Arlington Historical Society

Memorializing the Enslaved Stumbling Stone Dedications in November
2025-11-01 15:00 - 2025-11-15 00:00 (America/New_York) | VA
The Black Heritage Museum of Arlington and AHS invite you to the unveiling of “Stumbling Stones.” These bronze markers commemorate the lives of the enslaved people who helped build our county (and our country). The markers are placed in the sidewalk at the last known location where these enslaved people lived. Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington’s research has revealed over 2700 enslaved people and identified 1050 by name.
In November we will be dedicating four “Stumbling Stones.”

November 1 @ 3 PM North Highlands/Dawson Terrace: North Taft and 21 Street
November 8 @ 4 PM Douglas Park: South Quincy and 16th Streets
November 9 @ 1 PM Green Valley: Lomax AME Zion Church, 2704 South 24th Road
November 15 @ 10 AM Lyon Park: North Garfield and 4th Street

Come and learn their stories and commemorate their contributions to build our county and our country.
Learn more at https://enslavedarl.org/s/memorializing-the-enslaved-in-arlington/page/about

15 Minute History: "Where did the name come from?" Let's Talk About Clarendon
2025-11-23 14:00 - 15:00 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Sean Denniston, AHS Vice President, will talk about the history of Clarendon, one of Arlington’s most interesting neighborhoods. He’ll talk about its start as a development of six streets, its dash for independence, growth as a commercial center, and today’s mixed use, walkable, and transit friendly neighborhood. And what’s with the name??

Museum Store Sunday: Shop with Purpose this Holiday Season
2025-11-30 13:00 - 16:00 | VA
Consider shopping small this season and visit the Arlington Historical Museum shop on Museum Store Sunday. Every purchase supports our mission to strengthen our community by building a better understanding of local history. We have unique gift ideas made by local artisans, as well as gift memberships to the Arlington Historical Society and books about Arlington history.
Local Ceramic Artist Jessica Kaplan’s work will be available for purchase. Hope to see you at the museum!

Women of the Ball-Sellers House
2025-12-28 15:00 - 16:30 | Pohick Regional Library, 6450 Sydenstricker Rd, Burke, VA 22015, Burke, VA, 22015, United States
The Ball-Sellers House (in Arlington) was originally in Fairfax County when Lord Fairfax established the county for King George II in 1742. The Arlington Historical Society will share stories of the exceptional women who owned this farmhouse throughout its 280-year history. We’ll learn about Elizabeth Payne Ball, the wife of the builder who took a man to court to sue for her inheritance; Irene Young, a suffragist and divorcee’ when society viewed divorce as ALWAYS being the woman’s fault; and Julia Powell, one of the first women who enlisted in the US Navy in WWI. We can’t help but also talk about Marian Sellers, her life and her legacy at the house. Join us for a unique look at special women in our shared county history on the eve of the 250th Commemoration of the Declaration of Independence. This is a free event and open to the public. Our speaker is Annette Benbow, the director of the Ball-Sellers House Museum since 2012.

1946 Arlington: The First Crack in the Byrd Machine
2026-01-08 19:00 - 20:30 | Reinsch Library Auditorium, Marymount University, 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington
In 1946, after four years of a world war, the citizens of Arlington focused on local challenges, highlighted in the fall by an aggressive County Board campaign from a political newcomer who challenged the local Byrd Machine in Arlington. The story includes a controversy over our governance structure, extreme unhappiness with the school system, and an election that eventually led to the creation of a new non-partisan political machine that would control Arlington politics for decades.
This is a timely topic as the county board discusses changes in its governance structure. Find out for yourself, its historical foundations.
Bill Fogarty is a retired attorney who has lived and worked in Arlington for more than 40 years. He has taken up a new avocation of writing and teaching about Arlington history, contributing to the Arlington Historical Society both as a presenter and writer. Bill also writes the weekly “Our Man in Arlington” column for the Falls Church News Press.
We are back this month at the Marymount University Library Auditorium.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS and FREE PARKING: Attendees planning to attend the event in-person should enter the Marymount University campus at the library gate on N. 26th Street. From Glebe Road going north, take a right onto 26th Street. Pass the intersection with Yorktown Road and then enter the campus through the next gate on your left. The library is to your left as you enter the campus. Free garage parking is just past the library at the bottom of the small incline. (Handicapped parking is immediately to your right as you enter through the gate onto campus.)

If the university has lowered the garage gates, push the button and let them know you’re here for an Arlington Historical Society event in the library. To leave, push the button and they’ll raise the gate.

ZOOM AVAILABLE: If you can’t be there in person, you can zoom in, but you must register by the end of Wednesday, January 7, 2026 to get the zoom information. Click here to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4GrBjd3h9nX94KQJI8PGVvJIMWQo9CD7RrKUn_-MeiH_lsQ/viewform You’ll get an email on the morning of the event (Jan 8, 2026) with Zoom details.
This event is one of the monthly series of free public programs sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society. This event is hosted courtesy of the Marymount University politics program’s American Heritage Initiative. For more information, please email: info@arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

15-Minute History: 1961 Arlington Transportation Planning with David Pearson
2026-01-18 14:00 - 14:30 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Join David Pearson, former AHS president, to learn about how Arlington County planned transportation in the early 1960s and what we now have as a result. Our speaker will use the maps in the current Map Exhibit on the second floor to explain the first General Land Use Plan (GLUP), show what was built, paths not taken, and a bridge too far.
FREE! Come for the talk, stay to tour the museum.
2nd floor, Arlington Historical Museum

A Different Look from a Different View Artist Exhibit: Opening Reception
2026-02-08 13:00 - 16:00 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Experience the vibrant, story-filled work of artist Zane Killgo, an Arlington County visual artist whose bold use of color and mixed media explores community, identity, and the changing urban landscape.
Killgo’s paintings and multimedia works reflect the narratives of local neighborhoods in transition, focusing on gentrification, resilience, and the lived experiences of the people who shape our cities. His dynamic style blends acrylic paint, textiles, photography, printmaking, and digital media, creating powerful visual statements that bridge tradition and contemporary culture.
Zane Killgo is a longtime resident of Hall’s Hill and his art is inspired by the people, the community and its transitions.

Sunday, February 8, 1-4 PM, for the opening reception to meet the artist. light refreshments served
Sunday, February 15, 2 PM, Artist Talk
Saturday, March 28, Closing Reception, light refreshments served

Unbroken Genius: The Life and Legacy of Dr. Charles R. Drew
2026-02-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Reinsch Library Auditorium, Marymount University, 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington
“Genius Unbroken” is the first comprehensive biography to bring the extraordinary life of Dr. Charles Drew, the “Father of the Blood Bank,” into focus. Born into Washington D.C.’s vibrant African American community at the turn of the 20th century, Drew rose on the strength of extraordinary physical and intellectual talents to become a groundbreaking medical research scientist. He lived in Arlington and he and his wife raised their children here. He pioneered methods of blood and plasma storage, leading America’s first large-scale blood bank: innovations that continue to save lives around the world. A gifted surgeon and educator, Drew also became an eloquent and powerful advocate of civil rights, especially equal health care, for African Americans. Tragically, while still a young man, he lost his life while travelling to a medical conference that provided free care to indigent patients.
Researched and developed through a close collaboration with Drew’s daughter, Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, Miller encapsulates the life of Dr. Drew in a profound exploration of one man’s challenge to institutional barriers in creating lasting change. The story of Dr. Drew’s seminal and life-saving work while his life offers an enduring lesson in resilience, intellectual triumph, and the transformative power of unwavering determination.
Craig A. Miller, MD is a vascular surgeon educated at Northwestern University, Ohio State, and the University of California in San Francisco. He is the author of four books focused on the history of medicine and science. He has received many awards and accolades for his work in research and clinical medicine, as well as in scientific history and biography. He is an attending vascular surgeon with the United States Veterans Administration and lives in Ohio.
Charlene Drew Jarvis is the daughter of Dr. Charles Drew, was the noted blood bank pioneer. She earned her B.A. from Oberlin College, her masters at Howard University and he Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. She was a research scientist at the National Institute of Mental Health, then was elected to the City Council of the District of Columbia, where she served for 21 years. There, she introduced legislation that brought in the Convention Center and the MCI Center to the city. In 1996, Jarvis was named president of Southeastern University in Washington, D.C., the first woman to hold the position. She gave up her seat on the City Council in 2000 to devote her energies solely to the university. Jarvis has received numerous honors for community service and she is a past chair of the DC Chamber of Commerce.
BOOK FOR SALE. This book is available for purchase in the AHS online Museum Store. If you order it after February 5 and want to have it at the Feb 12 event, save your receipt and pick up the book at the event. We’ll reimburse you the shipping fee at the event. You can also buy the book at the Arlington Historical Society Museum Shop (1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Saturdays from 10-4 and Sundays 1-4 PM). Versions for children and teens are also available.

Children’s version: “Charles Drew: The Doctor Who Got the World Pumped Up to Donate Blood” by Mike Venezia
Teen version: “The Life of Dr. Charles Drew: Blood Bank Innovator” by Anne Schraf

This February 2026 event will be held at the Marymount University Library Auditorium and via Zoom.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS and FREE PARKING: Attendees planning to attend the event in-person should enter the Marymount University campus at the library gate on N. 26th Street. From Glebe Road going north, take a right onto 26th Street. Pass the intersection with Yorktown Road and then enter the campus through the next gate on your left. The library is to your left as you enter the campus. Free garage parking is just past the library at the bottom of the small incline. (Handicapped parking is immediately to your right as you enter through the gate onto campus.)

If the university has lowered the garage gates, push the button and let them know you’re here for an Arlington Historical Society event in the library. To leave, push the button and they’ll raise the gate.

ZOOM AVAILABLE: If you can’t be there in person, you can zoom in, but you must register by the end of Wednesday, February 11, 2026 to get the zoom information. Click here to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNUc-hv8mbWr61aOhTZy3dMbVRO2E7E5Srn1FKf7JhD6j_3g/viewform
You’ll get an email on the morning of the event (Feb 12, 2026) with Zoom details.
This event is in celebration of Black History Month and is one of the monthly series of free public programs sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society. This event is hosted courtesy of the Marymount University politics program’s American Heritage Initiative. For more information, please email: info@arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

Butterfield's Brigade at Mount Olivet Church
2026-02-22 15:00 - 16:30 | Mt. Olivet. United Methodist Church, 1500 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, 22207, United States
Completed just before the Civil War, by the end of the conflict’s first year Mount Olivet Church’s original structure was reduced to its foundations, variously used and abused by the United States Army as – possibly– a hospital, storehouse, picket post, and stable. Cherrydale neighbor and local historian Michael Schaffner will explore the likely actual uses of the building before focusing on the soldiers camped nearby from September 1861 till May 1862. Their story reveals surprising connections to some of the war’s great battles, the United States Colored Troops, and the Army’s early efforts at graves registration.
This is an in-person only event at Mount Olivet Methodist Church. Please let us know you are coming so we know how big a room to prepare: HERE or cut and paste the following link into your browser: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWynNI1kDWyguZzFcue16H7E3XrPXj-vLLwa3pXbzfM14CQg/viewform?usp=dialog
This is a free event. Parking is plentiful and also free.
The Arlington Historical Society is proud to partner with Mount Olivet Church, Arlington’s oldest church and to help share their rich history with the community as part of the county’s commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Image: Oliver Willcox Norton of the 83rd Pennsylvania (camped near the church) in the fancy French uniform the regiment received for their performance on the drill ground. He would soon become brigade bugler, later help General Butterfield compose “Taps,” and ultimately receive a commission in the 8th USCT.

Dark Star Park and the Birth of Arlington's Public Art Program
2026-03-12 19:00 - 20:30 | Reinsch Library Auditorium, Marymount University, 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington
Arlington Historical Society presents Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park (1979 –1984) and the birth of Arlington’s Public Art Program. AHS hosts Angela A. Adams, Founding Director of Arlington Public Art as she discusses the creation, stewardship, and legacy of Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park and how it inspired a more than 40-year commitment to public art as placemaking. Her presentation includes screening of Holt’s film: “Art in the Public Eye: The Making of Dark Star Park.”
Angela Anderson Adams has worked as a curator and arts administrator for four decades, serving most of those as Founding Director of Arlington Public Art. Under her leadership, Arlington County’s public art program grew from one of the first developer-sponsored programs in the country to an internationally-renowned, award-winning public and privately funded program that contributes art and design enhancements to most major civic projects undertaken in the County, including buildings, parks and open space as well as infrastructure.
Adams previously served as Adjunct Curator at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC, and Exhibitions Director/Curator for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Arlington. She holds a B.A. in Art History from the College of Wooster, Ohio, and a M.A. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Adams was born and raised in Washington, DC, and Frederick, MD. Currently she splits her time between south central Vermont and Arlington’s Clarendon-Courthouse neighborhood, serves as Vice President of the Holt/Smithson Foundation and offers mentorship and consultation to the public art field.
LOCATION
We’re back at the Reinsch Library Auditorium at Marymount University’s Main Campus
DRIVING DIRECTIONS and FREE PARKING: Attendees planning to attend the event in-person should enter the Marymount University campus at the library gate on N. 26th Street. From Glebe Road going north, take a right onto 26th Street. Pass the intersection with Yorktown Road and then enter the campus through the next gate on your left. The library is to your left as you enter the campus. Free garage parking is just past the library at the bottom of the small incline. (Handicapped parking is immediately to your right as you enter through the gate onto campus.)

If the university has lowered the garage gates, push the button and let them know you’re here for an Arlington Historical Society event in the library. To leave, push the button and they’ll raise the gate.

ZOOM REGISTRATION
ZOOM AVAILABLE: If you can’t be there in person, you can zoom in, but you must register by the end of Wednesday, March 11. Click HERE to register or cut and paste this link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeHFkAeOxdCX2RXCUZVe05H1RzJ5FVYZU8WoXqb3uSEMFlkeg/viewform into your browser to complete your registration. On Thursday morning, Mar 12, the day of the event, AHS volunteer, Martin Suydam, will send you the Zoom registration information in an email, so be on the lookout for it.
This event is in celebration of Women’s History Month and is one of the monthly series of free public programs sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society. This event is hosted courtesy of the Marymount University politics program’s American Heritage Initiative. For more information, please email: info@arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

Dedication of Five Stumbling Stones in Alcova
2026-03-22 12:30 - 13:30 | Arlington Presbyterian Church, 918 S. Lincoln Street, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
The Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington invite you to the unveiling of “Stumbling Stones.” These bronze markers commemorate the lives of the enslaved people who helped build our county (and our country) and are placed in the sidewalk at the last known site of their enslavement. Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington’s research has revealed over 2750 enslaved people and identified 1050 by name.
Dedication Ceremony
We will honor five individuals once enslaved in the Alcova Heights neighborhood: John, Margaret Brown, and three people whose names are unknown.
We will be honoring them at Arlington Presbyterian Church; 918 S. Lincoln Street; Arlington, VA 22204
Memorial Unveilings
After the dedication ceremony, t he memorials will be unveiled at South Lincoln and 9th Streets and at South Randolph and 8th Streets.
Their Story
In 1847, William and Elizabeth Berryman bought 34 acres of land by Columbia Pike and South Glebe Road. To build and maintain their farmhouse and cultivate the fields, the Berryman’s enslaved two young men and a woman, all under the age of 25. They cultivated oats, corn, and grains and took care of their home and family. Financial troubles caused the Berryman’s to sell their tract in 1853. What became of their enslaved people is unknown.
In 1851, John M. Young, a Washington, DC coachmaker, purchased 108 acres of mostly unimproved land north or Columbia Pike and west of the Berryman farm. Young used enslaved laborers John, Margaret Brown, and at least 2 others whose names are unknown to plant and maintain his plentiful peach and apple orchards and cultivate his fields.
John, born around 1805, was the subject of an 1855 Alexandria Gazette “runaway” advertisement. Young offered a $10 reward for John who fled his farm, most probably to visit his wife, enslaved in the District of Columbia.
Margaret, born before 1847, was placed in a Washington jail for two days by Young while he attended to business in the city. Jail records show Young paid $1.68 for imprisoning Margaret.
Help us celebrate and honor John, Margaret Brown, and three individuals whose names are unknown and gain a greater understanding of Arlington’s complicated past. Brief remarks will be offered.
Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington seeks to shed light upon these early Americans who contributed so much to the economic, social, and cultural development of our county.
For more information, please contact Jessica Kaplan from the Arlington Historical Society at ahsedlink@gmail.com.

Glebe House Day
2026-03-28 10:00 - 13:00 | 4527 17th St., N., Arlington, Virginia, 4527 N. 17th St., Arlington, VA, United States
The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust and the Arlington Historical Society are excited to announce the first-ever Glebe House Day, where community members are welcome onto the grounds to learn about the second-oldest home in Arlington County!
The Glebe House is a historic house with an octagon-shaped wing. The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust holds a conservation easement to help protect and preserve it. The name of the house comes from the property’s history as a glebe, an area of land within an ecclesiastical parish used to support a parish priest.
AHS Historians and NVCT staff will be on site to provide tours of the grounds that cover the property’s history and its conservation story. The home will not be open to the public.
No registration required. We hope to see you there! This event is free and open to the public. Arlington Historical Society members will have an opportunity for a sneak preview at 9:30 am.

Handmade History Day: Ball-Sellers House Special Event
2026-04-04 13:00 - 16:00 | Ball-Sellers House, 5620 3rd Street, South, Arlington VA 22204, VA, 22312, United States
The Ball-Sellers House Museum season opening day welcomes you to explore how colonial Virginia made things we now buy. This c. 1750 farmhouse will host demonstrations and “do-it-yourself” experiences. From A-Z including pottery, textiles, woodworking, and much more.
This FREE event is from 1-4, but don’t miss re-enactor Sandy Newton’s talk at 1:30 about how colonial America used nature to make colorful textiles.
We’ll have demonstrations of:

Bookmending
Dyeing
Knitting
Pottery
Sewing
Spinning
Weaving
Woodworking
Woolcarding

Light refreshments served. Free tours of the house and grounds.
The Ball-Sellers House is a captivating historical site near the heart of Arlington. Built c. 1750, this farmhouse is the oldest structure in Arlington County. It offers a unique glimpse into the life and times of the 18th century. The Ball-Sellers House is not just a museum; it is a living history experience where you can learn about the challenges and triumphs faced by those who lived in this home.
The house is a testament to the region’s rich history and showcases the lifestyle of early American settlers. Visitors can explore the well-preserved structure, which features original architectural elements and period furnishings that transport you back in time. As you walk through the rooms, knowledgeable guides share intriguing stories and insights about the house’s inhabitants and the historical significance of the property.
This event is one of the Arlington Historical Society’s events commemorating the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s founding. The house would have been one of the only remaining buildings in the county where the Declaration of Independence could have been heard being proclaimed in 1776. The full history of the house reflects how the county is intertwined with national history from even before 1776.
This event is FREE and open to the public.

Julia Roberts' Freedom Suit
2026-04-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Reinsch Library Auditorium, Marymount University, 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington
In 1801, a wealthy landowner who lived in present-day Arlington County freed his slaves and their descendants. His deed of emancipation would have ripple effects across Northern Virginia—especially for one woman, Julia Roberts, who sued over her long-promised freedom while living near the Barcroft, Arlington Forest, and Buckingham neighborhoods. Her case eventually wound up before the U.S. Supreme Court in Adams v. Roberts (1844). Her story is one of personal bravery in the face of unimaginable injustice, but it is also a story of how the law was available as a tool for seeking freedom.
Zachary Newkirk is a voting rights and election attorney whose interest in local history began after he and his wife bought an early 1900s farmhouse. He currently serves as the Yorktown Civic Association President and is on the board of the Langston Boulevard Alliance. His article on Julia Roberts’ freedom suit appears in the 2025 issue of The Arlington Historical Magazine.
This April 2026 event will be held at the Marymount University Library Auditorium and via Zoom.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS and FREE PARKING: Attendees planning to attend the event in-person should enter the Marymount University campus at the library gate on N. 26th Street.

From Glebe Road going north, take a right onto 26th Street.
Pass through the stop light at the intersection of 26th and Old Dominion Drive.
Pass the intersection with Yorktown Road
Enter the campus through the next gate on your left. The library is to your left as you enter the campus.
Free garage parking is just past the library at the bottom of the small incline. (Handicapped parking is immediately to your right as you enter through the gate onto campus.)

If the university has lowered the garage gates, push the button and let them know you’re here for an Arlington Historical Society event in the library. To leave, push the button and they’ll raise the gate.
ZOOM AVAILABLE: If you can’t be there in person, you can zoom in, but you must register by the end of Wednesday, April 8, 2026 to get the zoom information. Click here to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfqD9Kt0kIgGA5RU7LUdKy1jNKDmA985VGTsUeqz4TTydsDhg/viewform
You’ll get an email on the morning of the event (Apr 9, 2026) with Zoom details.
This event is one of the monthly series of free public programs sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society. This event is hosted courtesy of the Marymount University politics program’s American Heritage Initiative. For more information, please email: info@arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

New Exhibit: First in Frame: Arlington's Early Residents
2026-04-11 10:00 - 2026-06-29 16:00 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Discover the people who helped shape Arlington. This exhibit highlights early landowners and settlers whose decisions and choices laid the foundation for the county we know today.
The Arlington Historical Museum is commemorating 250+ years of local history. This exhibit is upstairs on the 2nd floor of the museum.
The Museum is open Saturdays 10-4 PM and Sundays 1-4 PM.
It’s FREE!

New Exhibit: Mapping the Federal City, 1791: Arlington in the Original District
2026-04-11 10:00 - 2026-06-29 16:00 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Step into the moment Arlington helped shape the nation’s capital. In 1791, surveyors under President George Washington mapped a 100-square-mile federal district along the Potomac River, placing forty sandstone boundary stones; some of which still stand in Arlington today. Learn about the people who surveyed and mapped this land.
The Arlington Historical Museum is commemorating 250+ years of local history. This exhibit is upstairs on the 2nd floor of the museum.
The Museum is open Saturdays 10-4 PM and Sundays 1-4 PM.
It’s FREE!

The Pike Culture Fest
2026-04-18 12:00 - 18:00 | Arlington MIll Community Center, 909 South Dinwiddie Street, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
Join AHS as we help Columbia Pike celebrate its first ever Culture Fest — a high energy, outdoor celebration of culture, music, food, and community on the Pike! The Pike will come alive with a day of performances, music, international food, family friendly activities, and a display of AHS artifacts that shows the Pike’s “United Nations” flavor.

Rooted in History: The Ball-Sellers House Garden Story
2026-04-18 13:00 - 14:30 | VA
Find out what the residents of this 276-year-old home planted in their kitchen garden through the centuries. Sandy Newton, Lead Gardener at Arlington House and re-enactor at Mt. Vernon will show you what was often planted in colonial and early American gardens, and what gardening was like during the Civil War and Depression era, the Victory Gardens of WWII, and more!
She’ll show you the plants and historic plots within the Ball-Sellers House kitchen garden.
The Ball-Sellers House will be open for extended hours that day, from 10-4 AND we’ll ALSO be at the Glencarlyn Library around the corner on Kensington Street.
This event is in partnership with the VCE Master Gardeners of the Glencarlyn Community Garden Spring Celebration and Plant Sale: https://arlhist.org/event/ball-sellers-house-spring-celebration-with-glencarlyn-community-garden/

Living History Day at Fort C. F. Smith
2026-04-25 12:00 - 16:00 | Fort C.F. Smith, 2411 24th Street, North, Arlington, VA, 22207, United States
Join AHS in exploring Civil War life in Arlington. Meet famed war photographer, Mathew Brady, US Colored Troops and learn where Camp Casey was located and why it was so difficult to pinpoint, see AHS artifacts from US Army camps and forts AND MORE!

Dedication of Two Stumbling Stones in Fairlington
2026-04-26 13:00 - 14:00 | Fairlington Villages Community Center, 3005 S. Abingdon Street, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
The Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington invite you to the unveiling of “Stumbling Stones.” These bronze markers commemorate the lives of the enslaved people who helped build our county (and our country) and are placed in the sidewalk at the last known site of their enslavement. Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington’s research has revealed over 2750 enslaved people and identified 1050 by name.

We will honor two individuals once enslaved in what is now the Fairlington neighborhood. These have been approved by the civic association and the Arlington Villages Condo Assoc. The Stones will be laid in the Southeast corner of Abingdon Street and 29th Street, South.

John Carlyle owned a 250-acre plantation called Torthorwald from around 1765-1783 that covered much of Fairlington. Historical records confirm that the following two people were enslaved there.

Harry: Born ca. 1770
Milley: Born ca. 1755

See more information about the Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington project: https://enslavedarl.org/s/memorializing-the-enslaved-in-arlington/page/about

Arlington HistoryFest 250
2026-05-09 10:00 - 17:00 | Kenmore MIddle School, 200 S. Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
The Arlington VA250 Committee is hosting an Arlington HistoryFest 250, a free, one-day outdoor festival commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. It will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School.
“We’re proud to welcome visitors and residents to experience the living legacy of Arlington’s role in America’s founding,” said Peter Vaselopulos, President of the Arlington Historical Society and Chair of the Arlington VA250 Committee. “Arlington HistoryFest 250 will be great fun for the whole family. It kicks off a multi-month commemoration, connecting our county’s roots to the modern day, showcasing how Arlington is a place where history lives on.”
Programming will feature live reenactments, musical performances, and historical storytelling, hands-on demonstrations, children’s activities and crafts, local organizations sharing their history, and local food vendors. Thousands of attendees from across the Washington, D.C., area are expected, along with dozens of historical reenactors and over 40 exhibitors.
The Virginia State Mobile Museum will also be on site. A hands-on, interactive, and immersive “museum on wheels,” the VA250 Mobile Museum Experience titled “Out of Many, One” is housed in a quad-expandable tractor trailer that is traveling throughout Virginia. The mobile museum brings key stories of Virginia’s rich history to schools, museums, local events, fairs, and more, highlighting every region of the state.
“Arlington HistoryFest 250 will be a unique opportunity for students to participate in the 250th anniversary of America and see themselves in the national story through immersive experiences, dynamic storytelling, and a deeper appreciation of Arlington’s local history,” said David MacBride, Principal at Kenmore Middle School.
“As we commemorate the 250th, we’re excited to offer new ways for visitors and locals to connect with Arlington’s history and explore the County,” said Scott Baker, Marketing Manager at Arlington Convention and Visitors Service. “We are thrilled to support programming that highlights Arlington’s historical significance, amplifies diverse stories, and enhances the visitor experience at historic sites across Arlington.”
Admission: FREE!
Organizations wishing to participate, click here.
People wishing to volunteer, click here.
For More information: https://arlhist.org/arlington-va250/
or email AHS at: info@arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org

Official Sponsors:

Hosted by Kenmore Middle School

Partners:

George Washington’s Forest Guided Walking Tour
2026-05-16 13:30 - 16:00 | Ball-Sellers House, 5620 3rd Street, South, Arlington VA 22204, VA, 22312, United States
Walk in the footsteps of George Washington on a guided walking tour with local historian, Kevin Vincent. In 1775, George Washington bought 1200-acres of forest in what is now Arlington. After the Revolutionary War, he returned home and surveyed his property. On the walk you’ll start with a mini tour of the Ball-Sellers House (the oldest building in Arlington built c. 1750), visit the survey markers used by Washington in 1785, see historic springs, see the site of a mill built by George Washington’s step-grandson, and more.

The walk begins at the Ball-Sellers House. It is about a three hour walk encompassing about three miles with a couple hills. There are several places where you can peel off the walk. So:

Wear sturdy shoes
Bring water
Dress for the weather.

New Exhibit: Who Decides? Governing Arlington Through Time
2026-05-18 08:00 - 2026-07-31 17:00 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Explore how Arlington has been governed, and who has held the power to make decisions, over time in Who Decides? Governing Arlington Through Time. This exhibit traces the county’s evolving systems of leadership, from its early days as part of the District of Columbia to its return to Virginia and the development of today’s county board system.
Through stories of civic debate, reform, and community action, visitors will discover how Arlingtonians have shaped their government and how questions of representation, voice, and power continue to matter today.

Bridges of Washington, DC: The Virginia Side
2026-06-11 19:15 - 20:45 | Aurora HIlls Library/Community Center, 735 18th Street, South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
In the late 1700s, the first bridges, now completely gone, connected the new Federal City to the outside world. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, more and bigger crossings arose to support industry, allow the expansion of suburbs, commemorate cultural and civic leaders, and enhance the aesthetics of the District’s waterfronts and parks. Although the city abandoned civic-minded, commemorative, and monumental constructions for utilitarian highway monoliths in the mid-twentieth century, a recent renaissance has seen a welcome shift to walkability and beauty instead of brute utility.
Using the city’s bridges as an index of the times, author and D.C. native Bob Dover tracks how connecting to Virginia impacted both Virginia and DC from the 1750s to today.
This event immediately follows a brief annual AHS members’ meeting.
The speaker’s book “Bridge of Washington, D.C: A History and Guide” will be available sale at this event and the author will be happy to sign it.
This event will be in-person and via Zoom.
PREREGISTER FOR ZOOM ACCESS
You can attend this event on Zoom or in-person on the Marymount University Main Campus. If you want to attend this event virtually, please CLICK HERE To register. You can also cut and paste this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5hahdEKOetY34nQ9roXBAFSDf4BhdRF-8xSY-rXoPnYl3iQ/viewform into your own browser and complete it there. Please register by Wednesday, June 10. Zoom access information will be sent to you in an email on the morning of the event on Thursday, June 11. This is the same registration forthe brief members meeting.
NEW LOCATION
This month we will be at the Aurora Hills Community Center located at 735 18th Street, South in Arlington, (zip code: 22202). Parking is free. Free overflow parking is at the parking lot at Virginia Highlands Park (1600 South Hayes Street) connected by a short sidewalk. Pentagon City Metro is your best public transit bet.
For more information, please email: info@arlingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

History of Slavery on Roosevelt Island Evening Walking Tour
2026-06-16 18:00 - 19:30 | Theodore Rosevelt Island Pedestrian Bridge, Theodore Roosevelt Island, Washington, DC, United States
See Theodore Roosevelt Island with a new lens. Walk the places where enslaved people lived and worked on “Mason’s Island” plantation from 1792-1860s.

This guided walking tour is sponsored by The Memorializing the Enslaved (MEA) Project, a joint effort of the Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.
The tour will educate visitors about the history of slavery on, what is now known as, Theodore Roosevelt Island. The tour will focus on the island as a plantation and summer home of John Mason and his family. We will learn about the people enslaved by John Mason who built, planted, and tended to the land including the gardens and buildings.
We will cover approximately 1.5 miles over sometimes-uneven terrain. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear, bring water, and dress for the weather. There are bathrooms on the island and we will walk by them at the conclusion of the tour. There is a parking lot on Roosevelt Island. This tour is limited to 25 people.

The event is free but you must reserve your spot: History of Slavery on Roosevelt Island – Evening Walking Tour Tickets, Tuesday, June 16 • 6 PM – 7:30 PM | Eventbrite
This event was originally planned for April but was rained out.
