Anderson House - Lexington, Missouri
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 39° 11.446 W 093° 52.851
15S E 423930 N 4338316
Historic house which served as hospital during the Civil War now part of the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site in Lexington, Missouri.
Waymark Code: WMBH1F
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/21/2011
Views: 5
The ANDERSON HOUSE around which the battle of Lexington was fought, is a three-story, red-brick structure erected by Colonel William Oliver Anderson in 1853. The front has a white, one-story porch, and an ell at the back has a two-story gallery. The entrance opens into a large central hall with a circular walnut stairway. The woodwork is of unpainted walnut and each of the 18 rooms contains a fireplace.
During the battle, the house was first occupied by the Federals as a hospital, being some 20 yards west of the outer line of their entrenchments. About noon on September 18th, the house was captured by a Confederate detachment. It was retaken by the Federals some two hours later and captured again by Confederate troops about four o' clock. Both parties suffered heavy loss of life in the attacks.
The house was purchased by Lafayette County in 1928, and the two lower stories were restored. On the second and third floors, is a MUSEUM, in which are relics of the 1860's; furniture, pictures, guns, swords, flags, pistols, and army equipment. A hive of Italian bees is said to have been kept by Colonel Anderson on the third floor, and a hole was left in the wall for their convenience. - Missouri: A Guide to the "Show Me" State, Tour 2, pg. 375.
The house is now part of the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. There are tours of the house are available during the spring, summer and fall months. The house along with the surrounding battlefield were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.