Category: Informational Events

Two Winchester Projects Receive Awards

(Reprinted from Winchester’s CitE-Newsletter Vol. 3, Issue 23.)

Two projects from Old Town Winchester were honored by the VDDA in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month.

The Downtown Winchester Renaissance and Improvements Project was honored in the Commercial Revitalization Plans and Streetscapes category.  The project saw the following work completed downtown over the course of 18 months:  replacing water utility infrastructure; installing brick sidewalks, decorative streetlights, meter posts and crosswalks; converting Cameron and Braddock Streets to two-way traffic; the construction of the George Washington Autopark; the installation of wayfinding signage and artscape banners; the relocation of the Winchester Department of Social Services to the Our Health Campus; revisions to the city’s Zoning Ordinance to streamline and facilitate the development of upper-floor apartments in buildings; and installing shade trees downtown and in new medians along Cameron Street.

The Lovett Building Project (163-165 N. Loudoun St.) was nominated by the Old Town Development Board and honored in the Building Development and Improvements category.  The project included the development of five upscale apartments on the building’s upper floors and 1,630 square feet of retail space on the first floor, now occupied by Espresso Bar & Café.

Karen Helm, Executive Director of the Old Town Development Board, was quoted in the November 8 issue of the Winchester Star saying, “…as we’re pulling out of the recession now, our city looks ready to do business.”

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Cultural Resource Survey of Historic Winchester to Begin November 2010

EHT Traceries, Inc., in concert with Maral S. Kalbian, LLC, is pleased to be conducting the Survey of Buildings and Properties within the National Register Winchester Historic District. The project is possible thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, plus a shared sponsorship from Preservation of Historic Winchester, Inc. and the City of Winchester, both of which contributed $12,500 to the project. The objective of this project is to document the remaining 600-800 properties in the historic district, beginning on the east side of Loudoun Street, where the 2008 survey concluded, and moving westward.

Continue reading Cultural Resource Survey of Historic Winchester to Begin November 2010

“When This You See Remember Me…”

The Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society and Shenandoah University Community History Project are presenting the program “When This You See Remember Me…Schoolgirl Samplers of Winchester and Frederick County, Virginia.”  The program, presented by Dr. David Powers, will be held October 18 at 7 PM at Stimpson Auditorium/Halpin-Harrison Hall, Byrd Business School, adjacent to the Abram’s Delight Museum on Pleasant Valley Road.

Following the program is a reception at Hollingsworth Mill.  Mary H. Robare, author of the companion book and guest curator, will be available for book signings and a personal tour of the exhibit.

Call the WFCHS at 540-662-6550 for more information on this program.

2010 Virginia Preservation Conference

The 25th Annual Virginia Preservation Conference “Playing for Keeps: Challenges and Benefits of Heritage Stewardship” will be held September 20 and 21, 2010 at the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina Hotel, Hampton, VA.

To view the conference schedule, programs, APA credit opportunities, and admission costs, please visit the Preservation Virginia website at www.preservationvirginia.org/.

Living Diaries at the Newtown History Center

The Newtown History Center will host “Living Diaries” for Civil War Weekend, September 18 and 19.  The event at the Newtown History Center, 5408 Main St in Stephens City, will be held Saturday, September 18 from 10 AM to 4 PM, and again on Sunday, September 19, from 1 PM to 5 PM. Weekend activities include a quilt raffle, Civil War era accessories for sale, a bake sale, lawn games and period toys, a nurse’s station and laundry demonstration, and Civil War period cooking and crafts.

The outdoor events feature free admission, while admission to the indoor museum will be $1 for children, $2 for adults, or $5 for a family. Quilt raffle tickets are $10 each. Call 540-869-1700 or visit the Newtown History Center to purchase tickets or for more information. Visit the Newtown History Center online at www.newtownhistorycenter.org.

Civil War Weekend in Winchester

The Civil War Weekend, September 18 and 19, is a weekend-long collection of activities and events. Activities in Winchester include:

  • Walking tour of Mt. Hebron Cemetery
  • Living history programs at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Rose Hill Farm, Old Court House Civil War Museum, and the Stonewall Jackson Headquarters Museum.
  • Battlefield tours at Kernstown and Third Winchester.

For more in depth information on each event, including times and locations and contact information, visit  Shenandoah At War.

Shenandoah Moonlight Ball on July 24

The Shenandoah Moonlight Ball will be held on the Old Town Mall at the Civil War Museum lawn tomorrow, July 24 from 6-10 pm. Wear your favorite Civil War, formal or casual attire and enjoy 19th century music by the Susquehanna Travellers and period dance instruction by the Victorian Dance Ensemble. Inclement weather location: 1st Pres. Church (116 S. Loudoun Street). This event is free!

Program on the Restoration of Historic Structures

Where: Blandy Farm

When: Thursday, July 15, 2010 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Camille Bowman with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources will lead a program on the restoration of historic structures at Blandy Farm. The program will begin with a presentation in the Blandy library, followed by a look at the Blandy Quarters as a test case. Registration is $10 per person for nonmembers, $8 for members of the Foundation of the State Arboretum. To register, call the main office at 540-837-1758 ext. 223.