All you need to know about the 123 year old Jaekel House

The 123-year-old Jaekel House, one of the oldest buildings within the Nigerian Railway Compound Lagos, was constructed in 1898. It is an excellent example of classic colonial-style architecture and is named after Francis Jaekel OBE, a former superintendent of the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

For many years, the Jaekel House was the residence of the corporation’s General Manager; later, it was used as a senior staff rest house. Over the years, however, the house fell into disrepair until 2010, when Professor John Godwin restored it in collaboration with the Nigerian Railway Corporation.

The house is now managed and maintained by Legacy1995 to preserve the legacy of Nigeria’s earliest railway tracks, repair yards, and sheds. Today it houses a mini museum housing artifacts and mementos showcasing Nigeria’s railway history.

Despite the extensive restoration work done on the house, the Jaekel House retains its colonial-era splendor, with its staircase made of Brazilian pine wood. Visitors to the Jaekel House Museum can see British weaponry, miniature reproductions of trains, and other artifacts and photographs linked to the period’s civilian, political, and military life.