The sophisticated Greek Revival-style Jonathan Peale House, built in 1845, features a dominant front portico and fine brickwork. The Rockingham County property also includes an unusually refined brick slave quarters. While the high quality of the house and its dependencies indicate the relative wealth and standing enjoyed by the Peale family, the property’s history is also significant. In April 1862, during diversionary tactics designed to prevent Union forces of General Irvin McDowell from reinforcing those of General George McClellan’s during the siege of Richmond, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson made his headquarters at the Peale House, while his troops bivouacked in the family’s tannery field across from the house. This area of Rockingham County, near Harrisonburg, saw two major battles, Port Republic and Cross Keys, during the Civil War. With its front and rear porches offering good views in both directions, the Jonathan Peale House, located near the southern end of Massanutten Mountain, proved ideal for use by Jackson. It survived the war with little damage and remains a well-preserved 19th-century building.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia