Park in Alexandria, Virginia

President Gerald R. Ford Park in Alexandria, Virginia.

It is difficult to imagine a time in recent history when a sitting President picks up the newspaper in the driveway of his own residence, and the press room is set up in a neighbor’s garage. Well, for ten days in the mid 70’s, it happened in the City of Alexandria, Virginia.

Gerald R. Ford and his family moved into a new house in Alexandria in 1955. The Fords lived in Alexandria for 23 years through Mr. Ford’s twelfth term in Congress and his subsequent appointment by President Richard Nixon as Vice President on December 6, 1973, after the resignation of Spiro Agnew. Nine months later, on August 9, 1974, Mr. Ford became President of the United States following the resignation of Richard Nixon. The Fords lived in Alexandria for the first ten days of his presidency.

President Ford died on December 26, 2006, at the age of 93. In honor of his years in Alexandria, the funeral motorcade passed through the City en route to the U.S. Capitol, while hundreds of Alexandrians lined Washington Street to say farewell to one of their most famous residents.

Following the death of President Ford, the City established the Gerald R. Ford Memorial Committee, to recommend ways in which the City could memorialize President Gerald R. Ford. As a result of President Ford’s deep Alexandria roots the City of Alexandria dedicated the President Gerald R. Ford Park on Thursday, November 12, 2009.

The beautiful park is located on Janney’s Lane just over the hill from the Ford family home in a field that the Ford children played in as kids. The park solidifies President Ford’s important legacy in Alexandria, and is a place where the community can honor President Ford and his family for years to come. The City of Alexandria is proud to be the home of the President Gerald R. Ford Park.