Town of Potomac
Why it's listed
Once an incorporated town, Potomac is now a neighborhood district in Alexandria, Virginia, made up of the St. Elmo, Del Ray, Abingdon and Hume subdivisions. Developers Wood and Harmon of Ohio platted St. Elmo and Del Ray in 1894, and the town was incorporated in 1908 and annexed by Alexandria in 1930. Residents commuted by rail and electric trolley to Washington, D.C., or worked at the Potomac Yards rail facility. The district retains its original grid, deep lots, large trees and 15-foot setbacks. Housing includes Foursquares, Bungalows, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne and Folk Victorian examples, plus Sears mail-order houses and a portable chapel shipped from Michigan. Mount Vernon Avenue holds two-story brick buildings with shops below and apartments above, some in Art Deco and Moderne styles. The 1926 combined Fire Station and Town Hall, designed by Francis Drischler, is the most important civic landmark. The district was listed for its suburban planning, transportation history and architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Styles | Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman, Folk Victorian, Tudor Revival, Mediterranean Revival, Moderne, Art Deco |
|---|---|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Transportation, Politics/Government, Architecture, Social History |
| Acreage | 184 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Town of Potomac (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.