[6] Frank Hume, a Confederate veteran of the Civil War and local civic leader, sold his property to the county for $250 and donated some additional land for the playground.

They later purchased additional property behind the building to ensure views toward Washington and prevent development.

[1][8][9] The Arlington County Board designated the building to be a local historic district on October 3, 1978.

It moved into the Hume school in 1960 and began an extensive restoration before opening the building as a museum in the early 1960s.

The AHS continues as a non-profit organization supporting research, preservation, and education efforts related to the local history of Arlington County, Virginia.