So many roads crisscross Northern Virginia today and humans travel on them so frequently that we often take our roads and highways for granted. But roads remain a huge piece of our modern infrastructure. When the settlers of Northern Virginia began laying out their communities, their roadways were crucial to the prosperity of this region, often in ways we do not think about today.

Join NOVA Parks and the Mosby Heritage Area Association for a look at Northern Virginia's historic turnpikes. Members of the panel include the following historians:

• Dr. Warren Hofstra, editor of The Great Valley Road of Virginia and author and editor of numerous other works
• Jane Covington, a local historian and historic preservationist
• Mike McDonnell, Fairfax County Park Authority
• Rich Gillespie, MHAA Historian Emeritus and member of the Loudoun Rural Roads Initiative

If the weather permits, the discussion will be followed by a walking tour of the historic road trace of the Old Carolina Road just west of Mt. Zion Church.

This event is free, though donations will be accepted. All proceeds from the Conversations in History series support the educational outreach programs of the Mosby Heritage Area Association and NOVA Parks.

For more information, please call (540) 687-5188.