Arlington Historical Society

The Arlington Historical Society is at the County Fair
2025-08-15 16:00 - 2025-08-16 19:00 (America/New_York) | Thomas Jefferson Community Center, 3501 Second Street, South, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
The Arlington Historical Society is at the Arlington County Fair. We have an indoor booth from Friday at 4 pm through Sunday at 7 pm. Stop by and say hello and talk about history!

See artifacts from the AHS collection
Play the Arlington Chrono Game and try to put local history events in the order they occurred
See Then and Now images and try to guess where these historic building were (or still are!)
Learn about Upcoming AHS events
Find out about Memorializing the Enslaved of Arlington, the joint project with the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, to learn where stumbling stones are or will be placed.
Find your home on an 1865 map
And more!

Indoor booths are open:Friday, August 15: 4 – 10 PMSaturday, August 16: 11 AM – 9 PMSunday, August 17: 11 AM – 7 PM

Deadline: October 3 Contest Entries Commemorating Arlington's Role in America's 250-Year Journey
2025-08-20 - 2025-10-03 | VA
As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain, we reflect on the stories and places that have shaped its history. Arlington, a community with deep roots in the American narrative, has witnessed some significant moments that contributed to the story of our nation.
For this contest, identify what you believe is the most significant historical event that took place in Arlington and how it is linked to America’s 250-year journey. Explain why this event stands out as an Arlington story, its impact on the county and our nation, and how it reflects our nation’s struggles, achievements, and/or values.
You may present your event in one of the following ways:

An essay
A poem
A video
A design of a new memorial about the event

Grade 8-12 students who live in Arlington are eligible to participate in this contest.
Student products will be judged by an Arlington Historical Society review committee using the following criteria:

Product should reflect research using multiple sources and a bibliography of sources used for the product should be included
Product should be submitted digitally and must include a cover sheet with student name, grade, school, and product title. A video submission must include this information at the beginning of the video.

The deadline for submission is Friday, October 3rd by 10:00 pm. Products received after this date will not be considered. Submit to AHSedlink@gmail.com
AWARDS include the following prizes:

1st Place: $1,000. The 1st place winner will be featured in the 2026 Arlington Historical Magazine and/or on the AHS website and invited as a guest to the October 14th AHS Annual Banquet.
2nd Place: $500
3rd Place: $250
Honorable Mention: $100

Questions regarding the essay should be sent to apscathy@gmail.com.
We hope you take this opportunity to explore the ways in which Arlington’s history intertwines with the broader tapestry of the United States.

Around the Hearth: An Original Play about the Ball-Sellers House
2025-08-21 18:30 | Ball-Sellers House, 5620 3rd Street, South, Arlington VA 22204, VA, 22312, United States
Join us for a reading of an original play about the oldest structure in the county, the Ball-Sellers House, a farmhouse built around 1750. Washington Liberty grads, Layla Johnson and Matteo Hope researched, written, produced, and directed this play in 2024 for their high school and now will produce it at the Ball-Sellers House to help celebrate our 50th year since the house was donated to the Arlington Historical Society by Marian Sellers.
This play depicts scenes from the lives of the residents of the house from the Ball family to the Powell family. If you saw it at WLHS in 2024, it has been revised with a few new scenes. There is no better location for this play than at the Ball-Sellers House. Bring your chair or blanket and prepare for a fabulous night out under the wisteria watching history unfold in front of you.
Light summer refreshments provided. The cost is free but donations are always welcome.

Memorializing the Enslaved of Arlington: Dedication of Stumbling Stones
2025-08-24 16:00 - 17:00 | 516 North Livingston Street, 516 North Livingston Street, Arlington, VA, 22203, United States
Join us as we commemorate the lives of Con and Killemasce, who were enslaved by John Hurst in the 1760s.
Since the late 1700s, African Americans made important contributions to the development of Arlington County. Until recently, histories of Arlington often excluded or misrepresented their stories.
Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington (MEA), a project sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, brings our county’s African American history to light. Research into local records uncovers the brutal truth of enslavement in Arlington and the human cost for all involved. Most importantly, it reveals the fortitude and resilience of the local enslaved community.
MEA honors the lives and contributions of Arlington’s once enslaved people by placing memorial plaques throughout the county at sites of enslavement.
Learn more about this project and its findings at: https://arlhist.org/enslavement/

The Arlington Historical Society is at the Mason Square Welcome Fair
2025-08-28 16:00 - 19:00 | Mason Square, 3351 Fairfax Drive (Van Metre Hall), Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
The Arlington Historical Society is joining George Mason University for the Fall 2025 Welcome Fair. We’ll be helping to build a stronger community by sharing info on our diverse history and encouraging incoming freshmen to GMU of ways they can become more involved in their community.
We’ll be encouraging volunteerism, letting the students know about upcoming events, feeding the dreams of history majors who wonder what they could do with their major, and encouraging everyone who loves to learn about the stories and people who have made their community what it is today.

The Metro and Its Impact on Arlington
2025-09-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Reinsch Library Auditorium, Marymount University, 2807 North Glebe Road, Arlington
Join us as we welcome author and historian Dr. Zachary Schrag for a discussion of the development of the Metro and its impact on Arlington. He is the author of “The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro.”
Dr. Schrag scrutinizes the project from its earliest days and will focus on Arlington, its general planning, routes, station architecture, funding decisions, land-use impacts, and the behavior of Metro riders. The story of the Great Society Subway sheds light on the development of metropolitan Washington, postwar urban policy, and Arlington economy and housing.
Many rely on the Washington Metro, the 130-mile rapid transit system DC and its inner suburbs. In the first comprehensive history of the Metro, Dr. Schrag tells the story of the Great Society Subway from its earliest rumblings to the present day. Unlike the pre–World War II rail systems of New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, the Metro was built at a time when most American families already owned cars, and when most American cities had dedicated themselves to freeways, not subways. Why did the nation’s capital take a different path? What were the consequences of that decision?
Using extensive archival research as well as oral history, Dr. Schrag argues that the Metro can be understood only in the political context from which it was born: the Great Society liberalism of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. The Metro emerged from a period when Americans believed in public investments suited to the grandeur and dignity of the world’s richest nation. The Metro was built not merely to move commuters, but in the words of Lyndon Johnson, to create “a place where the city of man serves not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community.”
Dr. Zachary Schrag is a professor of history at George Mason University and specializes in the study of cities, technology, and public policy in the US. He is the author of four books and multiple articles in scholarly journals including the Journal of Policy History, the Journal of Urban History, Rethinking History, Technology and Culture, and Washington History. His essays have appeared in the American Historian, the Journal of American History, Politico, Slate, the Washington Monthly, and the Washington Post.
His book “The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro” will be on sale at the event or you can buy yours early at the museum store or at the AHS online store (allow for shipping time!)
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://forms.gle/URdta4eVxpdra2LU8 into your own browser and complete it there. Please register by Wednesday, September 10. Zoom access information will be sent to you in an email on the morning of the event on Thursday, September 11.
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.

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: Spotlight on Irene Young and Women's Suffrage
2025-09-13 14:00 - 14:30 | Ball-Sellers House, 5620 3rd Street, South, Arlington VA 22204, VA, 22312, United States
Join us for a brief talk about Irene Ottillie Young, an owner of the house who was also a suffragist and fought for the right to vote for women. Annette Benbow, director of the Ball-Sellers House, will talk about why Mrs. Young was unique, her role as a suffragist, and how we know about her. Stop in for the talk and stay for a tour of the oldest structure in the county.

AHS is at Clarendon Day
2025-09-27 11:00 - 18:00 | Clarendon Metro Park, 3100 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
AHS is helping Clarendon celebrate its history at Clarendon Day. Come by our table and get a free “Souvenir Guide from the 1915 Northern VIrginia Exposition.” Stay for a story or two about Clarendon and Arlington history, plus a tabletop exhibit of artifacts and a history trivia quiz.
Clarendon Day is touted as Arlington’s most widely attended street festival, with over 20,000 visitors expected to enjoy this highly anticipated, free, family-friendly, day-long event!
Clarendon Day is held in Clarendon Metro park and the adjacent 8 blocks!

Driving? Use 3100 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201 for your GPS address
Taking Metro? You can’t miss us once you come up the stairs!

Clarendon Day Parking: Park for free from 10 AM – 9 PM in the Mason Square Van Metre Garage, located behind campus on Founders Way off of Kirkwood Drive.
This full-day celebration takes over the heart of Clarendon with live music on multiple stages, a vibrant beer and wine garden, delicious offerings from local restaurants and food trucks, a dedicated KidsZone with family-friendly activities, and dozens of vendors featuring Arlington’s best artists, makers, and small businesses. Thousands of residents and visitors gather each year to enjoy great food, entertainment, shopping, and community spirit—all in one of Arlington’s most walkable neighborhoods. Don’t miss this showcase of local flavor, creativity, and fun for all ages!

15-Minute History: Vice on the Virginia Shore
2025-09-28 14:00 - 14:30 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Join us for a brief talk by the author of “Shootout at Jackson City,” George Axiotis, as he describes what life was like living outside the law in Rosslyn and Jackson City at the turn of the previous century, how it came to an end, and what its legacy is in our county today. Stop in for his talk and tour the newly refurbished exhibits throughout the Arlington Historical Museum.

Mt. Olivet Cemetery Tour
2025-09-28 15:00 - 18:00 | Mt. Olivet. United Methodist Church, 1500 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA, 22207, United States
The cemetery of the oldest church in the county is a museum with no walls. Each of the interred has a story and AHS is partnering with Mt. Olivert United Methodist Church to portray key figures buried in the cemetery. This tour is an opportunity to pause and reflect on the rich history of Arlington, the perseverance of our forebears, and the preserved beauty of this piece of land. Learn about the tussle over land that the church resolved, the role the church played during the Civil War, and key people who were some of Arlington’s early residents, from enslavers to heroes and entrepreneurs.
This event begins with an overview of the history of the church, an introduction to role of slavery in the county, and the Civil War and its impact on the church. Light refreshments will be served during the presentation, courtesy Mt. Olivet Church.
Then go into the cemetery and meet some of the interred. AHS and Mt. Olivet volunteers will portray some of those who are buried in the cemetery and introduce you to some well known and not-so-well-known Arlingtonians. Tombstone rubbings and scavenger hunt for the children makes this a perfect family Sunday afternoon outing.

Webinar: Memorializing the Enslaved of Arlington
2025-09-29 15:00 - 16:30 | VA
The lives of Margaret Hyson and her children George and Charlotte – three people enslaved in what is now the Yorktown neighborhood in the 1800s – had previously been unknown. But now, this family’s story will be told to a broader community. Through a partnership between the Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, stumbling stones, six-inch round bronze plaques, engraved with their names and dates of their births and deaths, have been embedded into the sidewalks near the locations where they were enslaved. Many more stumbling stones will be installed throughout the county. Currently, the names of 1,100 enslaved individuals have been identified.
Join us as Jessica Kaplan of the Arlington Historical Society tells us about the origin of this initiative, the research being done, the work of Arlington Tech students to recreate some of the plaques, the response of the community and where to find already embedded stumbling stones.
Advance registration is not required, and this free event is open to all. You may be prompted to enter your name and email address before being admitted to the webinar. Please know that we do not share your information, and we adhere to the library’s privacy policy: https://encorelearning.net/privacy-policy/

This is an Encore Learning Presents event, co-sponsored with the Arlington Public Library. Connect to the presentation online via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84268052749
Or dial in by phone (for audio only): 301-715-8592Meeting ID: 842 6805 2749
This event does not require registration. Simply connect to Zoom just before the event begins. We look forward to seeing you all online! Please email questions to info@encorelearning.net.

Deadline: October 3: Tickets for Annual AHS Banquet
2025-10-03 | VA
Friday, October 3: Deadline for Buying AHS Banquet Tickets
Honoring America’s Story and Local History
Time is running out to buy your tickets for the AHS Banquet at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington. Our keynote speaker is Benjamin Filene, PhD, Deputy Director of Public History at Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Tickets are $130 each for members and $150 each for non-members. Sponsorships available. Order your tickets at arlhist.org/annual-banquet/
Banquet Contact: Cathy Hix at apscathy@gmail.com.

15-Minute History: Spotlight on the Ball-Sellers House
2025-10-05 14:00 - 14:30 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
The Ball-Sellers House is wrapping up its 50th Anniversary season as a museum at the end of October, so we thought we’d remind folks what’s so unique about this c. 1750 farmhouse and still give you plenty of time to visit before the season ends at the end of the month. Annette Benbow, (Chair of the Ball-Sellers House Committee since 2013) will talk about why this structure is so unique in our county (and the DC region!) and why it’s historically relevant to us all today.

AHS is at Causes & Cocktails
2025-10-07 17:30 - 19:00 | Westin Crystal City Reagan National Airport, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Join us on October 7 from 5:30–7:00 p.m. at the Westin Crystal City for Volunteer Arlington’s Causes & Cocktails! This fun and meaningful networking event brings together civic-minded individuals and community partners who want to be a part of future solutions. The featured cause is education. Come connect and get inspired.
The keynote speaker is: Paula Fynboh, CEO, Aspire Afterschool Learning
Causes & Cocktails is a series of events uniting individuals who care about creating positive change in our community. Attendees can discover important local causes, meet Volunteer Arlington’s partners driving impact, and connect with others who are committed to making a difference.

The events are free to attend. We ask that you register in advance for planning purposes. Register here: https://connect.volunteerarlington.org/event/detail/?event_id=111737
Nonprofit Partners:

Arlington Historical Society
Arlington Public Schools
Aspire Afterschool Learning
Center for Youth & Family Advocacy
Educational Theatre Company
English Empowerment Center
Read Early and Daily (R.E.A.D.)
RISE Mentoring
Rosie Riveters

Supporting Sponsor: National Landing Business Improvement District

Arlington's American Legion Post 194 and Dorie Miller
2025-10-09 19:00 - 20:30 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street, South, Arlington, 22202, United States
In 1946, a group of determined and like-minded individuals set out to establish the American Legion Dorie Miller Post 194 & Auxiliary Unit in Arlington. Their courage to start a new post speaks volumes about who they were and the man the post honors.
The Arlington Historical Society welcomes Former Post Commander Kenneth Powell and Secretary of the Auxiliary, Marjorie Strother of this American Legion Post Auxiliary as they tell the story of how Dorie Miller’s heroic actions aboard the USS West Virginia on December 7, 1941 inspired African American veterans to establish a post honoring the Black Navy Messman even before the US military was desegregated in 1947.
In 2022, Arlington County proclaimed October 12, Dorie Miller Day. The proclamation reads in part:
“Arlington County recognizes the American Legion Dorie Miller Post 194 as an organization of veterans who have dedicated themselves to the service of community, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and our nation; and Whereas, American Legion Post 194 is named after Doris “Dorie” Miller, a U.S. Navy Messman aboard the USS West Virginia during World War II who selflessly and without any hesitation acted heroically during the attack on his vessel at Pearl Harbor in 1941, for which he was awarded the Navy Cross.”
Help us honor the man and the men and women of Post 194 as a prelude to Dorie Miller Day celebrated this year on October 13, 2025 at the Bozman Center (1-3 PM)
NEW LOCATION
AHS is trying out some new locations. This month we will be at the Aurora Hills Community Center located at 735 18th Street, South in Arlington, (zip code: 22202). Parking is still 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.
ZOOM REGISTRATION
Zoom Registration: Please register for Zoom access by Wednesday, Oct 8. Click here to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfP4UD91sqrLLw5W9Rk6MOxPQn7qiTqiW8rP4AMZYJ_UE9rLA/viewform or cut and paste the link into your browser to complete your registration. On Thursday morning, October 9, 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.

New Exhibit: Community Ofrenda/Ofrenda Comunitaria
2025-10-11 10:00 - 2025-11-08 16:00 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Community Ofrenda at the Arlington Historical Museum
Join us in honoring loved ones during this season of remembrance. Our community ofrenda (altar) celebrates the Central and South American traditions of Día de los Difuntos and Día de los Muertos — times to remember, reflect, and celebrate those who came before us.
Únase al Museo Histórico de Arlington y agregue su foto o pequeño recuerdo a nuestra Ofrenda Comunitaria, que celebra las tradiciones del Día de los Muertos de América Central y del Sur.
Visitors are invited to bring a photo of a loved one or small memento to add to the altar. Together, we’ll build a shared space of memory and connection that reflects the many cultures that make up Arlington today.
Juntos recordamos a quienes han partido y celebramos las historias que nos unen.
Free and open to all. Gratis y abierto a todo público
The Community Ofrenda exhibit is open Saturdays 10-4 and Sundays 1-4 through November 7. Photos and mementoes can be picked up on November 8 and 9.

15-Minute History: The Ups and Downs of Standing Up for Your Rights in Arlington
2025-10-12 14:00 - 14:30 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Bill Fogarty (Our Man in Arlington for the Falls Church News Press) spotlights protests in Arlington, a review of the civil rights struggles in Arlington in the 1950s followed by a discussion on how these “echoes from the past” might inform civil rights issues today. (2nd Floor, Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road)
Bill Fogarty is a retired attorney who has lived and worked in Arlington for more than 40 years and currently serves as a board member for the Leadership Center of Arlington. 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 has taught two Arlington history classes for Encore Learning, and this fall will be teaching another on Arlington history from 1900 to 1930. Bill also writes the weekly “Our Man in Arlington” column for the Falls Church News Press.

Annual AHS Banquet: Honoring America's Past, Celebrating Arlington's Legacy
2025-10-14 18:00 | Army Navy Country Club, 1700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
On the eve of the nation’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Arlington Historical Society will host its annual banquet on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the Army Navy Country Club. The evening will bring together historians, AHS members, community leaders, and Arlington residents to reflect on how both local and national museums are telling America’s story.
Keynote Speaker
The evening’s featured guest speaker will be Dr. Benjamin Filene, Deputy Director for Public History at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Dr. Filene will talk about how museums across the country are engaging the public in new and meaningful conversations about the 250th Anniversary of the United States and our shared heritage.
During the banquet, the society will present the Cornelia B. Rose, Jr. Award to Stephen Hammond, who has been instrumental in forming a Family Circle of descendants connected to Arlington House and its history. This includes the Custis/Lee and once enslaved families. Their goal is “to work on healing and repair.”
“This year’s banquet is especially meaningful as we approach America’s Semiquincentennial,” said Peter Vaselopulos, AHS president. “By honoring national voices like Dr. Filene and local historians like Stephen Hammond, we highlight the vital work being done to preserve and share stories that shape our collective history.”
Tickets
The public is cordially invited to the gala. Tickets can be purchased through October 3rd at arlhist.org/annual-banquet/ or contact the Arlington Historical Society banquet coordinator at apscathy@gmail.com.

Memorializing the Enslaved Stumbling Stone Dedication: The Johnson Family
2025-10-18 10:00 - 23:00 | Arlington View Park, 1105 South Queen 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). 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 2750 enslaved people and identified 1050 by name.
Please join us for the Dedication Ceremony honoring three once enslaved individuals

Ann Brooks Johnson: born circa 1830
Margaret Johnson: born circa 1849
Frank W. Johnson: born November 1856, died 1916

Their Story
In the late 1850s, Ann Brooks Johnson and her children Margaret and Frank were enslaved by Sarah and John R. Johnston in what is now the Arlington View/Johnson’s Hill neighborhood. Before moving to Arlington, they labored on a farm in Fairfax County, enslaved by Sarah and her first husband, Mr. Stone (first name is unknown).
Ann had 9 children, 8 of whom were born into enslavement, Margaret in 1849 and Frank in 1856. The name of Anne’s husband remains unclear, though in the 1870 census she was listed as married to Peter Johnson. All her children also had the surname Johnson.
According to the 1860 census, John R. Johnston enslaved 15 people just before the Civil War, at least half were Johnsons. The Emancipation Proclamation brought freedom to the clan and to the enslaved people living in Arlington on January 1, 1863. The family remained on the Johnston farm as sharecroppers to make ends meet. Ann and her husband Peter resided in the Johnson’s Hill area their entire lives as did Frank and his family. Margaret and many of her siblings lived in the District of Columbia.
Join us as we celebrate and honor Ann, Margaret, and Frank 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.

AHS is at the Pike Fest
2025-10-18 12:00 - 17:00 | Penrose Square, 2597 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
The Arlington Historical Society is excited to be a part of this year’s Pike Fest! We’ll be there sharing history of the Pike and historical info on the MANY diverse communities who live in, on, or near it! Find our table and test your knowledge about Pike history. Find out what events we have coming up and what cool new exhibits will be featured at our Arlington Historical Museum.
Enjoy local food and drinks, music, family-friendly activities, and pike photos, all designed to showcase and uplift the businesses that make the Pike special. Can’t wait to see you there!
Parking Information
Parking is available at the Penrose Square Parking Garage (located at Giant), 2501 9th Road S, Arlington, VA 22204. For this event the garage entrance is accessible from S. Adams Street. First hour of parking is free.

Arlington's Political Structure in the 20th Century
2025-10-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Glencarlyn Library, 300 S. Kensington Street, Arlington, VA, 22204, United States
Join the Glencarlyn Library and “Our Man in Arlington,” Bill Fogarty, to learn about the evolution of Arlington’s governance structure and its political parties.
Bill Fogarty is a retired attorney who has lived and worked in Arlington for more than 40 years and currently serves as a board member for the Leadership Center of Arlington. 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 has taught two Arlington history classes for Encore Learning, and this fall will be teaching another on Arlington history from 1900 to 1930. Bill also writes the weekly “Our Man in Arlington” column for the Falls Church News Press.
Co-sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society and the Glencarlyn Civic Association.

The Arlington Historical Museum Store is at the Arlington Women's Club Bazaar
2025-10-25 09:00 - 15:00 | Arlington Women’s Club, 700 S Buchanan Street, Arlington, Virginia, 22204
The Arlington Historical Museum Store is excited to once again be a part of the Arlington Women’s Club Annual Bazaar. Visit our table to buy unique books for kids and adults alike, history-based toys and games, keepsakes, and even jewelry!
Every purchase at our table helps support the AHS mission to strengthen our community by improving the understanding of local history.
Cash, check, or charge!

Memorializing the Enslaved of Arlington: Dedication in Lyon Village
2025-10-26 16:00 - 17:00 | 1412 North Highland Street, 1412 North Highland Street, Arlington, VA, 22201, United States
The Arlington Historical Society and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington invite you to the unveiling of a “Stumbling Stone.” This bronze marker commemorates the life of an enslaved woman who helped build our county (and our country). Each marker is placed in the sidewalk at the last known location where the enslaved person lived. Memorializing the Enslaved in Arlington’s research has revealed over 2750 enslaved people and identified 1050 by name.
Please join us for the Dedication Ceremony honoring an enslaved individual whose name is unknown but that know was born in approximately 1835.
Her Story
A girl around the age of 15, whose name we cannot ascertain, was enslaved by Robert and Catherine Cruit and later their heir, Susan Cruit. According to tax and census records, from 1850 to 1860, the Cruit’s enslaved two to six other people during this period. We have honored two of them, Humphrey Alfred and Priscilla Willis, in the past and others will be honored in the future.
Robert Cruit, a Georgetown resident, bought property in what is now Arlington in 1847 as a second home. The Cruit farmhouse still stands today at 1614 North Highland Street. Robert used enslaved laborers to operate his dairy farming operation. It is very likely that the young woman we are honoring worked as a dairymaid, milking cows and tending to their needs. She may also have fed and tended other livestock.
In May of 1853, an enslaved female named Matilda fled the Cruit household. She was apprehended by the law and spent three days in the DC “Blue Jug” Jail before being returned to the Cruit’s. This might be the young woman we are honoring, but there is no way to verify this.
Enslaved people in Arlington remained in bondage until the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Perhaps this young woman was freed then.
Join us as we celebrate and honor an unknown woman 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.

Bolivian Mast'aku for Dia de Todo Santos
2025-11-01 10:00 - 2025-11-02 16:00 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
We are excited to welcome Julia Garcia to the museum to share the Bolivian traditions of Day of the Dead with a traditional mast’aku (quecha, or ceremonial) table. The table will be set with all of the traditional elements of Bolivia’s Dia de Todos Santos (The Day of All Saints). Learn about tantawawas – bread dolls that are always present and why there are three levels to each table. Ms. Garcia will also share how these traditions are still continued in the Bolivian community in Arlington today. Join us and bring a picture or memento of your loved ones to add to our community ofrenda.

Free and open to all. Gratis y abierto a todo publico.

The mast’aku will be open Saturday 11/1 from 10-4 and Sunday 11/2 from 1-4pm.

Memorializing the Enslaved Stumbling Stone Dedications in November
2025-11-01 15:00 - 2025-11-15 00:00 | 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

Members Only Event: Arlington Historical Magazine Release Party
2025-11-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Arlington Historical Museum, 1805 South Arlington Ridge Road, Arlington, 22207, United States
Are you a member of the Arlington Historical Society? Then this is the PARTY for you! AHS is celebrating the release of the 2025 edition of the Arlington Historical Magazine.
We are inviting all the authors of this year’s magazine to join us and chat with you about their love of history, their research, and share details of local history.
You should receive the 2025 edition in the USPS mail. AHS is continuing to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Marian Sellers’ donation of the John Ball house by using a photo of the c. 1750 farmhouse on the magazine cover. In it you’ll find:

Zachary Newkirk’s article “Julia Robert’s Freedom Suit: One Enslaved Woman’s Path to the Supreme Court and Emancipation”
Janine DeWitt and Kristin Neun’s article “The Color Lines of Racially Restrictive Covenant: Segregation Walls on Record”
Bill Fogarty’s article “1946 Arlington: The First Crack in the Byrd Machine”
Ciro Taddeo’s article “The Tea House Tower of Arlington”
Malia Humphries-Do 2024 student award-winning article “Remembering Little Saigon: The Story of Arlington’s Vietnamese Community”

Please let us know you plan to come so we can have plenty of light refreshments and libations on hand through this EVENTBRITE LINK: (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arlington-historical-society-2025-magazine-launch-party-tickets-1761128074479?aff=oddtdtcreator )

Documenting Exclusion and Resilience: Exploring Racially Restrictive Covenants in Arlington: 1900-1968
2025-11-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Aurora HIlls Library/Community Center, 735 18th Street, South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
This presentation will dive into the extensive research conducted to date and mapped by Documenting Exclusion and Resilience, the collaborative web-based project created in part to explore the scope and context of racially restrictive covenant use in Arlington County and other parts of Northern Virginia. Kristin M Neun, a Documenting Exclusion’s team member, will provide a brief overview of national and regional developments that were a backdrop to racial covenant use in Arlington. She will also use the project’s interactive web map to explore the scope and way covenants were used to define Arlington’s suburban growth.
Kristin M. Neun is a retired attorney who now devotes her legal skills and interest in history to contribute to the work of the Documenting Exclusion and Resilience project’s fellow team members: Janine DeWitt, Ph.D. and Matt Baker, Ph.D. (Marymount University) and Krystyn Moon, Ph.D. (University of Mary Washington). For 30 years Ms. Neun worked on legal transactions and public policy issues related to federal and locally financed affordable housing, community development and health care facilities nationwide. A member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars, Kristin received her J.D. from The American University and an M.Ed. from Marymount University. Kristin is a 40-year resident of Arlington County, 17 of which have been in the Glen Carlyn community.
NEW LOCATION: Aurora Hills Library/Community Center
AHS is trying out some new locations. This event will be at the Aurora Hills Library/Community Center at 735 18th Street, South in Arlington, (zip code: 22202). Parking is still free. Pentagon City Metro is your best public transit bet. Additional free parking is plentiful at the Virginia Highlands Park
ZOOM REGISTRATION: Deadline November 12
Please register for Zoom access by Wednesday, November 12. Click here to register: https://forms.gle/VCJ1zoUarP1hDrxU7 or cut and paste the link into your browser to complete your registration. On Thursday morning, November 13, 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.
