Author: PHW

Levi Wickham House
203 South Braddock Street
John Chesson
Site of the Preview Party, Saturday, December 3, 6-9 p.m.

This limestone house may be approaching two hundred years old, but it has been updated with modern sensibilities in mind. Levi Wickham, a weaver, built this home and the adjoining Samuel Noakes House circa 1818-1823. From William Greenway Russell’s recollections of Winchester, Wickham relocated his home to 203 South Braddock and his shop into 201 South Braddock shortly before moving to Wheeling, West Virginia prior to 1830.

While the exterior maintains its appearance as a Federal-style residence, the interior has been updated with modern amenities for an artist’s loft studio. The historic windows feature acoustic panels by Indow Window to minimize noise intrusion. While the front sitting room is cozy with traditional club chairs and a sofa upholstered in sea-foam velvet, the primary living area is spacious and light-filled thanks to an array of south-facing windows and Velux skylight. The architect-designed open floor plan encompasses a dining area with seating for six, a modern kitchen featuring a spacious granite countertop, and a two-story vaulted sitting area.

Join us at the Wickham House on Saturday evening from 6-9 p.m. to attend the Preview Party for light refreshments and drinks. The Wickham House is also open for Daylight Tours on Sunday, December 4 between 1-5 p.m.

Please take a moment to thank the Holiday House Tour Advertising Sponsor Murphy Beverage Company for supporting PHW and local preservation!

Selma
514 Amherst Street
The Dick Family

Union troops destroyed the original house named Selma which stood upon this site and used its stones to construct Fort Milroy during the Civil War. After the war, a new Selma was built in grand style by Judge Edmond Pendleton in 1872. T.K. Cartmell writes that Judge Pendleton held his first term as Judge of the District Courts from 1869-1870. He continued to reside in Winchester following his term, but retired from his profession. Instead, he “erected a splendid mansion. There he and his small family . . . maintained a royal establishment.” The interior is richly detailed with architectural features and fine carvings, and the western side of the first floor is largely a ballroom. The dining room table can seat thirty-five family members and friends.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Dick purchased Selma in 1953 to provide a home for their family of seven young children. The Dick family children and grandchildren continue to enjoy the home more than sixty years later.

Selma will be open for the Saturday evening Candlelight Tours 6-9 p.m., and the Sunday Daylight Tours from 1-5 p.m.

Please take a moment to thank the Holiday House Tour Advertising Sponsor Belle Grove Plantation for supporting PHW and local preservation!

The Fuller House
220 West Boscawen Street
Susan Winkeler

The Fuller House is an excellent example of Winchester’s Greek Revival residential architecture. The brick and stucco home was built prior to 1854 by Joseph S. Denny and subsequently enlarged by Dr. William McPherson Fuller, a dentist. An advertisement in the Winchester Times for June 30, 1898 locates his office as the “fifth door west of the Episcopal Church on Water Street.”

The house contains ten fireplaces and the original cherry circular staircase which spirals from the first to the third floor. Found throughout are intricate moldings and woodwork showing a master’s touch.

Now under new ownership, the Fuller House will soon begin a new phase in its history as a special event location. The home will be furnished with period pieces and artwork belonging to Susan Winkeler, the new owner.

The Fuller House will be open for the Saturday evening Candlelight Tours 6-9 p.m., and the Sunday Daylight Tours from 1-5 p.m.

Please take a moment to thank the Holiday House Tour Advertising Sponsor Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative for supporting PHW and local preservation!

Das Swartzenreader Haus
314 Courtfield Avenue
Beth Reader and Chuck Swartz

Originally an ordinary two-story house built in 1968, this home has been transformed by the husband and wife architectural team Reader & Swartz Architects. Although the house had an excellent corner location with an amazing view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, there was virtually no way to appreciate it due to the boxy, conventional floor plan and the minimal number of small windows.

While ultra-modern at first glance, the skeleton of the old house can still be seen in the new design. The outline of the old gable roof on the main block can be seen in the line of the new clerestory windows. Existing studs on the gable ends were retained and stripped to support the new library shelves, accessed on one side by a rolling ladder salvaged from an old telephone building, and on the other by an alternating tread staircase. The three-story, inverted shed-roof addition is made of glass, exposed structural steel, and cedar. The dramatic design created an open, light-filled loft space, which takes advantage of the views of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east.

Das Swartzenreader Haus will be open for the Saturday evening Candlelight Tours 6-9 p.m., and the Sunday Daylight Tours from 1-5 p.m. On-street parking in this neighborhood is limited; please be mindful of residents’ driveways while parking for the tour.

Please take a moment to thank the Holiday House Tour Advertising Sponsor Eugene B. Smith Gallery for supporting PHW and local preservation!

The Bell House
106 North Cameron Street
Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation

Open Sunday, December 4, between 1-5 p.m.

The handsome Federal-style residence known as Linden Hill was built in 1809 by John Bell, a successful Winchester merchant. The property remained in the Bell family until just a few weeks ago, when it was purchased by the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. The home is still filled with a number of the Bell family furnishings and collections which have been passed down for generations.

Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation works to preserve the hallowed ground of the Valley’s Civil War battlefields, to share its Civil War story with the nation, and to encourage tourism and travel to the Valley’s Civil War sites. The Foundation plans to use the Bell House as part of their interpretation of the civilian life during the Civil War and to share this special building at events like Holiday House Tour.

The Foundation has graciously opened their doors to Holiday House Tour visitors this year on Sunday, December 4, between 1-5 p.m. only.

Please take a moment to thank the Holiday House Tour Advertising Sponsor Winchester Little Theatre for supporting PHW and local preservation!

George Washington’s Office Museum
32 West Cork Street
Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society

Open Saturday, December 3, between 3-9 p.m.

George Washington used the middle room of this little house as a military office from September 1755 to December 1756 while Fort Loudoun was being constructed. It was subsequently owned and treasured by the Adam Kurtz family from 1778 to 1908. The City of Winchester acquired it at that time, recognizing its historical significance. Today, the building is a museum operated by the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society.

The current exhibit is entitled “George Washington and the West.” This display includes some of Washington’s personal effects, surveying equipment and a scale model of the town of Winchester circa 1755 which shows Fort Loudoun prominently located at the north end of the town.

The Historical Society has graciously opened their doors to Holiday House Tour visitors this year on Saturday, December 3, between 3-9 p.m. only.

Please take a moment to thank the Holiday House Tour Advertising Sponsor Summit Community Bank for supporting PHW and local preservation!

Holiday House Tour Tickets will be available for purchase by November 15 at the following Winchester locations:

• Kimberly’s, 135 North Braddock Street
• Wilkins’ Shoe Center, 7 South Loudoun Street
• Winchester Book Gallery, 185 North Loudoun Street
• Winchester-Frederick County Visitors Center, 1400 South Pleasant Valley Road

You may also purchase House Tour Tickets through the mail using the form on page 6 of PHW’s newsletter to mail in a check, or through the PayPal buttons below. Tickets will be mailed to you if bought before Nov. 28. After that date, print your PayPal receipt or have the email on your smartphone to show your proof of purchase.

Two-Day Tour Tickets Two-day tickets are valid for the Preview Party at 203 South Braddock Street and the Candlelight Tours on Saturday, December 3 between 6-9 PM at: 314 Courtfield Avenue 514 Amherst Street 220 West Boscawen Street 32 West Cork Street. Two-Day tickets are also valid for the Sunday Daylight Tours on December 4 between 1-5 PM at: 314 Courtfield Avenue 203 South Braddock Street 514 Amherst Street 220 West Boscawen Street 106 North Cameron Street.

Adult $20.00 USDChild $6.00 USD

Sunday-Only Daylight Tour Tickets Tickets valid for Daylight Tours on Sunday, December 4 between 1-5 PM at: 314 Courtfield Avenue 203 South Braddock Street 514 Amherst Street 220 West Boscawen Street 106 North Cameron Street.

Sunday Daylight Adult $15.00 USDSunday Daylight Child $6.00 USD

Please take a moment to thank the Holiday House Tour Advertising Sponsor Bruce, Renner & Company, PLC for supporting PHW and local preservation!