History and Heritage Events in Arlington County The following calendar is a compilation of Arlington history events sponsored by the Arlington Historical Society, the Arlington County Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources, or other organizations. Information is subject to change. October HANSSEN SPY TOUR Sat., October 4 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. The infamous spy and traitor Robert Hanssen worked in secrecy all around the nation's Capitol for years before being discovered. Some of those clandestine affairs were conducted right here in the woods of Long Branch Nature Center. Uncover the dramatic story of this notorious spy and his eventual downfall and arrest, including the FBI's nature center operations. A program of the Arlington County Conservation & Interpretation Section. For more information call 703-228-6535. $4 fee payable on the day of the program. Registration required, register on-line or call 703-228-4747. Program #612504C Location: Meet at Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA 22204. PIONEER DAY FESTIVAL Sat., October 4 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Families, adults, scout troops, everyone. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration needed. Each fall we gather around the Walker Log House to celebrate our nation’s heritage. Won’t you join us this year for a family friendly day of interactive fun? Step back into history and try your hand at some old time games and crafts. Enjoy live music, dancers, and local artisans. Drop in anytime between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. A program of the Arlington County Conservation & Interpretation Section. $5 fee (2 and under free); $20 max. per family. No registration needed. For information: 703-228-3403. Location: Meet at Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 Military Rd., Arlington, VA 22207 DISCOVER CLARENDON Sun., October 5 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Now a restaurant district reflecting the region’s ethnic diversity, Clarendon was mostly a forest before its establishment as a town on March 30, 1900. A leading historian of the Northern Virginia suburbs, Kathy Holt Springston, leads these walking tours of two neighborhoods rich in history and diversity. A Smithsonian Resident Association program. $25 non-member registration fee. For more information and to register, see www.residentassociates.org Location: Tour meets at the entrance to the Clarendon Metro (Orange line) station, at the southwest corner of Wilson Blvd. and N. Highland St. DISCOVER ROSSLYN Sun., October 5 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. With its beginnings stimulated by the Alexandria canal and aqueduct to Georgetown, the area now known as Rosslyn saw a lot of activity during the Civil War, then became a disreputable wide-open "Wild West" kind of town. A leading historian of the Northern Virginia suburbs, Kathy Holt Springston, leads these walking tours of two neighborhoods rich in history and diversity. A Smithsonian Resident Association program. $25 non-member registration fee. For more information and to register, see www.residentassociates.org Location: Tour meets at the Rosslyn Metro (Orange line), near the ticket gates inside the station, on the Moore Street side HISTORIC ARLINGTON ROUNDTABLE Tues., October 7 12:15 p.m. Each meeting of this monthly brown-bag lunch event covers a different aspect of Arlington history. Please bring your lunch with you. For future notices, please contact Patty Clark at pattyclark2@comcast.net or call Michael Leventhal at 703-228-3813. Location: Conference Room 710, Arlington County Building, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, VA MAKE YOUR OWN SCARECROW AT THE HISTORIC BALL-SELLERS HOUSE Sat., October 11 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Making life-size scarecrows appeals to children and children at heart, alike. Champion scarecrow maker Mary McCutcheon will again be on hand at the historic Ball-Sellers House to help in the wonderful creations that emerge. Come on by and make one, or simply come and observe the fun and see the historic house, a rare example of an ordinary person's dwelling of the the 1700s. Supplies will be on hand to make one, but you may also bring your own old jeans, long-sleeve shirt, hat, socks, pantyhose, gloves and tie. Location: Ball-Sellers House, 5620 Third Street, S., Arlington, VA CENTRAL ARLINGTON HISTORY TOUR Sat., October 11 9:00 a.m. Walk from 1 to 12 miles (1 to 8 hours) visiting parks and historic sites in Clarendon, Ballston, Glencarlyn and surrounding areas. Tour historic locations dating from colonial times to early 20th century, including old cemeteries, the Inter-Urban Trolley Line, and the Ball Sellers House. Cost - $2.00. No reservations necessary. Sponsored by Center Hiking Club. For more information, contact: Bernie Berne at (703) 243-0179. Location: Meet at Clarendon Metro Station (Top of Escalator), S.W. Corner of Wilson Blvd. and N. Highland St., Arlington, VA. CIVIL WAR DISCOVERY SERIES: Build a Fort (For Kids) Wed., October 15 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Ages 7 - 11. The program begins by investigating how and why fortifications were built in Arlington in the Civil War. Then, using "Lincoln Logs" and dirt, design and build replica forts. A program of the Arlington County Conservation & Interpretation Section. For more information: 703-243-4342. $5 fee payable on the day of the program. Registration required, register on-line or call 703-228-4747. Program #613112A Location: Meet at Fort C.F. Smith Park, 2411 N. 24th Street, Arlington, VA 22207 'STEEL' AWAY TO NYC!: See Arlington's Lustron and Other Prefab Homes Sat., October 18 6:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Arlington Heritage Alliance presents: "'Steel' Away to NYC!" See Arlington's own all-steel Lustron Home rebuilt inside the Museum of Modern Art as part of the exhibit: "Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling." Travel to NYC by motor coach. Enjoy an exclusive tour of the exhibit with MoMA curators, learn the fascinating history of these prefabricated houses and the exciting preservation story of Arlington's Lustron. Don’t miss it—this is the last weekend of the exhibit! Cost: $85 for non-members. To register, download the event flyer. For more information, e-mail timkathsmith@comcast.net or call 703.533.0412. TALES AND TOMBSTONES: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY Sat., October 18 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. October is the perfect month to join historian and guide, Jeanne Fogle, and explore two of Washington's famous cemeteries. Tour Arlington Cemetery and see the marble tomb of Pierre L'Enfant and memorials honoring Confederate soldiers and Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. A Smithsonian Resident Association program. $30 non-member registration fee. For more information and to register, see www.residentassociates.org Location: Tour meets at the entrance to the Visitors Center in Arlington Cemetery. Metro: Arlington Cemetery (Blue Line) OPEN HOUSE AT ARLINGTON HOUSE/ROBERT E. LEE MEMORIAL Sat., October 25 7:00 - 10:00 p.m Join the National Park Service for a special evening program entitled "Restoring Arlington House: A Century of Preservation," at Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial. Reservations are required for this free event, and will be available every 30 minutes from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Visitors will be able to tour "behind the scenes" places such as the attic and the basement with a ranger, and walk through the house to view various exhibits and see presentations focused on how the house has changed since Lee's residence. In addition, there will be guided, lamp-light tours of the grounds. For more information or to make a reservation, contact the National Park Service at 703-235-1530. Location: Arlington House, located in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, for directions see www.nps.gov/arho DISCOVER CLARENDON & DISCOVER ROSSLYN Sat., October 25 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Join historian Kathy Holt Springston on these walking tours of two neighborhoods rich in history and diversity. A repeat of the October 5th walking tours. A Smithsonian Resident Association program. $25 non-member registration fee. For more information and to register, see www.residentassociates.org EARLY'S RAID - MONOCACY TO FORT STEVENS Sat., October 25 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. In 1864, Confederate General Jubal Early attempted to raid Washington by attacking from the North. The result was the Battle of Monocacy near Frederick, MD and a skirmish in Washington at Fort Stevens. This van trip will explore the sites of these battles. A program of the Arlington County Conservation & Interpretation Section. For more information: 703-243-4342. $20 fee payable on the day of the program. Registration required, register on-line or call 703-228-4747. Program #613104A Location: Van will leave from the Lubber Run Center parking lot, 300 N. Park Dr. Arlington, VA 22203 November ENCAMPMENT OF THE 3RD U.S. REGULAR INFANTRY Sat., November 8 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Drop in and visit with the 3rd US Infantry as we celebrate Veteran's Day (a few days early). Enlisted for 5 years at $13 a month, the Regular Units were the professional backbone of the largely volunteer armies of the Civil War. Visit in camp with both military and civilian reeanctors while they portray everyday life. Presentations including military drilling and equipment, cooking, and ladies activities will occur throughout the day. A program of the Arlington County Conservation & Interpretation Section. For more information: 703-243-4342. Free. No registration needed. Location: Meet at Fort C.F. Smith Park, 2411 N. 24th Street, Arlington, VA 22207 AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH CAMPFIRE Sat., November 8 6:00 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Families. Register children and adults. Children must be accompanied by adult. The whole family is invited to join us for lots of old-fashioned fun. Celebrate American Indian Heritage Month by learning about the culture of some of the previous residents of Virginia. This engaging program will be filled with entertaining activities, which may include stories, special animal guests, games, songs, and of course treats like s'mores. A program of the Arlington County Conservation & Interpretation Section. For more information call 703-228-6535. $3 fee payable on the day of the program. Registration required, register on-line or call 703-228-4747. Program #612575H Location: Meet at Long Branch Nature Center, 625 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington, VA 22204 CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH'S 1608 TRIP UP THE POTOMAC Sun., November 9 2:00 p.m. A talk by Charles Clark, Arlington County historian. Free. Information: 703-385-8414. Location: Fairfax Museum & Visitor Center, 10209 Main Street, Fairfax, VA. CIVIL WAR DISCOVERY SERIES: Civil War Artillery (For Kids) Wed., November 12 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Ages 7 to 11. Learn to work as a team to load and aim a replica Civil War cannon. We’ll talk about the different types of artillery used in the Civil War and "bombard" a replica fortification. A program of the Arlington County Conservation & Interpretation Section. For more information: 703-243-4342. $5 fee payable on the day of the program. Registration required, register on-line or call 703-228-4747. Program #613112B Location: Fort C.F. Smith Park, 2411 N. 24th Street, Arlington, VA 22207 ARLINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING Thurs., November 13 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.* Members and the general public are welcome to attend AHS meetings. Program topic TBD. Location: Arlington Central Library Auditorium, 1015 North Quincy St., Arlington, VA *Please note the change in time from our usual 7:30p.m. start time.