THE HISTORY OF R. L. KANE, INC.
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R. L. Kane, Incorporated is one of Northern Virginia’s oldest real estate firms and was the oldest Virginia appraisal firm until its appraisal business operations were discontinued in 2018. While incorporated in 1931, its history begins with the formation of N. T. Snyder & Company, a real estate and insurance company organized by Southern Railroad technician Nelson Taylor Snyder, Jr., in 1919.
At this time, Robert Louis Kane of Bealeton, VA, was working for the Southern Railroad in its transportation department. On trips between Warrenton station and D.C., he spent hours in the train's milk car reading real estate books. In 1919, after leaving the Southern Railroad, Kane worked as a sales agent for the prestigious Alexandria brokerage firms of A. H. Agnew and Fred C. Goodnow, later becoming the manager of the Washington office of F. C. Goodnow Company, Realtors. After leaving Goodnow, Robert Kane and Nelson Snyder formed Snyder & Kane, Realtors, on October 6, 1922.
Snyder & Kane began operations in Alexandria, achieving great success and expanding with the addition of Gardner Lloyd Boothe, II to form the Snyder-Kane-Boothe Corporation on February 20, 1925.
The Snyder-Kane-Boothe Corporation developed notable Alexandria projects, including Belle Haven (through the Belle Haven Realty Corporation), Glendale Temple Park, and Rosemont Park. (Mr. Boothe and Mr. Kane served on the Belle Haven Country Club's first Board of Directors alongside Carroll Pierce, Julian Burke, and Dr. Samuel Moore. Mr. Kane was also on the golf team at Belle Haven with his friends.) The Northern Virginia Investment Corporation, formed on August 7, 1923, by Robert L. Kane, Charles Henry Smith Sr., and Nelson T. Snyder Jr., financed many of these projects amid the decade's remarkable growth in 'one of the most desirable residential sections of the country' (Virginia: Rebirth of the Old Dominion, Philip Alexander Bruce, 1929)
Snyder-Kane-Boothe became the area's largest builder, employing Alexandria real estate figures like W. Selden Washington, James Morton Duncan, Jr. (uncle of former broker Leon A. Duncan), and Eppa Davenport Kane (brother of Robert Kane and 1939 NVAR President). As asset prices rose, the firm sold homes on installment plans to move inventory. With the Great Depression's onset, many buyers defaulted on payments and walked away. Lacking recourse, Snyder-Kane-Boothe transferred its prized Belle Haven, Rosemont, and Alexandria assets to Citizens National Bank to avoid bankruptcy. Mr. Snyder, Mr. Boothe, and Mr. Kane parted ways shortly after.
In August 1931, Robert Kane and his sister Helen Kane Humphrey founded R. L. Kane, Incorporated, while their brother Eppa partnered with W. Selden Washington to form Washington & Kane, Incorporated, in the old Snyder-Kane-Boothe office at 1615 King Street. After 15 years with the Southern Railway, Helen Kane Tolbert (née Humphrey) entered real estate during the Depression. She is widely regarded as one of Virginia's first female brokers.
As co-broker and secretary, Helen assisted her brother for 35 years, excelling in client service. Together, they built custom homes in Braddock Heights, Jefferson Park, Mansion Drive, and Plymouth Haven.
For many years, R. L. Kane, Inc. operated at 106 S Washington St, above the old Whelan Drug Store on the corner of King and Washington Streets. In 1952, the firm purchased its current location at 311 South Washington Street.
Mr. Kane was active in church, civic, and professional groups, including the American Society of Appraisers, National Association of Real Estate Boards, and Northern Virginia Board of Realtors. He served as NVAR President three times (1928, 1937, 1944) and as Virginia Real Estate Association President in 1939.
As president of R. L. Kane, Inc., Mr. Kane focused on appraisals, serving as Chief Appraiser for land acquisitions for the Pentagon and its access road, the George Washington Memorial Parkway from Mt. Vernon to the CIA site, the proposed Burke Airport site, Dulles Airport and its access roads, and the Occoquan Dam for the Alexandria Water Company, as well as providing appraisal services that helped facilitate urban renewal projects in Old Town Alexandria in the 1960s, such as the Commercial Urban Renewal Plan. He also appraised for banks, lenders, and individuals, with his court testimony highly regarded. Mr. Kane's expertise was pivotal in 20th-century infrastructure projects shaping the region. For federal initiatives like the Pentagon and Dulles Airport, the U.S. Department of Justice's Land Acquisition Section and other agencies relied on firms like R. L. Kane for accurate, fair valuations under standards like the Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions (Yellow Book), ensuring equitable eminent domain processes. While advancing national defense and transportation priorities, these projects displaced local communities as part of broader efforts to meet public needs. R. L. Kane's role in ascertaining value highlighted the firm's widespread reputation for integrity and precision.
In 1950, R. L. Kane, Inc. launched the Alexandria Insurance Corporation. Jack Wheatley joined in 1952, focusing on property management and sales, later becoming Treasurer.
In 1956, Scott C. Humphrey joined full-time, specializing in appraisals and building on Mr. Kane's legacy in infrastructure valuations. Like Mr. Kane, Mr. Humphrey excelled in court testimony and gained regional acclaim as an appraiser. He purchased the firm in 1971 and became president in 1975 upon Mr. Kane’s death. A lifelong Alexandrian, Mr. Humphrey has lived in five Alexandria homes within 2 miles of each other over 93 years.
Mr. Humphrey's civic leadership includes: President of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce (1971); President of the DC Chapter of the American Society of Appraisers (1968); Alexandria City Councilman and Economic Development Board Director (1991); Chairman of the Alexandria Industrial Development Authority (1991–2011); multiple terms on the Alexandria Board of Equalization; charter member of the National Association of Review Appraisers (1975); founding member and Chairman of the Bank of Alexandria Board (1982–1995), serving with Alexandria notables like J. David Holden (1930–2019), Edward Semonian, Charles S. Perry, Philip Tierney, Norman B. Schrott (d. 2005), Francis H. Fannon III (1934–2016), Howard L. Gaines (1928–2023), Zachary T. Gray (1929–1998), and Charles Henry Smith III; Board Member of F&M Bank (1998–2002), First Commonwealth Savings and Loan (1967–1982), Alexandria Sanitation Authority, Alexandria Hospital, St. Agnes School Board of Governors, and Alexandria Mental Health Association.
He also contributed to the Alexandria Rotary Foundation, served as Member and Trustee of First Baptist Church of Alexandria, Board Member of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, and Trustee of the International Mission Board (formerly Foreign Mission Board). Mr. Humphrey earned a B.S. in Commerce from Grove City College (1954), studied real estate, insurance, and appraisal at American University (1956–1958), and served in the U.S. Army (1954–1956).
In 1979, Leon A. Duncan—son of 1941 NVAR President Ebner R. Duncan—joined, providing appraisal services across Northern Virginia until retiring in early 2025 after 46 years. From 1987 to 1999, Sarah Humphrey Douglas, Mr. Humphrey's daughter, expanded the firm's sales and property management.
Today, after 94 years, R. L. Kane, Incorporated remains based in Old Town Alexandria and continues a practice grounded in local knowledge, long-term relationships, and professional continuity. While the firm’s services have evolved over more than a century of affiliated practice, its work remains rooted in the principles established by its founders.