A virtuous citizenry is essential to the success of a democratic government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” For much of our past, children learned civic virtues like civility, respect, and responsibility from their families, schools, churches, neighbors, and community groups. So, it’s no surprise to learn these virtues were taken very seriously by the Croghan family at Locust Grove. Family letters, diaries, and their social reputation reveal a common thread of the importance of civic virtue. For the Croghans, the American Revolution didn’t end with a victory on the battlefield; it was an experiment and continuous exploration in self-governance.

Here at Locust Grove, Civics is now one of the four pillars of our mission. As we enhance current educational experiences with civic themes, we’re also developing a larger, more comprehensive program. Our goal is to establish a civics education initiative based on virtue as a path to civic engagement.

This program will bring together a diverse group of high school students for a year-long program to learn about individual virtues. They will have a deep mentorship with elders and community members, along with a focus on service and the responsibilities we bear to each other.

In a modern society that often values vice, individualism, and apathy, we at Locust Grove accept the challenge of educating our students — one individual virtue at a time — to help create a new generation of citizens and build toward the very ideals our founders envisioned. We look forward to sharing new developments on this program throughout the America250 celebration.

Our most important asset is the Land. We believe this is sacred ground — from its origins as the home of Indigenous tribes to the environmental education programs we share with those without access to green space.

We have yet to learn our true Indigenous past, and we need to let the land itself share that story. We’ve connected with the Eastern Shawnee Tribe to become true land stewards, just like their ancestors were over two centuries ago. This work will be long, but it will serve as a form of ecological preservation and genuine living history.