper purchased the house.  He worked at Potomac Yard with his son Alvin as an oiler on the railroad.  Rossen rented part of the house out to Addie Treackle and her adult daughters to make ends meet.  Addie’s daughter Mary taught at the local school with Rossen’s daughter Ethelda.  Rossen lived there until his death in 1941, after Gertrude moved in with her son Alvin who lived on Windsor Avenue.

After John Rosson’s death, the house was turned into a rental property.  By 1950, it had been broken up into 5 apartments.  It has remained an apartment building ever since.  In 1985, it was sold to Randall Herbst for $100,000.  A little over three years later, he sold it to Harvest Enterprises for more than twice what he paid for it.  The building changed ownership again in 2022 at a cost of over $1 million.  It remains the oldest remaining building in Del Ray.

All-American Girls Professional Baseball League

Originally published in the April 2026 issue of Greet Del Ray

AAGPBL practicing at Simpson Field in Alexandria in 1951.

During World War II, Major League Baseball (MLB) was concerned they may need to stop playing because so many players were joining the war effort.  Philip Wrigley, the owner of the Cubs, spearheaded the creation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) to insure that professional baseball would continue despite the war.  The movie “A League of Their Own” portrayed this league.  The teams were all based in the midwest, and the league did not expand further when the MLB avoided shutting down for the war.  Even after the war, the league continued and expanded until it reached ten teams in the 1948 season. However, the advent of MLB games on TV cut into the revenue of the league, until it folded all together in 1954.

In Washington, D.C., the sports promoter Goldie Ahern saw an opportunity.  Griffith Stadium, home of the Washington Senators and Redskins, had lost the Georgetown Hoyas as a tenant when they shut down their football program in 1950.  With new availability at the stadium, Ahern requested the AAGPBL play one of their 1951 playoff games in Washington, D.C.  The league, growing desperate to increase ticket sales, agreed to hold some pre-season exhibition games at Griffith Stadium.  The Fort Wayne (Indiana) Daisies and the Battle Creek (formerly Racine)(Michigan) Belles were scheduled for a two game exhibition series on 3 and 4 May 1951.  

In order to prepare for the game, both teams moved their spring training to Del Ray.  They held their practices at Simpson Field in Del Ray from 26 April 1951 until their first exhibition game was played at Griffith Stadium on 14 May.  The game had been rescheduled twice due to rain, which extended their stay in Del Ray.  These practices were immortalized by a newsreel, showing the women holding practice with the houses along Duncan Avenue clearly visible in the background.  Use the following link to watch the full newsreel.

  https://www.britannica.com/video/Newsreel-footage-highlighting-women-professional-baseball/-19456

The originals houses of Del Ray and St. Elmo

Originally printed in the February 2026 issue of Greet Del Ray

Charles Wood began selling lots in Del Ray and St. Elmo in 1894, and the first sale of those lots in Del Ray was to George Mundell and his sister Martha.  They purchased lot 289 in Del Ray in May 1894, and built a small house at 208 E. Howell Avenue. They had grown up in Washington, D.C. and were both nurses.  Martha was 48 years old by then, and George was 34 years old.  They moved to Del Ray in 1895 with their older sister Ellen, but by 1901, they moved back to Washington.  At that time, they purchased lot 288 as well and added an addition to the right side and rear of the original house.  Once the addition was complete, they rented out their little house.  They returned to it for a couple years in 1907-1908.  They returned to Washington in 1908 and sold the house to Annie M. Berry.  The house was mainly a rental property over the years, and was broken up into a variety of units by the 21st Century.  The current owner tore the house down in December 2025 to make way for new construction.  

Jefferson D. Ashford built the first house in St. Elmo at the corner of Clifford and Turner Avenues.  He was a postal clerk for the railroad, and he married Edna Lee Cockrell in 1891.  With two sons born in 1892 and 1893, it was time to move to a house in the suburbs.   He purchased lots 255 & 256 in July 1894, and proceeded to build his home there at 301 Clifford Avenue.  He lived there for about 14 years before moving back to Washington in 1909.  However, he kept the house as a rental property until 1922, when he sold it to Walter Newlon.  The house changed hands numerous times over the next 90 years until the current owners purchased it in 2013.  With severe termite damage, they elected to tear down the house and construct a new house in 2015.

These houses, and many others that have been torn down, were all contributing structures to the Town of Potomac Historic District.  For this reason, our historic district was added to the list of Most Endangered Historic Sites in Virginia in 2023.  

208 E. Howell Ave. in 2008.

301 Clifford Ave. in 2008.

Potomac Station Post Office Building

Survey of the St. Elmo Post Office from 1908, the year that the Town of Potomac was formed.

Originally published in the December 2025 edition of Greet Del Ray.

The residential developments of Del Ray and St. Elmo were established in 1894, and in early 1895, the United States Postal Service approved a proposal to open a St. Elmo Post Office in what is today Oakville triangle. When the Town of Potomac was formed, the Post Office was renamed Potomac Station. By the late 1920s, the post office had moved to a new building at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Del Ray Avenues (now The Dog Store). When the Town of Potomac was annexed into the City of Alexandria in 1930, the Potomac Station Post Office moved up the street to 2007-9 Mt. Vernon Ave (now Del Ray Picture Framing and Del Ray Balloon Boutique).

The Henry Knox Field Masonic Lodge Number 349 was chartered in early 1925. It used the Town Hall of Potomac as its headquarters for two decades. By late 1945, the lodge had raised the funds to purchase the lot at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Howell Avenues to construct a new headquarters. The building permit estimated construction costs at $60,000, and it was designed from the start to house a post office on the ground floor. Once construction was completed in 1946, the Potomac Station Post Office was the first to move into the building. By 1952, the lodge was fully installed on the top floor of the building. In the mid-1950s, the lodge rented out the middle floor to the Eastern Photographic Unit of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Cartography Section.

Del Ray fell on hard times in the 1970s and 1980s, and the Lodge shared those hardships. As the membership and fortunes of the Lodge dwindled, the building went into foreclosure in 1993. The current owners purchased the property at the end of 1993. Throughout their ownership, they continued to rent the ground floor to the Post Office, while other businesses occupied the upper floors. As Del Ray began to prosper again and celebrate its history, the Potomac Station Post Office has been a reminder of the historic Town of Potomac. To this day, Potomac, VA is still a valid postal address for the 22301 zip code.

The origins of Art on the Avenue

Block Party 1994 co-chairs Gayle Todsen Reuter from the Civic Association and Joe Pettiford from the City along with local resident Ryan Bailey.

Originally published in the October 2025 edition of Greet Del Ray.

In an effort to bring Del Ray out of its economic depression of the 1980s, the City began offering grants to restore properties. Using grant funding, Dennis Reeder restored the property at 2003 Mt. Vernon Ave. To celebrate its completion in 1991, he threw a block party in front of his building with the help of community leaders like Nancy Dunning and the generosity of local businesses such as Jack Taylor Toyota. The event, which included food and music, proved wildly popular, and the City paired with civic leaders to continue the parties over the next few years, culminating with the Del Ray Centennial Parade in the fall of 1994. When the “On the Avenue Block Party” ended, the community was looking for something to replace it.

Pat Miller had recently moved to the neighborhood, and inspired by a street art fair in Ann Arbor, she launched “Art on the Avenue” in 1996. With only a handful of artists available, she invited various vendors from Eastern Market and other D.C. markets to fill out the event. Initially, Police Chief David Baker minimized charges to the event, and Forum One sponsored children’s activities. The local support allowed the event to thrive and grow. For the second year, Paul Haire and local realtor Patty Miller took over the event. Patty was well connected in the art community and expanded the event, beginning juried entries of artists. Pat Miller stepped back in for the subsequent years to help the event continue.

The event has grown exponentially since its early days. Originally having only few artists in three blocks managed by two volunteers, it now has more than 600 artists applying for 325 positions in ten blocks and requires 250 volunteers to manage all the activities. The amount of food, music and activities have all expanded. Costs incurred by the organizers have grown ten-fold, including around $30,000 paid in fees paid to the City. Thanks to the continued support of the community, Art on the Avenue remains a thriving annual event which not only brings the community together but also exposes a variety of other people to our wonderful neighborhood.

Town of Potomac’s first mayor: Joseph Edward Supplee

House originally built by Joseph E. Supplee

Originally published in the August 2025 edition of Greet Del Ray.

One of Del Ray’s earliest residents was Joseph Edward Supplee, the son of an Irish immigrant who worked on the railroads in Martinsberg, WV. Supplee and his wife Mildred moved to Northern Virginia and built their home on the southwest corner of Howell and LaGrande Avenues in 1895.

The Supplees had a son when they moved to Del Ray, but the family grew while they were there. Two more sons and a daughter were born between 1896 and 1906. The suburb of Del Ray proved to be an ideal location to raise their four children.

Supplee was active in politics from an early age and was elected Chairman of the Democratic Committee for Jefferson District (southern Arlington) in 1896 at 27 years old. He served on the School Board representing his district in 1899. By 1905, he was serving as Justice of the Peace for his district. When the citizens gathered to consider improvements to the county’s government in 1907, Supplee served on the subcommittee organized to draft the measures.

When the Town of Potomac was formed in March 1908, Supplee was a natural selection to be the interim mayor to manage the new Town until the first elections were held on 1 September 1908. In that role, he oversaw the creation of the Town’s government and the first elections.

Despite his pivotal role in the creation of the Town of Potomac, Supplee did not remain there much longer. A printer by trade, he began working as a linotype operator at the Washington Evening Star newspaper. He moved his family to Washington DC around 1912. Although he left over 100 years ago, the home he built remains.

Town of Potomac’s first sheriff: Richard Henry Roberts.

Artist’s impression of Richard Henry Roberts home around 1926 by Casey Durrett of Pena Haku.

Originally published in the June 2025 edition of Greet Del Ray.

In 1904, one of the homeowners displaced by the construction of Potomac Yard was Richard Henry Roberts. The Roberts family had moved to the area during the Civil War. Richard and his brother Edward had built adjacent homes where Slater’s Lane and Powhatan St. currently intersect. After selling their homes to the railroad, the brothers moved to Del Ray. Edward built his new home at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Windsor Aves, where he raised his eight children.

Richard built a folk Victorian house of a common design in the region at that time. Sitting on the Southwest corner of Del Ray & DeWitt Aves., the house featured a wrap-around porch facing both streets. Richard was a teamster when he moved to Del Ray, and he constructed a small barn on his property which no longer exists. He and his wife Annie never had children, though they rented out rooms in the house to neighbors and relatives. Richard was a community leader serving on several juries and investing in the community. When the Town of Potomac was formed in 1908, Richard was appointed as the acting Sergeant of the Town until the first elections could be held. In that capacity, he served as the equivalent of Alexandria’s sheriff.

After his wife Annie died in 1920, Richard remarried and moved away. The house was sold and modified over the years. The rear portion of the house and side porch was removed in the early 1920s. The house underwent a major renovation in the 1950s. In the 1970s, the foundation was rebuilt and the side porch was enclosed to create more living space. The current owners returned the house to its original footprint in 2014, restoring the wrap-around porch which serves as a gathering spot for neighbors. The house was featured in the 2016 Home & Garden Tour.

1913 Mt. Vernon Ave.

Bellies & Babies in 2021

Originally published in the April 2025 edition of Greet Del Ray.

Del Ray was created as a residential community, and many of the buildings constructed next to Mt. Vernon Ave. were single family homes. Over the years, most of these have been converted to businesses, such as the Del Ray Pizzeria building (see the February 2025 issue of Greet Del Ray). One such conversion is at 1913 Mt. Vernon Ave.

These lots at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Howell Aves. were originally purchased in 1894 by the Alexandria newspaper publisher Alexander Doniphan for his suburban home. The house was constructed as a folk Victorian with a porch wrapping around both the Howell and Mt. Vernon sides. The design was a common one seen around the Washington suburbs in the late 1890s and early 1900s. The original address of 101 E. Howell Ave. was changed to 201 with the 1940 renumbering throughout Del Ray. After a decade of living in Del Ray, Doniphan moved back to Old Town and sold the house to Stephan Feagan, an insurance salesman. Stephen gave the house to his son Ernest when he married in 1914, and Ernest’s wife lived there until 1960, long after Ernest passed away.

After the Feagan family sold the house, it remained vacant for several years until the Eastern Drag Newspaper converted it to their offices in 1964, changing the address to 1913 Mt. Vernon Ave. in the process. It changed hands two years later and became the offices of the building maintenance firm E & R Corporation, which remained there until 1975. Del Ray had fallen on rough times in the 1970s and 1980s. After 1975, this building was largely vacant until Ashton Decorative Hardware occupied it throughout the 2000s. In 2010, after Ashton’s closure, Bellies & Babies occupied the building for the next 15 years. When Lee Raynes, the current owner of Bellies & Babies, decided to retire, the building came available again. Jay Portlance, the owner of the Del Ray Hardware Store, has now obtained a lease and is creating the Del Ray Farmhouse Market & Garden store to provide the community with a new garden center. This property will remain commercial for the foreseeable future.

2000 Mt. Vernon Avenue

Snuggery Cafe in 1991

Originally published in the February 2025 edition of Greet Del Ray.

The building at 2000 Mt. Vernon Avenue has been one of the cornerstones of Del Ray since 1938. Starting in 1933, David Glassman, whose family owned the property, operated Potomac Hardware here in a building dating back to the turn of the century. By 1938, the family had accumulated enough wealth to tear down the original building and build the current structure intended to house two stores on Mt. Vernon Ave. and several apartments above and behind. Potomac Hardware reopened on the right, and Max Rumshin moved his grocery store from the 2200 block of Mt. Vernon Ave into the store on the left, renaming it the Mt. Vernon Food Center. Rumshin and the Glassman family occupied three of the apartments in the building. During World War II, Potomac Hardware was replaced by the Del Ray Drug Store. Glassman passed away in 1972, and the Mt. Vernon Food Center closed shortly thereafter. Glassman's widow sold the property in 1975, ending the tenure of the Del Ray Drug Store. Despite a few efforts by the new owners, the storefronts were entirely vacant by 1979, a reflection of the economic hard times in Del Ray. Around 1987, The Snuggery Cafe found the right mix to be successful in a less affluent neighborhood. However, as the neighborhood's fortunes improved, The Snuggery became less popular, and its business suffered. By 1997, the neighborhood was ready for a more upscale establishment, and The Evening Star Cafe replaced The Snuggery Cafe. The new owners turned Mr. Rumshin's old apartment into The Majestic Lounge, located behind the restaurant. When this proved popular, they expanded by converting apartment No. 9 upstairs into the No. 9 Lounge, which has since absorbed the adjacent apartment as well. The bathroom of the No. 9 Lounge still has the original shower tiles, betraying its past as a residential apartment.

History of High Density Housing in Del Ray

The first large apartment complex in Del Ray was converted to condominiums in 1991.

Originally published in the December 2024 edition of Greet Del Ray.

Del Ray was originally envisioned as a suburban community of single family homes. However, the growth of the federal government from the late 1930s through the mid-1950s created a demand for higher density housing. The transportation corridors that made Del Ray an ideal location for commuters in the first place (see the February 2023 issue of Greet Del Ray) made it good for renters as well. The first large apartment complex in Del Ray was a series of nine buildings at the corner of Duncan and Dewitt Aves. Called the Raymond Apartments, the complex began renting units in late 1937. Six months later, the Brenton Court Apartments began leasing their first buildings on E. Glendale Ave. Then Auburn Gardens was constructed in 1939 and began leasing in 1940.

Not everyone was in favor of the growth of apartment complexes at this time. The Federal Housing Administration was called before Congress to defend its underwriting of projects like Auburn Gardens. Virginia Representative Clifton Woodum questioned why apartments were “going up like mushrooms” in the Washington suburbs.

America’s entry into World War II exponentially expanded the size of the federal government, and by extension the demand for apartments. Numerous other garden style complexes were built in and around Del Ray during and after the war.

After World War II, the demand for housing led to the remaining available space in Del Ray being filled with row houses (like Warwick Village) and semi-detached houses. Available land for larger buildings was becoming rare. When Helen Calvert died in 1964, her Mount Auburn estate (see the October 2023 issue) was bought by developers seeking to maximize the density of apartments. Her estate was divided into two high-rise apartment complexes: The Calvert (now called Del Ray Tower) on Mt. Vernon Ave. and The Landover House (now called The Aspen) on Landover Ave.

The maintenance costs and weakening demand for apartments in Del Ray during the 1970s & 1980s made it more profitable to convert some of them into condominiums. In 1980, Auburn Gardens Apartments was converted into Auburn Village Condominiums. A decade later, Raymond Apartments was converted into the Alexandria Square Condominiums. But, the demand for apartments has not waned. These apartment complexes have been replaced by newer construction such as Del Ray Central. The trend will continue as long as the demand remains.