Each autumn, as Whitman College welcomes a new class of students to campus, the Kirkman House Museum celebrates a relationship that has endured for more than 150 years.

From August 14 through September 13, the museum will once again present Whitman Ties, an exhibit exploring the deep and lasting connections between the Kirkman family and Whitman College. First presented in 2024, the exhibit highlights a partnership that culminated in Isabella Kirkman's generous gift of the Kirkman mansion to Whitman College in 1919.

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.

The Kirkman House Museum has grown far beyond its beginnings as the home of one remarkable Walla Walla family. Today, it serves as a steward of the region's shared history, preserving not only Kirkman family heirlooms but also the many treasures entrusted to the museum by generations of local residents.

That continuing story is celebrated in Handiwork, the museum's final exhibition of the 2026 season. On display from September 25 through October 18, the exhibit showcases quilts, coverlets, and examples of lace making generously donated to the museum—objects that reflect both extraordinary craftsmanship and the lives of the families who created and preserved them.