Contact: Mary Sterling 703-549-5811
Historic Alexandria Foundation (HAF)
Alexandria, VA
New Book Old Town Style Offers Unprecedented Look Inside Alexandria’s Most Beautiful Historic Homes
Alexandria, VA — This holiday season, readers will have an extraordinary new way to experience Old Town Alexandria’s architectural charm. Old Town Style: Inside Alexandria’s Most Beautiful Historic Homes is set to offer the most comprehensive and visually rich exploration ever published of more than 40 remarkable period residences—many of which have never before been shown in print. Preview copies are expected to be available before Christmas.
Stepping beyond Old Town’s iconic brick sidewalks, gas lamps, and 18th-century facades, Old Town Style invites readers into a hidden world of meticulously preserved homes and inspired restorations. The featured properties range from a rustic Colonial-era sea captain’s house and an elegant Federal townhouse to the dramatic transformation of an 18th-century bank building into a refined private residence. Each chapter blends personal renovation stories, decorating insights, and historical background to celebrate both timeless design and the importance of architectural preservation.
Lavish full-color photography by acclaimed photographer Erik Kvalsvik captures interiors that span centuries of style—from Jacobean and early American to mid-century modern and contemporary—while additional images showcase Old Town’s distinctive exteriors, intricate architectural details, and secluded walled gardens.
Written by Robert F. Weinhagen, Jr., President of the Historic Alexandria Foundation and longtime Old Town resident, together with the HAF Book Committee, Old Town Style is both a visual celebration and a heartfelt tribute to the homeowners and stewards who preserve Alexandria’s unique heritage.
Published by Belgian-based Stichting Kunstboek/Pelckmans Publishers and distributed worldwide by Simon & Schuster, the book will be offered in a special pre-release edition through the Historic Alexandria Foundation in mid-December, with broader availability on Amazon and in bookstores to follow.
“All of us at HAF are very excited about Old Town Style and the unprecedented glimpse it gives into what it’s like to live in—and preserve—Alexandria’s architectural gems,” says Weinhagen. “More than a simple photographic volume, the book is a celebration of the homeowners who have generously opened their homes and gardens, sharing their personal restoration stories and anecdotes to inspire anyone who loves history, old houses, and the unparalleled charm of Old Town. We are grateful for their support and for their ongoing commitment to historic preservation.”
Saturday, November 22nd, 2025
7-9 p.m.
Please remember the Foundation when making contributions to Historic Preservation in Alexandria.
(ALL CONTRIBUTIONS to HAF, are tax-deductible.)
WE are so appreciative of their generosity.
Interim and final reports will be presented at the Foundation’s Annual Meeting.
Although not an official element of the current Basilica School of Saint Mary’s transformational campus construction project, it was discovered in early 2021 that our 72-year-old iconic Williamsburg cupola and its internal structural supports were severely compromised and in dire need of restoration. Housing the 1811 school bell that pre-dates the 1827 Royal Street church, our iconic cupola is now sound and gleams as a beacon of Christ’s love and of our commitment to Catholic education and formation for our children.
Costs associated with this unexpected restoration project amounted to $167,000 and was paid for by church restoration and preservation funds. Special thanks goes to the Historic Alexandria Foundation (HAF) for being part of this process. Because of a generous and timely 2021 grant from the HAF, subcontractors were able to perform forensic architectural assessments that identified years of hidden damage to the cupola and school bell.
Historic Alexandria Foundation (HAF) works to protect historic structures and artifacts associated with Alexandria, Virginia. Through advocacy, grants, awards, and recognition programs we encourage public participation and appreciation of our cultural heritage.
Since its founding in 1954, HAF has raised many millions of dollars for surveys of historic architecture, protection of endangered buildings, restoration of museum properties, and conservation of important historical artifacts. Please join us in safeguarding – and celebrating – Alexandria’s rich cultural and architectural history.
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Crilley Warehouse
218 North Lee Street, Suite 310
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone: 703.549.5811
Facsimile: 703.548.4399
E-mail: [email protected]
Executive Director,
Mary Sparks Sterling
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