The Jack Ackerly
Civil War Library
“A capacity and taste for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others”
Who We Are
The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation maintains a large library of Civil War books and periodicals located on the third floor of our headquarters building
Expand Your Civil War Experience!
The Jack Ackerly Civil War Library now includes:
Over 5,000 volumes of books specializing in Shenandoah Valley and Virginia Civil War history
More than 6,000 periodicals from the 1860s to the present with current journals such as the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society and Shenandoah University’s Journal of the Shenandoah Valley During the Civil War
A specialized Shenandoah Valley Research Room
Searchable online databases (available below)
The Shenandoah Valley Civil War Research Room
Ready to Visit?
As of April 2026 - The library will be open for research and consultation on:
Mondays and Thursdays from 10am - 3pm
Other times may be available for individual researchers on a case-by-case basis. Please feel free to reach out to us should you need services.
The Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation is the most effective preservation force in the Shenandoah Valley thanks you dedicated preservationists like you! In addition to saving more than 6,000 acres of Civil War battlefields from the threat of being lost forever, our work includes resource management, interpretation through signage and visitor centers, educational bus tours and conferences, and partnership with over 50 organizations. But out work can only be accomplished with your thoughtful support.
Volunteering for the Library
Assist the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Jack Ackerly Library located at the Strayer House in New Market by inventorying, accessioning, and cataloguing the rapidly growing library of books and magazines all pertaining to to the American Civil War. One can also assist by transcribing, researching, documenting, cataloguing, and photographing the thousands of letters, documents, photographs, and physical objects in the Foundation’s collection.
Location
9386 S Congress St. (3rd Floor)
New Market, VA 22844
Contact Us
Phone: 540-740-4545
Email: info@svbf.net
Web: shenandoahatwar.org
Search Our Library
You can search for library items by keyword using the search box below. Click on the “plus” icon left of each row to reveal more information about that item. Click on the column headers to filter by data type. For example: Clicking on “Author Last Name” will organize by last name A-Z, clicking again will organize Z-A.
The first database below is dedicated to library books, further down you will see a second database dedicated to articles related to the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley.