Research Historian
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About The Position
The City Hall/Market Square Research Historian will compile, develop, and research a comprehensive documentary history study. Market Square has been the center of civic activity for Alexandrians since the City's founding in 1749. The current City Hall, built in 1871, is a source of community pride and serves as a workplace for more than 300 City employees. Alexandria's City Hall and Market House was listed in 1984 on the National Register of Historic Places for its contributions to our understanding of the architecture, commerce, and politics/government. After many years of service, major updates are needed throughout City Hall to repair aging building components, improve operating systems, optimize space utilization, improve building circulation and wayfinding, and enhance security. The City Hall Renovation Project is in progress and will provide a revitalized, safe, and sustainable environment to better serve City staff, Alexandria residents, and visitors well into the future. This project addresses the need for a comprehensive documentary study of the City Hall/Market Square block during the City's renovation project by hiring a research historian to carry out the careful and meticulous primary source research into city and library archives and archaeological records and to summarize findings in a publicly accessible report. This project is comprised of two main components. First, the study will develop a historical context for the interpretation of the City Hall and Market Square block, and identify, as precisely as possible, the owners, occupants, and built elements within the one-block area bounded by King, Cameron, N. Fairfax, and N. Royal Streets. These elements include a market house, courthouse, jail, town hall, schoolhouse, fire companies, taverns, alleys, and a variety of businesses. Second, the study will develop a narrative about the use of this block from its urban use of slavery, through Emancipation and Reconstruction, to the emergence of the Jim Crow era. The work of the Research Historian is performed under the direct supervision of the City Archaeologist in coordination with the staff Archaeologists, the City Historian, and under the general supervision of the Director of OHA. This is a one-year, grant funded project and position.
