UPDATES:

1. September 15th:  Changed the month given for when the first three signs appeared.  The original text had said "late August." 

The National Park Service is revising how it depicts the history and legacy of Stonewall Jackson, at the very spot where he died.

After he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville, General Jackson was taken to an office building on the Fairfield Plantation, near Spotsylvania Court House.  Jackson died there. The National Park Service (NPS) preserves the office building, as part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park (FSNMP).  For decades the site was known as the Stonewall Jackson Shrine; recently the NPS renamed it to the Stonewall Jackson Death Site.

In late July, visitors to the Death Site saw these three hand-lettered signs inside the building:

After members of the Confederate heritage community complained, the park changed the wording on the three signs to this:

In response to questions on why FSNMP had erected the signs in the first place, FSNMP said the following:

For decades, the Park has focused our interpretation of the Stonewall Jackson Death Site

on the details of Jackson’s last days.  Our interpretive team, many of whom have spent

years serving visitors at the Jackson Death Site, conceived of and developed these

temporary and changeable signs to spark conversations and to broaden the story of the

site and context for Jackson’s death and memory. Our intent is to remain 100% factual

and also to be respectful of the feelings and viewpoints of others. We are collecting

feedback for more conversations among the staff once the building closes for the season

in mid-October.

The Park is committed to telling a fuller, more inclusive history of the Stonewall Jackson

Death Site. As we seek to better understand the legacy of the Civil War, including the

places and stories associated with figures like Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, we are

using an interactive form of interpretation to create a dialogue with the public.  We are

taking a fresh look at our interpretation at the Park overall, but this is not organized into

some sort of plan or timetable. It is still too early in the process for that.

We welcome and appreciate feedback. Our goal in adding this kind of interpretation is to

help us all, visitors and staff alike, to build better conversations. Small exhibit updates

like these individual signs often do not include a formal public comment period or review,

but please reach out to us and continue to share your questions and comments with us.  

It is important that members of the Confederate and Virginia heritage community (and as many of their friends as we can find!) contact FSNMP and give feedback on what these signs say now, and what you think they should say in the future.

Please contact Ranger Beth Parnicza at FSNMP, at Elizabeth_Parnicza@nps.gov.