Winchester

In the north western portion of Virginia, a town called Winchester captures the essence of the entire Shenandoah Valley. It has an abundance of history, as most places in Virginia do, but Winchester is in the process of forging new legacies to this day.

Winchester is home to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, and this is a great (and cheap!) way to get acquainted with the region. The museum definitely goes to great lengths to adequately portray valley life both past and present, the geography and topography of the land, and the people who used to transverse this valley and call it home. The museum itself is even very old – it is the original homestead of the founder of Winchester, James Wood, and it dates back to 1755. There are big formal gardens surrounding the property, and it is totally worth walking around to see the flora and fauna. Inside the museum, there are movies, artifacts, and maps to help visitors understand the Shenandoah Valley from prehistoric times up to the present day.

Besides the informative and surprisingly entertaining museum (the curators do an excellent job keeping the material relevant), the town of Winchester itself is absolutely charming. There is no pretentiousness found in this town, which is a treat considering some of the historic Virginia towns have a haughty air to them, and the people are jovial and the town aesthetically pleasing. Nestled in the northwest corner of Virginia, this town has four complete seasons – and the best time to see Winchester is in the autumn. The informal name of Winchester is, “The Apple Capital”, for so many Apple trees are situated here. Picking the apples during the season is fun, and there are many apple orchards surrounding Winchester. During the month of May, people flock from all over the state to visit Winchesters “Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival” – and this town comes alive and serves as the backdrop for music, apple cider making, and craft shows, to name a few activities.

There are some famous luminaries hailing from this quaint community. Mega apple grower and politician Harry Flood Byrd lived here (he is more of a local hero than a national hero, to be fair), writer Willa Cather originated from Winchester, but perhaps most famously, country singer and legend Patsy Cline was born and raised here. To give a brief overview of Cline’s tragically short life: though her music career lasted only three years, her impact is felt even today in country music. She sang such songs as, “Walkin’ After Midnight”, “I Fall to Pieces”, “Leavin’ On Your Mind”, and “Crazy”, to name a handful of songs. She was the darling of America and in 1963, on her way back from a benefit concert, her plane crashed and everyone aboard perished. There is a Patsy Cline Memorial in Winchester, and country music enthusiasts make pilgrimages there every year.

Winchester is a very old town, and it has known one of the most influential person our country has ever seen…George Washington. A small stone cabin built in 1748 is called “George Washington’s Office Museum”, and it served as his official office from 1755-1756 during the French and Indian War. There are daily guided tours of this museum, and it gives interesting insight to the man, the general, the pre-President George Washington that is often overlooked by American history.

Another great general lived in Winchester for a period of time. Arguably the best, if not one of the best, generals during the Civil War, Stonewall Jackson used an old Gothic-Revival style house here as his headquarters from 1861-1862. There are guided tours here as well, with the addition of interesting memorabilia, photos, letters, notes, and maps from Stonewall Jackson and his cronies. This museum also does an excellent job in giving the visitor insight into the mind of a military genius. Winchester was an interesting if not volatile town during the Civil War, for it see-sawed back and forth between the Union and the Confederate armies. Winchester was a pivotal location since it is considered the gateway to the Shenandoah Valley; whichever army controlled Winchester, controlled Shenandoah. About 7,500 soldiers rest in eternal peace here in Winchester, so patrolling the graveyards is a fun macabre way to pass the time. There is more information about this at yet another museum called, “Old Court House Civil War Museum”. Admission is $3 a person and it is right in the heart of old town Winchester.

Winchester has many eateries and lodging options, as well as events unique only to Winchester. We advise that you utilize our “Places to Stay”, “Things to Do”, and “Places to Eat” options featured on our homepage to help plan your trip to historical Winchester.



Winchester, Virginia