By Patrick Britti
On May 9th, I had the pleasure of sharing the history of the Old Dominion and Arlington County’s place in it as part of VA250’s mobile museum staff at the Arlington Historical Society’s HistoryFest.
The Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s governmental agency for celebrating the semiquincentennial of American independence. Through partnerships with sponsors and community organizations such as the Arlington Historical Society, VA250 has supported history-focused events across Virginia in the lead-up to this July 4th. A major component of this collaboration has been the VA250 mobile museums, a pair of educational facilities taken by semi-truck across the Commonwealth.
The museums share a common theme–Out of Many, One–and emphasize the roles Virginians of all stations and backgrounds played in the American Revolution and its legacy. The museum’s multimedia content is the result of years of research and interaction from multiple Commonwealth agencies and private organizations. With portions tailored to Virginia’s Standards of Learning at multiple grade levels, VA250 plans to reach every public middle school in the Commonwealth by the end of 2027. At the Arlington Historical Society’s invitation, one of our mobile museums spent two days each at Thomas Jefferson and Kenmore Middle Schools, where approximately 500 students and teachers participated in the museum’s guided learning experience.
As a member of both the mobile museum staff and the historical society, I was also glad that VA250 partnered in HistoryFest as one of the over 40 participating bodies. HistoryFest afforded a perfect opportunity for the broader Arlington community to visit the museum during a celebration of the county’s history and culture. In a record-setting attendance for the mobile museum program, over 1,200 people heard Patrick Henry’s hologram declare “Give me liberty or give me death” and saw how individual Virginians much like themselves chose whether or not to join the Patriot cause.
This turnout would not have happened without the work of the Arlington Historical Society’s devoted volunteers. During a day of highly variable weather, the incoming stream of community members possessing all levels of familiarity with Virginia’s Revolutionary history remained constant. Those who read through the exhibits ranged from children just learning who George Washington was to women dressed as picketing suffragists. Our museum’s goal of demonstrating every American’s place as part of our national story was greatly enhanced by the presence of the other participants, who clearly connected Arlington’s and Virginia’s story from prehistory up to the present.
Being part of HistoryFest was among the most fulfilling days of my career. Never have I had the chance to share a message I care so much about with so many people. It has stoked my hopes in both VA250 and the Arlington Historical Society as we continue making history accessible to all Virginians. If you missed your chance to see the VA250 mobile museum or want to see it (and me) again, we will be at Falls Church’s Memorial Day celebration on May 25th and and Alexandria’s Sails on the Potomac from June 12th to the 14th.
