A Student, a Map, and a Place in History at Rocktown History

Last week, Rocktown History hosted Harrisonburg City School fourth-graders. Our volunteers supplemented classroom learning with a deeper dive into the life of Lucy Simms, the experience of a Civil War soldier, and the value of artifacts and archives.

Because Rocktown History exists, local students can take a short bus ride to discover stories from their own community. Asking meaningful questions, …

  • they made connections between education, opportunity, and the changes brought about through Civil Rights.
  • they were curious about the details—from daily life in the past to the story behind the 10th Virginia battle flag.
  • they practiced critical thinking as “history detectives” by investigating objects from the collections to solve the “What is it?” mystery.

A highlight on both days was watching students gather around the large world map included in We the People, a traveling exhibition from the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. They were drawn to the simple act of placing a pin—marking where they or their families come from. One by one, they stepped forward, reached up, and added their place to the map.

In those moments, history became something personal. Not just something to study—but something they are part of.

Creating connections like these grows directly from Rocktown History’s long commitment to collecting and sharing the stories of this place. Every object, every record, every conversation helps make that possible for students (of all ages) today—and for those who will follow.

The We the People exhibition will be gone in five days. The Great Community Give is in less than two.*

If this work matters to you, now is the time to support it.

Because history matters. Because kids matter.

*Great Community Give, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 6a-8p.
Early giving is underway! Learn more: https://www.greatcommunitygive.org/organizations/harrisonburg-rockingham-historical-society