Author: PHW

Hard to believe, but another year has come and gone! We have one last Holiday House Tour item to share that will help get you in the holiday spirit (if the cold weather hasn’t done so already). Here is a short clip of the talented singers of Arts Chorale of Winchester performing at 119 East Clifford Street during the Holiday House Tour. Cant see the embedded video? Try the direct link: https://youtube.com/shorts/npSlZbKjllE

The PHW Office will be closed for our winter break, so no post next week. We’ll see you again by blog on January 6. Stay safe, have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

We finished the last day of sales at the Bough & Dough Shop on Sunday, December 11, and after we helped pack up all the unsold art and craft items to head back to their makers, we got down to the boring but very necessary part of the event – tallying sales.

From the ticket sale numbers, we had about 260 paid tour goers. From those who reported back to the Shop at the end of the tours, the variety in the houses, decorating styles, and architecture made this one of the best tours ever. If you missed the event, it sounds like it was a once a decade confluence of houses and decor. We have ideas for next year to keep up this new standard, so keep your eyes peeled as we move into the fall of 2023 for exact dates and locations for our 47th house tour.

While the Shop sales are not 100% double checked as of writing time, we are confident the overall sales numbers were up from last year, and most artists did well. We informally talked to a few during pickup about potential issues or things to consider for next year, but overall we had no issues with the Shop and are very pleased with the early numbers. Unless something unexpected happens over the spring to summer, we will most likely be opening in 2023 around the same time schedule. Many of the shopper comments this year remarked on how well the Shop was set up and that the quality of items was better this year than ever before. We are so pleased with the compliments and we hope we can do just as well next year.

If you’re an artist or know of someone who might be a good fit to join the Shop in 2023, keep an eye out here and on our Instagram for details about applying. We will also probably host an August open house event again for potential artists to visit the space in person beforehand and ask questions before applying. The number of artists we had this year seemed to be the sweet spot for variety without over-stuffing the floor, so we will most likely limit our vendors to no more than 25 again next year.

Did you procrastinate on getting tickets? You are in luck! Tickets are available for purchase at the Hexagon House, 530 Amherst St. at the Bough & Dough Shop this weekend, as well as at Kimberly’s, Winchester Book Gallery, and Winchester-Frederick County Visitors Center. Tickets are also available for order online through EventBrite (until noon on Sunday). If you are still not sure, tickets can also be purchased at the door of any of the houses on Sunday for $30/adult (cash or checks only).

If you ordered tickets online via Eventbrite, remember to bring your PDF ticket (printed or on your phone) as you start your tour. If you’d like an official ticket, you should be able to pick them up at any of the houses on the tour or the Bough & Dough Shop.

While printed booklets should be available at the physical ticket sale locations and the houses during the tour, if you would prefer a digital copy to have on your phone, please feel free to save our digital version and refer back to it.

The weather forecast for the weekend appears good, with partly cloudy skies, low chance of precipitation, and light winds. Be sure to dress warmly if you have to wait in line outside or for walking between sites. Stay safe while you are having fun!

You may also want to keep the digital version of the tour map handy as well for navigating between the sites. The QR code for the map is also available on all the printed physical tickets if you are out and about during the tour and need some navigation help.

While you are touring the homes, remember no photography is allowed inside the private residences.

Be on the lookout for the Winchester Arts Chorale carolers Sunday afternoon to enliven your tours. Be sure to thank the volunteers, as well!

We hope you enjoy the tours!

Looking for tickets to our 46th annual Holiday House Tour? Here’s where you can find them!

Local sale locations: Kimberly’s, The Winchester Book Gallery, and the Winchester-Frederick County Visitors Center (perfect if you are in town doing some shopping and sightseeing) – These locations have advance tickets for $25/adult available, as well as program booklets. Their hours depend on the individual businesses.

The Bough & Dough Shop at the Hexagon House (ideal if you are doing some holiday shopping or need last minute tickets) – The Shop will have tickets available through the afternoon of December 4 for the last-minute visitors. The Shop is open Wed.-Sun., 10 AM-5 PM. After noon on Dec. 4, the price will increase to $30/adult to match the at the door price of the tour houses.

Eventbrite (online sales, perfect if you are out of town) – This option gets you a digital ticket, so be sure to bring your phone or a printout of your receipt to the event! Tickets on Eventbrite will go off sale just before the tour starts on December 4. Additional online processing fees apply.

A digital copy of the program booklet is available at this link. Physical program booklets are available at the local ticket sale outlets, the Bough & Dough Shop, and will be available at the four tour sites on Sunday during the tour.

The Holiday House Tour is largely a volunteer effort. In addition to the financial support we receive from our Major Sponsors Stephanie Ryall of Realty One Group Old Towne and The Bank of Clarke County Foundation, and the other advertising sponsors whose ads are found throughout this booklet, PHW is also indebted to the support of:

Homeowners Theodora and Rodger Hargraves, The Old Stone Foundation, Vickie Williamson, and Jennifer Wolgamott

Advance ticket sale locations Kimberly’s, Winchester Book Gallery, and Winchester-Frederick County Visitors Center

Bough and Dough Shop artists Angel’s Roost Quilts, Basket Cases, Blooming Hill Lavender Farm and Gift Shop, Nina Burke, Lorraine Candell, Capers in Crochet, The Card Shop Bakers, CLS Cloth, George Davis, Eye of the Needle Embroidery, Fripperies, Hailewatercolors, Heartsong Hill Designs, Dave Hickman, J&W Farm, Karen’s
Kollection, Susan Keenan, Lighthouse Woodworking, The Merry Beader, Libba Pendleton, The Primitive Peddler, Ree’s Treats, Mike Robinson, Donna Sheets, Very
Merry Mittens, and Virginia Pottery

Donors of bags, packing materials, and fresh greenery for the Bough & Dough Shop

House chairmen Bruce Downing, Mary Riley, Anne G. Scully, and Anne Walker Schroth

Carolers from Arts Chorale Winchester, organized by Dolly Vachon

Volunteer docents, decorators, and door greeters for each tour location

And visitors like you!

The Old Stone Church dates to 1788 according to the date incised on the western wall. The church has watched Winchester grow from a frontier outpost to a modern city over 230 years. The limestone Georgian-style meeting house is the last complete example of the churches that once lined the gentle hill just outside the original town limits.

The simple structure is typical of the austere stone meeting houses erected by the Presbyterian settlers. It bears numerous similarities to the Paxton Presbyterian Church constructed in 1740 in Paxtang, Pennsylvania. The broad window openings have upper and lower sashes of twenty panes, an unusual feature in a Valley church. A smaller window in the north wall, with six-over-six sash, lights the pulpit. Massive shutters with raised panels are used at each of the windows. Additionally, the entrance doors have raised panels and a ten-light transom above both entrances. Hardware for the shutters and doors was handwrought by a Philadelphia blacksmith.

The church’s present appearance is due to a major restoration effort begun in 1941. The building suffered damage and indignity throughout the Civil War, after which, it was used as the Winchester Colored School and a Virginia State National Guard armory. Through a sensitive, scholarly restoration, the building now resembles its original state, and thus provides insight into the religious life of Virginia’s early Presbyterians.

Now owned by the Old Stone Foundation, this group seeks to continue this work in maintaining the building. The next major challenge for Old Stone Church is a modernized and efficient heating system. The group plans in the future to use the building as a museum.