Del Ray was established based on the availability of transportation, and one of those transportation lines was the Washington, Alexandria and Mount Vernon Electric Railway, which provided trolley services between Washington, D.C. and Mount Vernon. Chartered in 1890, this trolley system replaced the ferries that took tourists to Mount Vernon. When the system began planning expansion north of Alexandria in 1892, Charles E. Wood purchased land along the planned route to create Del Ray (see the April 2023 issue of Greet Del Ray). By 1896, the trolley system extended to Washing and Rosslyn, making it the longest streetcar line in the world.

 

In Del Ray, the trolley ran along what is today Commonwealth Avenue. It had two stops in Rosemont before entering what is today considered Del Ray. The Del Ray stops included near Alexandria Avenue, Monroe Avenue, Bellefonte Avenue, Del Ray Avenue, Mt. Ida Avenue (near the Duncan Library, where you can find a historical marker), Hume Avenue, and near Ashby St. (which served as a transfer to the W&OD Railroad — see the June 2024 issue).  

 

Initially, the presence of the trolley made Del Ray a convenient place to live for commuters to Alexandria and Washington. However, as more roads were paved (see the November 2023 issue) competition from bus lines and poor investment decisions led to the demise of the Electric Railway. The company went into receivership in 1923 and ceased operations in 1927.  The right of way south of Alexandria was purchased by the Federal Government and turned into the George Washington Memorial Parkway. For a brief time, the trolleys operated north of Alexandria under new ownership, but all operations ceased in 1932. Unable to afford the cost of removing the tracks, the owners turned over the right of way to the City in lieu of removing the old tracks. The City then turned the right of way into Commonwealth Avenue, while Arlington County turned it into S. Eads St. (You can read more about it on the Town of Potomac Historical Association website: https://potomacva.org/electric-railway.html)