The Full Story
History
The Alexandria Ward began with a modest Primary and Sunday School in 1946 as a "pioneer organization" under the Washington, D.C. Stake Mission. Primary was held in a member's home and then later in the Beverley Hills Community Church. Early Relief Society meetings were held in the Gadsby's Tavern. On January 5, 1947, the Alexandria Branch was created.
​
Early church services for Alexandria were held in members homes, in the Carpenters Labor Hall on Prince and Royal Streets, and the Stonewall Jackson School, the Douglas MacArthur School, the Washington Street School, and the Jefferson School.
"Our meeting place was a humble old school building, but when Ester Leah Baker led the song practice, we sounded like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir." - Sister Kitty Clayton
Community
Horace Crowther was a member of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and a foreman at the Torpedo Factory. He helped to change Alexandria City statue that prohibited Gypsies and Mormons from staying overnight in Alexandria by advocating in front of Judge Albert V. Bryan.
Vision
On July 17, 1949, the Alexandria Ward was organized. It was 125 square miles extending as far south as Fredericksburg, Virginia. In the summer of 1950, Horace Crowther, serving as the Bishop, negotiated with the same Judge, Judge Albert V. Bryan, to buy 2.03 acres of his beautiful Alexandria estate in the 2800 block of King Street. Joseph L. Wirthlin, a member of the presiding Bishopric of the Church, visited the Bryan estate in September of 1950 and gained approval from the First Presidency to purchase the land. The sale was completed in December.
On Sunday, June 29, 1951, the site was dedicated to the Lord for the Alexandria Ward chapel by J. Alden Bowers of the Washington Stake High Council.
Architect Rendering of the Alexandria Chapel, 1951
History Continued
Members began fundraising for the Building in numerous ways: Dinners, fashion shows, Bake sales, Christmas tree sales, rummage sales.
Wendell E Thorne, who worked for the Federal Reserve Bank ordered 2,000 pounds of pecans which church members divided into small bags to sell door to door. Train loads of Idaho potatoes were also sold by members to neighbors. The Relief Society members made quilts and dish towels to sell and embroidered fancy rolled roses on baby clothing, gowns, shirts, and dresses to sell at Esther Shoppes.
Every active member was expected to pay a monthly assessment toward the building costs (which could be offset by providing manual labor at the church). Some took out personal loans to contribute to the building costs.
Finally, Wendell Thorne, now serving as Bishop, went to President J. Willard Marriott, President of the Washington Stake and founder of the Marriott Hotel empire, and indicated that the ward had raised all it could. President Marriott said, "I will match dollar for dollar any funds the saints can raise."
With the sacrifice and burden of raising the money complete, the Church Architects Office developed the plans and groundbreaking ceremonies were held on December 12, 1953.