Virginia Military Institute Museums & Archives

Come experience family life on the eve of the American Civil War as you explore the finely preserved home and garden of Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, the man who became a legend.

Stonewall Jackson House

Due to some health problems, Jackson was careful about his diet & had great discipline in what he ate.

"Yesterday I went into the kitchen and sealed some jars of tomatoes, and Hetty has put up many jars besides, of plums and other fruits, so that we shall be well supplied this winter."
- Letter from Jackson in "Memoirs" by Mary Anna Jackson

In 1802, Cornelius Dorman’s insurance policy mentioned a separate kitchen structure located twenty-one feet north of the house, which is in keeping with the tradition of detached kitchens. However, by 1845, the insurance policy mentions the house’s stone structure, which enclosed the old kitchen to the house. Whether attached or detached, the kitchen was the center for all meal preparation, food preservation, washing dishes, and some food storage. For these reasons, a large, sturdy kitchen table and a cooking stove were very important items in the room.

In the Jackson House kitchen, there are two kitchen tables: one large, primarily for the cook to use, and one smaller, for others to sit around. This detail is relevant for the slaves who lived and worked in the Jackson House because the kitchen doubled as their gathering place in the home. While the cook, a slave named Amy, worked at the large table, the other four slaves, Hetty, Cyrus, George, and Emma, could sit around the smaller table in the evenings. In total, Jackson owned six slaves. However, Albert, the first slave Jackson purchased, did not live or work in the Jackson House because he was hired out.

The Kitchen

In 1858, the future Confederate General purchased this house to live in with his wife, Mary Anna Jackson.

In 1979, the Stonewall Jackson House opened as a house museum to interpret the life and times of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. 

But did you know that Stonewall Jackson’s story starts long before 1861? Or that Stonewall Jackson, the great military leader, was also Professor Jackson? Today, the Stonewall Jackson House takes visitors behind-the-scenes of one of the most famous Confederate commanders to who the man was at home.

The Jackson House is a unique destination that provides a place to discover and experience what life was like before the outbreak of the Civil War. From Jackson’s garden to his study, the house and grounds are gateways into the past of how Jackson and his family lived and who they were. At one time, the Jackson House was the only hospital in Lexington and needed to undergo extensive renovations to restore it back to how Jackson left it that day in April 1861. After years of research and planning, each room now comes to life with many of Jackson’s personal belongs, as well as furniture and artifacts belonging to his family.

Jackson's Lexington, VA Home

This is the only home Stonewall Jackson ever owned before the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.

The Stonewall Jackson House is an excellent example of the drastic changes a house can go through over time. Since 1800, the house has undergone over ten alterations to expand, condense, and update. The 1970s saw the meticulous restoration of the house, and then the early 2000s renovation ensured that it remains historically accurate and structurally sound for future visitors. 

A timeline of the Stonewall Jackson House:

>1800: Cornelius Dorman purchases property on Washington Street and builds a brick house.

>1845: Dr. Archibald Graham purchases the home and adds a stone addition.

>1851: E. Washington in front of the house is lowered by roughly six feet.

>1858: Graham sells his property to Major Thomas J. Jackson.

>1861: Jackson leaves for war, and his wife Anna leaves for her parents’ estate in North Carolina.

>1863-1906: Anna rents the house to tenants following Jackson’s death.

>1906: The Mary Custis Lee Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy purchase the home for use as a general hospital.

>1911-1944: The hospital annexed the two surrounding buildings and received several additions.

>1974: The Historic Lexington Foundation receives the Stonewall Jackson House as a gift with the goal of restoring it to its 1859-1861 appearance.

>1979: The restoration is completed and the museum is dedicated on October 19, 1979.

>2011: The Virginia Military Institute acquires the museum and continues to operate the museum to this day.

History of the House

It is not too hard to see Major and Mrs. Jackson getting ready for the day in their bedroom.

Located on the first floor, the master bedroom was the most private room in the house. 

Even a peek inside would be improper for a guest in the 1850s; but, you are in luck! The master bedroom is one of our favorite rooms to take visitors through because it presents Jackson’s most guarded side: the relationships with his wives. Shortly after moving to Lexington, Jackson met his first wife, Elinor “Ellie” Junkin. Ellie was the daughter of Dr. Rev. George Junkin, president of Washington College (now Washington and lee University). Three years after Ellie passed away, Jackson married his second wife, Mary Anna Morrison, in 1857.

Like the Kitchen, the master bedroom is also part of the stone addition to the house. When restoration architect explored the architectural features of the room, we discovered that the mantel above the fireplace is original to the 1845 addition. The Jacksons used the four-post rope bed in their master bedroom, or in a guest bedroom on the second floor. Many of the furnishings belonged to Jackson or used while married to Ellie or Anna. From the Jackson’s rope bed and commode, to the chest of drawers and washstand, there is so much to learn and see in the Jackson’s master bedroom!

You will also find Jackson's shaving stand, razor, razor case, and shaving brush on display in the master bedroom!

The Master Bedroom

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Stonewall Jackson House

The Kitchen

The Kitchen

Jackson's Lexington, VA Home

Jackson's Lexington, VA Home

History of the House

History of the House

The Master Bedroom

The Master Bedroom

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