Preservation of Historic Winchester – Page 50 – Improving tomorrow by preserving the area's past

Holiday House Tour Location: The Bell House

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!

Holiday House Tour Location: George Washington’s Office Museum

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 Advance Ticket Sale Locations

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.

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

Reminder: Fort Loudoun Walk and Learn Next Thursday!

Norman Baker of the French and Indian War Foundation will lead a tour of the site of Winchester’s Fort Loudoun on Thursday, November 10 at noon, weather permitting. The walking tour of the area once covered by the fort will last one hour, with time after for questions for those who can stay longer. On-street parking is limited, but parking is available at the nearby Loudoun Street Autopark.

Meet at noon at 419 North Loudoun Street, Winchester, VA. The event is free and open to the public.

Dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes for the tour. For questions and RSVPs, please call 540-667-3577 or email phwinc.org@gmail.com.

Volunteers Needed for Holiday House Tour

PHW can use your help this Holiday House Tour! We are looking for volunteers who can:

Be a decorator – work with a homeowner to complete decorating tasks approximately from Nov. 30-Dec. 2 (some fresh cut greenery will be available through PHW for decorators to utilize)

Be a docent – give a scripted tour and direct the visitors through a site either Saturday, Dec. 3 (6-9 pm) or Sunday, Dec. 4 (suggested two hour shifts between 1-5 pm)

Be a Bough and Dough Shop volunteer – greet and wait on customers, pack and bag items, be prepared to answer questions about the tour (suggested two-hour shift for either Saturday, Dec. 3 or Sunday, Dec. 4)

Please contact PHW at phwinc.org@gmail.com or 540-667-3577 to leave your contact name, number, available time slots, and preferred volunteer activities.

Sneak Peek: Holiday House Tour 2016 Event Schedule

As you may have guessed, the recent radio silence from PHW is because we have been hard at work putting the finishing touches on the 40th annual Holiday House Tour. We are now ready to announce the schedule of events for 2016:

Saturday, December 3
Bough & Dough Shop at Winchester Little Theatre, 315 West Boscawen Street, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. *

Handbell concert at Braddock Street United Methodist Church, 115 Wolfe Street, 3 p.m. *

George Washington’s Office Museum open 3—9 p.m. *

Candlelight House Tours 6—9 p.m. at:
203 South Braddock Street, Site of the Preview Party
314 Courtfield Avenue
220 West Boscawen Street
514 Amherst Street

Sunday, December 4
Bough & Dough Shop at Winchester Little Theatre, 315 West Boscawen Street, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. *

Daylight House Tours 1—5 p.m. at:
106 North Cameron Street
203 South Braddock Street
314 Courtfield Avenue
220 West Boscawen Street
514 Amherst Street

Shenandoah University choirs at Braddock Street United Methodist Church, 115 Wolfe Street, 7 p.m. *

Event Pricing
Two-Day Tour Tickets (which includes light refreshments and drinks at the Preview Party house 203 South Braddock Street on Saturday evening and access to 106 North Cameron Street on Sunday) are $20/person.
Sunday-Only Tickets are $15/person.
* These marked events taking place on Holiday House Tour weekend are free and open to the public! No Holiday House Tour ticket is required.

Reminder: Log Structure Maintenance and Repairs

Please join us next Thursday for the fall Lunch and Learn Lecture Log Structure Maintenance and Repairs. Moss Rudley, Acting Superintendent of the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, Maryland, presents this much-requested topic on maintaining and repairing our historic log structures. Bring a lunch and learn with us!

Date: November 3, 2016
Time: Noon-1 PM
Place: OakCrest Companies, 126 N. Kent St., Winchester, VA
RSVP: Appreciated but not required
Cost: Free and open to the public
Questions? Contact PHW at phwinc.org@gmail.com or 540-667-3577.

Parking is limited and on-street parking is metered; we recommend utilizing the George Washington Autopark, across the street from OakCrest.

Reminder: Hopewell Meeting House Tour Tomorrow!

Please join us for our first Walk and Learn tour on Saturday, October 22. Jim Riley will lead a tour of the area’s oldest Quaker Meeting House. Learn the background on the Quakers and the history of the Hopewell Meeting house site. Weather permitting, the tour will include an outdoor component. The event is expected to last 1 to 1.5 hours. Water will be available.

Meet at Hopewell Meeting House, 604 Hopewell Road, Clear Brook, VA at 11 AM. The event is free and open to the public.

Coming Soon: Lincoln Historic Homes Tour

If the thought of visiting our Hopewell Meeting House in Clear Brook this weekend has whetted your appetite for more Quaker homes and history, the Loudoun Preservation Society will host a tour of a Quaker community in Lincoln, Virginia on Sunday, November 6, 2016 from 1-5 PM. A number of historic homes, cemeteries, and other buildings will be open to the public.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the Goose Creek Meeting House, 18204 Lincoln Road, Purcellville, VA, from 1 to 3 PM the day of the tour, $20 per person or $40 per family. Preorders may also be made via PayPal at the event webpage listing (scroll to the bottom of the page to find the PayPal instructions).

All proceeds from the tour support Loudoun Preservation Society’s Grants Program. Learn more about LPS at their website www.preserveloudoun.org.

Two-Day Tour Tickets

Sunday-Only Daylight Tour Tickets