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Jonathan Harton is a Living History Interpreter at the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia. Waynesboro-based marketing firm Standout Arts spoke with him about his work, his commitment to accuracy in historical interpretation, and the importance of helping visitors see how events from more than two centuries ago relate to their lives today.
Harton describes himself as “predominantly an eighteenth century early American historian,” a background that shapes much of his work across the museum’s sites. While he has experience on many of the exhibits, he most often works on the 1760s farm, the Native American site, the 1820s farm, and occasionally the German farm. These settings remain central to him because they align closely with his academic training and long-standing interests.
His passion for living history began in childhood. In third grade, a Civil War reenactor visited his Boy Scout troop, which sparked a curiosity that quickly grew. Harton recalled that he had not been an avid reader at that time, but after that encounter, he began reading everything he could about the Civil War and then the American Revolution. “Within about a year it pretty much became the major interest focus in my life,” he said. “And it has pretty much been so ever since.”
Although he later earned a master’s degree in history and has worked professionally in the field for more than fifteen years, he still thinks often about how one living history interpreter changed the course of his life. That memory shapes the way he interacts with the museum’s youngest visitors. “We really do not know the extent of the impact we can have,” he said.
For Harton, effective living history requires a balance of academic understanding and interpretive skill. He explained that presenting history well demands deep knowledge of what happened, why it happened, and how it fit into larger narratives. At the same time, interpreters must be able to take that information and make it real, accessible, and meaningful to people of all ages. This includes demonstrating skills, explaining daily routines, and helping visitors imagine what life felt like for people of the past.
“We can build an eighteenth-century farm as accurately as we understand it and as best as we are able,” he said, “and it will still be a product of the modern world.” Because of that, he believes in meeting visitors where they are and helping them draw connections between historic daily life and the world today. His goal is for guests to walk away with a deeper appreciation of how others lived and how those lived experiences relate to their own.
Harton noted that the level of preparation required for this work is often underestimated. Living history interpreters, especially at a museum that spans three centuries and multiple continents, must be able to speak confidently across many subjects. He explained that interpreters may come to this expertise through academic study, long-term professional experience, or extensive hands-on learning. No matter the path, the job requires a graduate-level understanding of many topics in order to engage visitors accurately and meaningfully.
Despite the challenges, Harton feels grateful to do work that aligns so deeply with his interests. He acknowledged that the role requires a significant personal investment, from mastering skills to constantly expanding historical knowledge, but he sees it as a privilege as well as a responsibility. Presenting history accurately while also making it relatable to modern audiences is the balance he strives for every day.
When asked what he loves most about his work, Harton answered without hesitation. “When you see the lightbulb go on,” he said. Seeing a visitor make a connection that gives them greater understanding of their world is what he finds most rewarding. “If I can use history to better empower more people to engage with the world that they live in, those are the best days of my professional life.”
The Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia is the largest open-air living history museum in the Shenandoah Valley and one of the highest rated family friendly attractions in the state. Costumed interpreters demonstrate the daily life and traditions of Indigenous peoples of Virginia, the arrival of German, English, and Irish settlers along the Great Wagon Road, and the forced journey of enslaved Africans to the first permanent British colony in North America. Visitors can also engage with skilled tradespeople such as blacksmiths, woodworkers, tailors, and yarn spinners while learning how early settlers cooked, worked, and built their communities.
For more information about the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia, please visit frontiermuseum.org.
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