Join us for Preservation of Historic Winchester’s 39th Annual Holiday House Tour, “December Delights.” This year we visit a selection of homes and non-profit organizations in and around Winchester’s newly expanded Virginia Landmarks Register Historic District, spanning the range of Winchester’s architecture and history from the 1780s to the 1940s on December 5 and 6.
Winchester’s western Historic District corridor is the artery to the former Northwestern Turnpike, now Route 50 West. The need for a western road had been recognized by General Daniel Morgan and George Washington as early as 1748. The turnpike, constructed between 1831-1838, connected Winchester to Parkersburg, West Virginia. Toll houses were located at twenty mile intervals along its length. Despite the seemingly impossible task of traversing the hilly terrain, Chief Engineer Captain Claudius Crozet surveyed and connected the most important settlements between Winchester and Parkersburg. The Northwestern Turnpike “bears the earmarks of his engineering genius” and the road was a success. The tolls paid for the road to be macadamized (paved) in the 1840s, shortly after it was completed.
Although the Northwestern Turnpike was supplanted by railroads and canals to the north shortly before the Civil War, it was vital to the westward movement. It remains one of our area’s scenic and historic routes, populated with historic sites and homes along its length.
Can’t wait for more Holiday House tour information? Be sure to visit the main Holiday House Tour page for basic information and online ticket sales, the Featured Artisan page for a sneak peek at the Bough and Dough Shop vendors, and the FAQ page for some frequently asked questions about the Holiday House Tour. These pages are being updated through November.