70th Anniversary

Celebrating 70 Years of Preserving Arlington’s Story

This year, the Arlington Historical Society celebrates its 70th anniversary—a milestone that reflects seven decades of preserving and sharing the history of our community.

The Society’s story began in 1956 when a group of Arlington residents recognized that rapid growth and development threatened to erase many of the county’s historic places and stories. Their vision took shape at an informal gathering at the Glebe, home of State Senator and Mrs. Frank L. Ball, Sr., and became a reality on September 14, 1956, when the Arlington Historical Society was formally organized at the home of Laszlo Ecker-Racz and Cornelia B. Rose, Jr. Led by its first president, C. Harrison Mann, Jr., the founding members elected officers, adopted a mission, and began building an organization dedicated to preserving Arlington’s heritage.

Public engagement was part of the Society’s mission from the very beginning. One of its first countywide events was a candlelight tour of Arlington House led by historian and founding member Agnes Downey. Members also began collecting documents, photographs, artifacts, and oral histories while publishing the Society’s first annual magazine in 1958.

As the collections expanded, so did the need for a permanent home. After the historic Hume School closed, the Society successfully secured the 1891 building, restoring it through a community fundraising campaign. The museum opened to the public in 1963 and has served ever since as the Society’s headquarters and a center for preserving Arlington’s history.

Today, 70 years after its founding, the Arlington Historical Society remains committed to collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories of Arlington County. Through exhibitions, publications, educational programs, oral histories, and community events, the Society continues the work begun by its founders—ensuring that Arlington’s past remains an important part of its future.