MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - On March 9, 2026, Lindsey Jennings will step into a role that feels as natural as it is historic: becoming the first executive director of the Friends of Stones River National Battlefield. For Jennings, the appointment is far more than a professional milestone. It is a return to a place that has shaped her life, her family, and her understanding of how the past continues to speak into the present.
The Stones River National Battlefield has been part of her world since childhood, a landscape where personal memories and national history intertwine. She grew up listening to her father, a devoted Civil War historian, recount stories of regiments and strategy, but also of sacrifice and humanity. Those early lessons taught her that battlefields are not simply preserved land—they are classrooms, memorials, and reminders of the cost of conflict. That perspective followed her into adulthood, guiding her through years of nonprofit leadership and fundraising work that now position her to strengthen the Friends organization in meaningful ways.
Her connection to local history deepened even further when she married Thomas Holden Jennings. Thomas was raised in Murfreesboro at Springfield, a pre–Civil War home on Manson Pike just a short distance from the battlefield. The couple’s four daughters grew up exploring the same trails Lindsey once walked, developing their own appreciation for the stories held in the cedar glades and along the riverbanks.
“It is an incredible honor to serve as the first Executive Director of the Friends of Stones River National Battlefield,” Jennings said. “Raised by a living, breathing Civil War historian, I developed a deep appreciation for battlefield preservation at an early age, and that passion has guided me ever since. Stones River is not only a site of national historical significance, but also a treasured natural refuge in the heart of our community. It draws visitors from across the country and contributes meaningfully to the economic vitality of Rutherford County. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead this organization into its next chapter.”
