The Personal Papers of Birdie and Mable Alston, 1905-2019.
(Adult Reference)

This collection is arranged into eleven series by subject matter or format.

Much of this collection was donated by Mr. Alston through his Power of Attorney in October 2017. A small accretion was received by the Alston estate in May 2020.

Please contact the Center for Local History in advance to view these materials. One file (RG 338-6-2) contains Social Security numbers that will be redacted before access by patrons

RG 338 is approximately 3.25 linear feet including one box of small artifacts. The material dates from 1905 to 2019, with the bulk of the dates from 1960-2010. There are publications and flyers, correspondence, funeral programs and other event programs, reports, clippings, photographs, and small artifacts.

Birdie (1919-2020) and Mable (nee Shirley) Alston (1920-2017) were married neighborhood activists and prominent community members in the Halls Hill/Highview Park area. The Alston's came to Arlington in 1944 and settled in Halls Hill in 1947, where Birdie worked for Olmstead Oldsmobile for forty years. Both were active in the Langston Civic Association, with Birdie serving as President in the 1960s. Birdie was instrumental in creating the Neighborhood Conservation Plan project, which were popular plans to improve neighborhoods in Arlington County by documenting the current conditions of a neighborhood such as vacant lots, land use, and zoning issues, and then discussing options for neighborhood re-zoning, road, and sidewalk improvements. Birdie also led the effort to create the Halls Hill plan. The Alstons were active in Calloway United Methodist Church and were interested in the local and national fight for civil rights. Birdie and Mable were committed to improving their own home as well, as the couple was interested in gardening, cooking, and crafts like quilt making.

Finding aid is available in the library.