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 […]
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 […]
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; […]
The Ball-Sellers House and the Glencarlyn Community Garden celebrate gardening. Free guided tours of the c. 1750 farmhouse from 10 AM - 4 PM. At 1:00 PM: find out what […]
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 […]
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 […]
An original scripted reenactment brings history alive! Join us for an original performance depicting an 1842 trial - Julia Roberts v. Austin Adams and Anne Harding - in which Julia Roberts, an enslaved woman, sues to win her freedom. This script is based on original documents, notes on the testimony from the 1842 trial, and research […]
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 […]
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 hy it was so […]
An original scripted reenactment brings history alive! Join us for a performance of an original play depicting an 1842 trial - Julia Roberts v. Austin Adams and Anne Harding - in which Julia Roberts, an enslaved woman, sues to win her freedom. This script is based on original documents, notes on the testimony from the 1842 […]