The Shadow
COVINGTON, Va (VR) _ For the Highland’s Hometown girl Erin Smith, history is more than a subject in a textbook, it’s a living, breathing story that connects communities across generations. As a museum specialist for the VA250 Mobile Museum, Smith is on a mission to educate Virginians about their state’s pivotal role in the American Revolution, one school and small town at a time.
Smith, 24, grew up in Alleghany County, graduating from Alleghany High School in 2019. Her journey from a self-described “homebody” to a leader in public history is a testament to her passion for learning and her commitment to making history accessible to all.
“I really went from being kind of a homebody to somebody who’s super involved,” Smith said. “At JMU, I was in every single club I could be in. I was in student government, I had an elected position for the entire student body, I did Young Democrats, and I was involved in all sorts of things I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing at Dabney.”
After earning her associate’s degree from Dabney S. Lancaster Community College, Smith transferred to James Madison University, where she majored in history with a specialty in early American and colonial history. She also minored in theater and participated in the University Choir, Academic Bowl, and multiple student organizations, serving in four clubs in her final year. Smith credits her professors at JMU, particularly Dr. David Dillard and Dr. Jones, for inspiring her to pursue a career in history. “Dr. Dillard kind of became a mentor for me,” she said.
“Dr. Jones was younger, and he showed me what it was like to be a young person in the history field, which is sometimes really hard, because we tend to think of historians as older men. They all opened a different world for me, where I felt like I fit into this picture.”
After graduating from JMU in December 2024, Smith worked as a tour guide at Endless Caverns and at a local escape room while searching for her first job in her field. “The job market was virtually nonexistent,” she said with a laugh. “But I got very lucky. I came across probably the best job I could have.”
That job was with the VA250 Mobile Museum, a traveling exhibit commissioned to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The museum, which opened in January, aims to visit every middle school in Virginia by 2027, bringing the story of the Revolution directly to communities across the state.
As a museum specialist, Smith’s role is to educate the public about Virginia’s enormous role in the Revolution, not just the famous figures like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, but also the lesser-known women, people of color, Native Americans, and local heroes who contributed to the cause. “My job is to help people get a sense of people like them,” Smith explained. “Wherever we go in the state, I try to find a story that connects with the people from that area. It’s about bringing public history to the public without them having to go to a major museum. We come to them.”
Smith’s work has taken her from Northern Virginia to Roanoke, from Fort Monroe to Poplar Forest, and to countless communities in between. “Every week we go somewhere different,” she said.
“It’s a really big feat, but it’s so rewarding.” The VA250 Mobile Museum is currently commissioned through 2027, but Smith and her colleagues hope to continue their work through 2031, covering the full span of the Revolution’s anniversary years. The museum’s mission is strictly nonpartisan, Smith emphasized.
“There’s no political agenda within VA250 besides helping people learn about their county and the small people and their puzzle piece role in the bigger picture,” she said. “It’s all fact-based.”
Smith’s pride in her home county is evident. “There’s quite a bit about Alleghany in the museum,” she said. “One of the regiments that assisted in the Revolution came from there. There’s stuff about the Humpback Bridge, Falling Springs, and some of our smaller, famous people. I hope everybody’s excited to know they have a spot in a major historical museum, and that one of their own is part of that.”
As the VA250 Mobile Museum was preparing for its stop in Covington, Smith’s eagerness to share her love of history with her hometown was evident. “We’re here to help educate everyone on Virginia’s role in the Revolution, and we want it to be accessible to all people,” she said. For Smith, the journey from Alleghany County to the highways of Virginia is just beginning. “I’m very lucky to be a historian, a colonial historian, in the time of our upcoming 250th anniversary,” she said. “I would have loved to have been alive for the Bicentennial, but alas, I was not. So, I have to take the next best thing.”
As the VA250 Mobile Museum continues its journey across the Commonwealth, Erin Smith remains steadfast in her mission to bring Virginia’s revolutionary legacy to life for new generations.
With every stop, she reminds communities that history is not just about the past—it’s about understanding who we are today and inspiring pride in the stories that shape us all. For Smith, sharing these lessons is more than a job; it’s a calling, and one she hopes will leave a lasting mark on the hearts and minds of Virginians for years to come.
