Category: Friday Photos

Around the Internet: Historic Preservation, Markers, and More

Around the Internet The fight for historic preservation goes beyond just the aesthetics of the architecture. As encapsulated by this editorial from Greenville, South Carolina, significance also lies within the social and community history encapsulated by even relatively modest homes:

“. . . a home is living history. It can be reproduced, but not replaced. The value of these homes goes far beyond reminding people what [a town] once looked like. They represent the people that built and inhabited them and the values, lifestyles and ethos of the community where they stand. . . . The value of preserving homes rests in what is preserved with them and what people can learn from each and all of those things.”

If you prefer the same sentiment in an easy to digest list format, check out the five point list “What We’re Losing When We Destroy Historical Sites,” written by Colonial Williamsburg.

National Avenue RoundaboutLast Saturday, the two African-American markers at the National Avenue roundabout were dedicated, and the other three markers were erected. As you may have seen, the first round of bricks were installed along the pathway at that time as well. PHW took a few photos at the unveiling, which can be seen on Flickr. If you missed the chance to buy a brick last summer, PHW is once again partnering with the North End Citizens Association to sell a second round. Keep an eye out for more information soon!

This Saturday, a marker in Marshall County, West Virginia will be unveiled. Although out of PHW’s normal purview, this marker will be at the Cockayne family farm. You may recall two sisters, Sarah and Martha Cockayne, were the first long-term owner-occupants at the Hexagon House. We are happy to hear the family’s Merino wool farm continues to be researched and interpreted. The marker will be unveiled at a community celebration and the Cockayne House will be open for tours and a meet and greet with the site’s new executive director, Janell Keyser.

If you feel like staying closer to home, Saturday is also Glen Burnie Day at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. Stroll through an antique and modified car show coordinated by the Shenandoah Region Antique Automobile Club of America from 10 AM-2 PM and enjoy an outdoor concert by the Clarke County Brass Quintet at noon. Children’s activities take place all day. Food from Jordan Springs Market and Strite’s Donuts will be available for purchase. Admission and activities are free to all! (As an added bonus for Pokemon GO hunters, the MSV has plenty of Pokestops and two gyms to keep the trainers in your family entertained.) Learn more about Glen Burnie Day at www.themsv.org.

After you have your fun at the MSV, there’s still time to go to the Blues House Festival, also this Saturday, from 11 AM-7 PM. Hear some great music and help out a local nonprofit at the same time! More information on the Blues House is available at winchesterblueshouse.com.

Friday Photos: Amble Along Amherst

Holiday House Tour 2000 This week, we have added a new album on Flickr with 71 photos documenting the “Amble Along Amherst” Holiday House Tour held in 2000. Some of these photos were added individually earlier, but at least 60 images have never been made public before.

Sites open for the tour that year included Selma (514 Amherst St.), the Hexagon House (530 Amherst St.), the Old Town Spring House, the Toll House (800 Amherst St.), Glen Burnie (801 Amherst St.), the John Bruce home (217 W. Boscawen St.), and the Bough and Dough Shop in the old A&P / Super Fresh Store (525 Amherst St.). Enjoy this stroll on memory lane!

Friday Photos: Architectural Details and the Court Case of 214 Sharp Street

Architectural Details

Friday Photos is back this week with just over 60 photos on the newer side of history. Most images are of architectural details. Also in this batch are a few photos of Tim Youmans presenting at the June Lunch and Learn lecture, a few pictures of the National Ave. roundabout construction last summer, and the Braddock Street 7-Eleven shortly before it was demolished. Catch all the new additions at the top of the PHW Flickr photostream.

Included in those new additions are also sixteen interior photos of 214 Sharp Street, once the home of John Markell (d. 1865), a local carpenter. The house has a number of fine interior features you would expect from a woodworker’s home. For those with the time and inclination to do some light legal reading in Reports of Cases in the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia, John Markell’s will was contested to clarify the ownership of the house, yard, and garden at 214 Sharp (Warwick) Street after his widow’s death. Although not as sensational a reading as the various Baker Chocolate court cases, it is an interesting look at the personal property owned by the Markells and a valuable source of family names and relationships for researchers.

Friday Photos: Lafayette Place and North Loudoun Street

212 North Loudoun Street

This week, we added 59 photos from the 1976 Architectural Survey to the PHW Flickr account. Five are the houses on Lafayette Place, a small alley off North Avenue between Loudoun and Braddock Streets. At the time of the survey, the alley was unnamed and those structures had North Loudoun Street addresses.

The remaining 54 photos are on North Loudoun Street in the 200-500 block range, including the now demolished former Sears building and GW Motors. The 500 block photos extend past the current Historic District, and the handwriting on those survey forms indicate those were researched at the same time by the same person as the National Ave. properties added a few weeks ago. As with the National Ave. forms, a few contain brief chain of title research and some original owner names.

As the Loudoun Street album is getting quite large, the best way to see the new additions is at the top of the photostream. Enjoy this trip down memory lane (or up the GW Motors ramp), and have a happy weekend!

Friday Photos: An Assortment after the Annual Meeting

This week, PHW has added about 40 photos to the following albums on Flickr. As always, see all the new additions at the beginning of the photostream, or at the end of their respective albums:
Morgan Street (1976 Architectural Survey)
Kurtz Cultural Center (“Before Freedom Came” and other exhibits)
Kidzfest 2016
Annual Meeting 2016

PHW's 52nd Annual Meeting

We would also like to take a moment to congratulate the award recipients pictured in the Annual Meeting 2016 album, as well as two winners who could not join us last Sunday.

Awards of Merit
These awards recognize renovations of houses or buildings that contribute to improving the character of their neighborhoods and maintaining the overall historic fabric of the city.

Lawton Saunders & Larry Omps
317 South Cameron Street, the Old Jail
(not pictured)

Lindsey Richardson and Brandon Wakeman
414 North Loudoun Street
(not pictured)

Winchester Little Theatre
Phase 1 of the Restoration Campaign
315 West Boscawen Street
Accepted by Marjorie Lewis and Vonderene Swigart

Ben Belchic Awards
This award is named in honor of Ben Belchic, a founding member of PHW. Ben Belchic was also an active member of the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society, so the Belchic award recognizes a significant contribution to understanding Winchester’s history. These awards are generally presented for written texts, such as books, maps, National Register nominations, and guided tours.

Mount Hebron Cemetery
Mount Hebron Cemetery History App
Accepted by John Lewis and George Schember

Bob Hampton and George Schember
Walking in the Footsteps of General Daniel Morgan
Accepted by Bob Hampton and George Schember

Patron’s Award
This award recognizes a person or business which has been an outstanding supporter of the goals and programs of PHW. This award usually recognizes a financial component (donations, fundraising efforts, etc.)

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
For ten years of in-kind support of PHW
Accepted by Julie Armel

Lifetime Achievement Awards
This award recognizes a person who has worked for the goals and programs of PHW over many years. Whereas a Henkel Award may recognize a short term, high-impact project, Lifetime Achievements are a recognition of “slow and steady” work for preservation efforts over the long-term.

Katie Rockwood and Patricia Zontine
Presented by Bruce Downing, accepted by Patricia Zontine and Tom Rockwood

The following PHW board members completed their terms this year. Please take a moment to thank them for their service the next time you see them!

Sharon Collette
Kathy Cresegiona
Nancy Murphy
Richie Pifer, Jr.
Sarah Smith
Doug Watson

Also, be sure to congratulate Tim Machado for joining the board this year, and Bruce Downing for stepping up to be President of the PHW board.

Friday Photos: National Avenue Survey

This week, we bring you 24 photos of the 300 and 400 blocks of National Avenue. The photos date to either the late 1970s or very early 1980s, and may have been done as part of a historic preservation student’s internship with PHW. Although they are placed on the 1976 architectural survey forms and filled out similarly, these most likely were photographed after 1976.

National Ave.

For those looking to do research on these properties, a number of the survey forms have brief notations for chain of title research, but no owner names or dates were recorded with the deed references.

You may catch the photos at the end of the National Avenue album on Flickr, or at the top of the photostream. Happy viewing!

Friday Photos: History Adventure Day Camp

While we prepare for Kidzfest on Saturday, we thought we would take a look back to a previous event for kids, a summer day camp held in two sessions in 2000. The week-long camp covered frontier life and joining the Frederick County militia at Glen Burnie, learning about colonial trades at Abram’s Delight, the Civil War and its impact on Winchester, a day of apple industry and crafts, and celebrating Patsy Cline’s favorite spots around town. Catch the album of 19 photos at Flickr!

History Adventure Day Camp 2000

Friday Photos for Apple Blossom

We won’t keep you long this week so you can get to the celebration! PHW has added over 150 photos to the following albums on Flickr:

5 South Washington Street

Washington Street, primarily the south end from the 1976 survey (66)
Red Lion Tavern educational event with costumed interpreters (6)
Kurtz Building rehabilitation photos (55)
Loudoun Street Mall circa 1980 (40)

You can see the latest additions at the beginning of the photostream, or at the end of each of their respective albums. Happy viewing, and happy Bloom!