America at 250
By Rogers Miles
Board Director and Chair of the Development and Marketing Committee
As the Kirkman House Museum joins Walla Walla and the nation in commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is worth remembering that the family who built this remarkable home witnessed two earlier milestones in our nation's history.
William and Isabella Kirkman arrived in Walla Walla in 1871, the same year William became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Born in Lancashire, England, William had spent the previous twenty years living in Canada, Australia, and the United States before choosing to make America—and Walla Walla—his permanent home.
Only five years later, the Kirkmans celebrated the nation's Centennial in 1876. Having embraced the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, William prospered in his adopted country. In 1879, he began construction of the elegant Italianate mansion that still bears his family's name, a lasting testament to the opportunities he found as an American citizen.
Isabella outlived her husband by many years and witnessed another national milestone—the 150th anniversary of American independence in 1926. By then, she had donated the mansion to Whitman College and moved to a smaller residence. The house briefly served as the college's first men's dormitory before being sold to a private owner in 1923, who converted it into apartments.
When the nation celebrated its Bicentennial in 1976, the Kirkman mansion faced a far different future. Like many of Walla Walla's grand historic homes, it was threatened with demolition. Fortunately, a dedicated group of local preservationists stepped forward. In 1977, they persuaded the owner to sell the property, and with the support of the Walla Walla community, began the painstaking restoration that transformed the mansion into the museum visitors enjoy today.
Now, as America celebrates its Semiquincentennial, the Kirkman House stands once again as a witness to history.
To commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary, the museum has been adorned with traditional red, white, and blue bunting. Inside, a special exhibition drawn from the museum's collections explores the enduring American ideals of liberty, self-government, and civic responsibility.
Visitors can examine an American flag from the turn of the twentieth century and discover which states had not yet joined the Union. They can test their knowledge with questions drawn from the U.S. citizenship examination and reflect on what it means to become an American citizen—just as William Kirkman did more than 150 years ago.
The exhibit also explores the history of voting rights through a Washington State poll tax receipt, inviting visitors to consider how the inability to pay such a tax could once have prevented citizens from exercising their right to vote before poll taxes were abolished during the 1960s.
The exhibition opened on May 23 and continues through September 26. We invite you to visit the Kirkman House Museum and experience this unique opportunity to explore both our nation's history and the remarkable story of one of Walla Walla's most treasured historic homes.