Allen House

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This house is probably one of the oldest in Mt. Jackson. It was constructed around 1800 by Aaron Allen, a descendant of Benjamin Allen the original European owner of the land on which Mt. Jackson stands today.

In 1849 it and several other houses along Main Street were purchased by Joseph Pennybacker who was organizing a woolen mill in the area. His family was also involved in numerous other local commercial establishments. What he did with the property is unknown,

DeWitt Clinton Jordan, a Civil War Veteran and local businessman purchased the property to serve as his family’s residence. In 1869 he married Lelia P. Sigler at Shenstone, a nearby Mt. Jackson landmark. They had two children, one of which, a boy, died in 1874 shortly after the death his mother. Dewitt Jordan died the following year, leaving his daughter Margaret “Little Mag” Jordan an orphan. She was adopted by her Aunt and was later educated at Hollins Institute but died very young.

The amount of death associated with the house during the Jordan years gave birth to a ghost story. Residents reported seeing “Little Mag” in a white dress on the second floor porch. Many regularly avoided the house. However, there have been few “sightings” in recent years and the reputation of the house has subsided.