A map that shows us where our collective memory is stored in our physical world.
Memory Maps give locals a new way of seeing the unique character of their home which they build together with their neighbors everyday, often without realizing.
The questions that Memory Maps seek to answer are: what if you could see exactly what a place meant to the people that lived there? Where were the memories of its residents impressed on the land, structures, and routes? Where were the places they were happiest, most inspired, most contemplative, most drawn to?
The first iteration of Lost Pilgrim’s Memory Map was for Columbia Pike, a 3.5-mile-long corridor that has connected the outlying areas of Virginia to DC since 1810. Overlooked in the shadow of the capital, it often struggled to assert its own unique identity. Among the oldest and busiest commuter thoroughfares in the U.S., it was also among the most fascinating, with its residents making up one of the most diverse pools of new Americans in the nation! As the Memory Map appeared at local neighborhood events through 2025, residents recorded their favorite memories through it. In turn, it began to reveal the secret heart of their neighborhood culture and beloved places they had in common.
Interesting questions appear when we use shared memories to orient ourselves. What surprises are revealed in the character of our communities? How might shared memories affect how we invest in and appreciate our common places? What sort of landmarks might yield new meaning? What invisible things are made visible only through a map?
Memory Maps coming soon to a neighborhood near you!
| Mapping soon… |
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| University Heights |
| TBA |