Alexandria resident Vanessa Colina is making her way through Old Town, one historic illustration at a time. Beginning on the 600 block of South St. Asaph Street, her account @OldTownIllustrated has already made a colorful and creative start to capturing Alexandria’s 687 historic properties, block-by-block. 

Originally from Venezuela, Vanessa moved to the United States in 2013 and then to Washington, D.C. in 2014 before calling Old Town, Alexandria home in May 2021. Just like many of us, Vanessa felt the need to get out of the house during the early days of the pandemic, so she began exploring and biking through Old Town. As she connected with the community, explored around town, and heard about the rich history of Alexandria from her father, Vanessa took her passion for art and graphic design to a personal project, capturing the historical sites of Old Town through her Instagram account, @OldTownIllustrated. Now, we get to see these historic sites through her eyes and her creativity. What began as a passion project has turned into an aspiring business. Vanessa is ready and excited to use her platform to continue showcasing Alexandria buildings and sites, including custom portraits, features, and projects. 

The goal of the Old Town Illustrated project is to illustrate each of the 687 historic properties throughout town. It’s almost difficult to imagine six hundred and eighty-seven historic properties, but it’s no surprise given Alexandria’s historical past. With the help of the Historic Alexandria Foundation, Vanessa has a list of sites to work through, knowing that with each building illustrated, she’ll have a community of support ready to tell its stories. The warm reception from our community has been one of Vanessa’s favorite parts of this project. She’s met many of the residents of the homes she illustrates and has loved hearing their stories of ownership, as well as stories of previous owners and history of the buildings themselves, putting reality into the phrase, “if these walls could talk.” 

Most recently, throughout the month of February, to celebrate Black History Month, Old Town Illustrated has partnered with Manumission Tour Company to share a collection of African American history sites, capturing ten sites that are most significant to the tour. Manumission Tour Company is working to bring attention to the historical legacy of African Americans in Alexandria through their guided walking and bus tours. View the entire collection on Old Town Illustrated and Manumission’s Instagram accounts.

Join Vanessa and Old Town Illustrated in exploring historic Alexandria one home at a time, block-by-block. Old Town Illustrated’s website oldtownillustrated.com keeps a tally of Vanessa’s progress as she makes her way through the 687 historic sites. Soon, her website will provide opportunities to commission custom illustrations and offer prints of her past work. There, you can subscribe to learn more about upcoming projects and future opportunities for her custom designs. As Vanessa’s sketches transform into digital illustrations, Old Town Illustrated will soon become your new favorite account to follow - which historic site is your favorite?