Ball-Sellers House, Arlington, Virginia
Originally part of the 100-square-mile area surveyed in 1791 and 1792 for the nation’s capital, Arlington County is a tapestry of history woven from colonial farmsteads, Civil War fortifications, African American villages, and the people who have defined the county for more than two centuries. Travel journalist Barbara Noe Kennedy leads a day-long exploration of sites that reveal how Arlington evolved from a rural Virginia community into a modern urban county transformed by war, migration, segregation, and redevelopment.
Begin with a short lecture by your study leader before exploring the Arlington Historical Museum to see how the stage was set for the county’s early development and changing communities. Continue to the remains of the 18th-century Abingdon Plantation, tucked beside Reagan National Airport, where traces of early Virginia life survive amid contemporary infrastructure. The historic Ball-Sellers House, built around 1760, is among the oldest surviving homes in Arlington. Constructed by John and Elizabeth Ball, the house was later owned by three generations of the Carlin family, including the namesake of the Glencarlyn neighborhood, William Carlin, who served as a tailor to George and Martha Washington. At the Glencarlyn Library, see part of the trunk of a boundary tree used by George Washington to mark his property lines and learn about the original federal boundary stones placed in 1791 and 1792 to define the District of Columbia.
The tour also examines Arlington’s pivotal role during the Civil War through surviving defenses at Fort C. F. Smith Park. Stories of emancipation, segregation, and urban renewal emerge through discussions of Freedman’s Village, Hall’s Hill, and the vanished Queen City community, while a visit to the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington highlights the enduring contributions of Arlington’s Black communities. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.
Know Before You Go
- The tour departs by motorcoach from downtown Washington, DC. Content delivered by the study leader on the way to the destination is an integral part of the study tour experience. Meeting the group once the tour is en route is discouraged.
- Tour participants meet at and leave by bus from the Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C St. SW; no fringe pick-up.
General Information
- Registration for this tour will end by 2 p.m. ET on Friday, October 9, 2026.
- Smithsonian Associates is a mask-friendly environment. Please feel free to bring and wear a mask at any time during a tour, both for your safety or the safety of others.
- As we aim to move away from single use water bottles, guests are strongly encouraged to get in the habit of bringing their own reusable water bottle on tour.
- For additional tour information:
