Photos by Victor Block.unless otherwise noted
When I drove to Winchester, Virginia, about an hour and a half northwest of Washington DC, it was like traveling back centuries in time. I was beaten to the location by the Shawnee and other tribes that lived for thousands of years in what today is Frederick County, and more recently by European explorers who arrived here as early as 1606.
As I approached this small city (population about 28,000) after crossing the Shenandoah River, there was little hint of the treasure trove of history that lay ahead. I passed through a phalanx of familiar chain stores and fast-food restaurants. Then as suddenly as this mass of modernity had appeared, it disappeared as I reached the city´s historic core, known as Old Town Winchester as well as the Historic Winchester District, dating back to its founding in 1774. I found myself in another world – a history-rich time capsules which envelops visitors in the past without fuss or fanfare. This is no ersatz, created, commercial attraction, but rather a real place where important chapters of American history were written - and today remain alive for those who seek them out.
What makes this immersion in earlier times especially impressive is how it very comfortably serves as a backdrop for the memories that were born there. One example: There are so many references to and touches of the presence of George Washington that by the time you leave town, you have new insight into the man behind the fame. Washington and Winchester are closely intertwined, he arrived in 1748, at the tender age of 16, to help survey land, and during the next 10 years he became commander of Virginia’s militia regiment; planned and oversaw construction of more than 80 forts to provide protection for settlers from attack, and eventually was chosen to serve as a delegate in the House of Burgesses, representing Winchester and Frederick County.
The district encompasses 1,116 buildings dating from the 18th to mid-20th centuries, with a wide range of structures from log buildings and early stone houses to Federal-style town homes and elegant Victorian manses.Three of its most notable: Fort Loudoun (above), Washington’s headquarters from 1756 to 1758; the tiny log-and-stone George Washington’s Office Museum (top), whose displays include his orders to soldiers concerning “tippling” and “Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior,” which he wrote at age 14; and the stately Greek-Revival Frederick County Courthouse, completed in 1840, and during the Civil War served as a hospital and prison for both the Union and Confederate armies (graffiti on some walls dates back to the time of military occupation of the building, which today houses the Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum). Sarah Stierch
Reminders of that great conflict, too, are scattered about the Winchester area like shotgun shells. That’s not surprising, because the town and county’s location as a transportation hub made it a highly contested prize. Six major battles raged in this region, and control of Winchester changed hands more than 70 times. Visitors may relive those skirmishes at two more Civil War museums, battlefields, remains of forts, and other sites (the Hudson-River-Gothic-Revival house used as a headquarters during the winter of 1861-62 by Confederate general Stonewall Jackson is a personal favorite of mine, and contains a large collection of objects and memorabilia relating to the general. After admiring Jackson’s imposing office desk, and a smaller traveling version, I turned my attention to an unfamiliar Confederate flag. I learned that it’s the battle banner from which the more recognizable Confederate pennant evolved. More intriguing to me was Jackson’s sword, which earned the nickname “Rusted Blade.” It turns out that Stonewall was not the most fastidious of self-groomers and his lack of care extended to the ceremonial rapier. It rusted so badly that eventually he could not withdraw it from the scabbard.
Misty Mountain Meadworks
After delving deeply into the Revolutionary and Civil War history of the Winchester area, I turned my attention to the variety of other attractions the destination offers. Food and drink rank high on that list, and for many people Frederick County, Virginia means apples. The Shenandoah Valley was the largest apple-growing region in the country in the early 1800s. While that´s no longer true, apples continue to hold an important place in the region’s rich agricultural heritage, which includes family-owned farms and farmers markets offering a cornucopia of locally grown fruit, vegetables and meats, as well as pick-your-own orchards and micro-farms selling goods ranging from fresh produce and homemade baked wares to local crafts, goat-milk soap, and wine.
Outstanding wine, along with other libations, add to the taste-bud-tickling treats available in the area. My sampling at the family-owned, award-winning Briedé Family Vineyards (pronouced "bree-day," by the way) included its wine ice cream. A very different experience awaited at Misty Mountain Meadworks (above), which concocts the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage using locally produce honey. And circling back to apples, that means cider (both alcoholic and not), and English-style hard cider is brewed from locally grown fruit at concerns such as Old Town Cidery and Winchester Ciderworks.
Speaking of locally grown, that also applies to Patsy Cline, the Winchester native who became a leading country and pop music singer whose professional career (1954-1963) was cut short when she died in a plane crash. The modest Patsy Cline Historic House museum (above) depicts the hardscrabble life she led before she became a local hero.
Heroes of various kinds have been part of the story of Winchester, Virginia. Accounts of their lives are among a number of reasons to visit there – and, as I quickly learned, there are many more.
For more information log onto VisitWinchesterVA.com.
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