ExploreSouthernHistory.com - A.H. Stephens Historic Park, Georgia
ExploreSouthernHistory.com - A.H. Stephens Historic Park, Georgia
Home of Alexander H. Stephens
The home of the Vice President of the Confederacy,
Liberty Hall was built on the site of an earlier house
in 1875 by Alexander H. Stephens.
Alexander H. Stephens Home
The Vice President of the
Confederacy lived at this site
for much of his life. The main
house was rebuilt in 1875.
Statue of the "Little Giant"
Stephens was called the
"Little Giant" because he was
small in stature but widely
regarded as one of the most
powerful speakers of his time.
A.H. Stephens Historic Park - Crawfordville, Georgia
Home of Alexander H. Stephens
Copyright 2012 by Dale Cox
All rights reserved.
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A Drink for General Toombs
Stephens always kept a drink
ready for his friend Robert
Toombs. His hospitable
custom is still observed today.
Bed of the Vice President
The interior of Liberty Hall is
preserved much as it was
during the lifetime of Vice
President Stephens.
The Office And Library
Stephens lived in this small
cottage while the main house
was leveled and rebuilt in
1875.
A.H. Stephens Historic Park in Crawfordville
preserves the home and grave of one of the
greatest political leaders in Georgia history.

Alexander H. Stephens (1812-1883) was a
U.S. Congressman, Governor of Georgia,
U.S. Senator elect and the Vice President of
the Confederate States of America. Always
frail and sickly, he was regarded as one of
the greatest speakers of his time.

Stephens spent most of his life at Liberty
Hall, his beautiful estate on the edge of
Crawfordville, Georgia. Now part of Alexander
H. Stephens Historic Park, Liberty Hall is
beautifully preserved and offers visitors the
opportunity to step back in time and into the
life of one of the South's most fascinating
individuals.

Born near Crawfordville but orphaned at the
age of 14, Alexander Stephens battled illness
and depression for his entire life. He was,
nevertheless, one of the most brilliant
political leaders of the 19th century.

After graduating Franklin College (today's
University of Georgia), Stephens entered the
practice of law where he formed a lasting
friendship with Robert Toombs. The two men
together played a critical role in Georgia,
Southern and U.S. history.

Stephens served in the U.S. House of
Representatives from 1843 until 1859 as a
member of the Whig party. He was a leading
support of the annexation of Texas into the
Union and played a critical role in the
passage of the Compromise of 1850.

A Unionist, he opposed Georgia's secession
in January of 1861. Once that action took
place, however, Stephens cast his lot with
his home state and supported the Southern
cause.

Alexander Stephens represented Georgia at
the Provisional Confederate Congress in
Montgomery, Alabama, in February of 1861.
The delegates there elected him as Vice
President of the Confederate States of
America.

Stephens did not get along well with
President Jefferson Davis and ultimately
supported Georgia Governor Joseph E.
Brown, a leading anti-Davis leader.

Despite the rift between Davis and Stephens,
however, the latter man was dispatched to
meet with U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in
February of 1865 to see a diplomatic end to
the bloody Civil War. Lincoln would accept no
end other than surrender, terms that
Stephens could not accept. The war went on.

Despite his poor health, Alexander Stephens
was imprisoned at Fort Warren in Boston
Harbor for five months after the end of the
war. He returned home with his reputation as
an honorable man intact and in 1866 was
elected U.S. Senator from Georgia. Despite
the fact that he was legally selected by his
state, Congress refused to seat him.

As Reconstruction finally came to an end,
Stephens was elected to a seat in the U.S.
House of Representatives and this time was
allowed to represent the people of Georgia.

The former Confederate vice president went
on to search five years in Congress until he
was elected Governor of Georgia in 1882. He
died one year into his term on March 4, 1883.
Civil War Sites in Georgia
Alexander Stephens' grave can be found
today on the front lawn of his beloved home,
Liberty Hall.

He acquired the property in 1845 while still a
young man and called it his home for the rest
of his life. The slave cabins and other
structures on the grounds are originals and
the oldest part of the house, which Stephens
used as his library, predates the Civil War.

The main house was demolished and rebuilt
by Stephens in 1875. The interior has been
beautifully restored and features many relics
from his life. A favorite for visitors to the home
are the waiting glasses and liquor decanter
he kept waiting in case of one of his frequent
visits from his friend, Robert Toombs.

Stephens, tradition holds, always wanted to
have a drink ready for Toombs and the
tradition continued after his death and
remains part of the legacy of Liberty Hall even
today.

Another favorite point of interest is the cairn
that Stephens built on the grounds for a
much loved dog.

Liberty Hall today is part of A.H. Stephens
Historic Park. In addition to its historic
features, the park offers camping, cottages,
picnicking, fishing, horse campsites, hiking
on 4 miles of trail, horseback riding on 12
miles of trails, Geocaching, pedal boat
rentals and more.

A.H. Stephens Historic Park is located only 2
miles off I-20 at 456 Alexander Street, NW in
Crawfordville, Georgia. Park hours are 7 a.m.
- 10 p.m. daily.

Liberty Hall and its Confederate Museum
are open only 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday through
Sunday.

Admission to see the house ranges from
$2.75 to $4 per person. The last guided tour
begins at 4 p.m. and includes not only the
house, but the kitchen and other buildings.

Please click here to visit the official website
to learn more about the park.