PHW – Page 3 – Preservation of Historic Winchester

Hang Out at the Hexagon House

Tonight, Friday the 13th, is our second Harvest at the Hexagon House event, 4-6 PM. Stop by 530 Amherst St. to renew your membership and grab some swag, or pick up a copy or two of “More Doors of Historic Winchester.” Our theme this week is a relaxed hangout – we’ll be in our comfy PHW t-shirts and have some soothing background music going. (Men with hockey masks are politely requested to leave their machetes at home.)

We had a couple people inquire about payment methods. We are able to accept cash, checks, credit/debit cards, and also PayPal/Venmo. For those who remember last year’s Shop, we have a new card reader and tap and chip payments are back. If you’d like to come prepared with cash, the amount per Doors poster with tax is $15.80. Don’t worry, we can also make change – we got our Shop moneybox ready early this year!

Happy Harvest!

Our first Harvest at the Hexagon House is taking place tonight, 4-6 PM at the Hexagon House, 530 Amherst St. The event is free to attend and open to anyone interested. We encourage those who are up for membership renewal to drop by in person and choose a thank you gift from our selection of items when renewing their membership. And of course, the main draw for tonight’s event is the official launch of the “More Doors of Historic Winchester” poster.

We know a few out of town readers have requested a copy, so to coincide with our launch party, a limited number of posters are available on our online store. We ask that local shoppers refrain from purchasing these copies and instead visit us at the in-person events.

We hope to see many of you over the coming Fridays in October!

Dogwood berries in bright red at the Laidlaw Amphitheater.

Friday Roundup: Door a Day October

October is almost here, and that means it’s almost time for our official launch of the “More Doors of Historic Winchester” poster! To celebrate, PHW’s social media for October (and a little bit of November) will feature a door a day from the poster. You can follow along on Facebook, Twitter, or Mastodon to see the individual photographs used in the creation of the poster.

October also means we start our Harvest at the Hexagon House membership renewal event. We hope to see many of you at the Hexagon House, 530 Amherst St., between 4-6 PM each Friday in October, either to renew your membership to PHW or to pick up a copy of “More Doors of Historic Winchester.” Our first event is next Friday, October 6. Join us for a relaxed fall party for your first chance to buy a “More Doors of Historic Winchester” poster signed by the photographers. Light refreshments will be available.

For renewals or new membership dues paid at the event, you can pick one item from a table of thank you gifts of books, pins, note cards, and art prints, while supplies last. Dues or poster sales may be made in cash, checks, or credit/debit cards.

We’re ready for Harvest at the Hexagon House!

Friday Roundup: Harvest at the Hexagon and Bough & Dough Shop Artists

We’re excited to bring back a classic PHW event of yesteryear in a new format! Visit the PHW Office at 530 Amherst St. Friday afternoons in October to join or renew your membership and receive a thank you gift for free! Items include pins, small posters, books, and more—while supplies last!

Our first Friday event will also feature the public launch party of “More Doors of Winchester” poster sales. Stop by to pick up your copy for $15 plus tax. The photographers will be on hand if you’d like your copy signed!

Mark your calendars for October 6, October 13, October 20, and October 27 between 4-6 PM at the Hexagon House, 530 Amherst St. for four afternoons of fall fun!

We are also pleased to announce our selection of artists for the 2023 Bough & Dough Shop:

Angel’s Roost Quilts
Blooming Hill Lavender Farm and Gift Shop
Nina Burke
Lorraine Candell
Capers in Crochet
The Card Shop Bakers
George Davis
Double D’s Bees
Eye of the Needle Embroidery
Gustafson Glass
Hailewatercolors
Heathen Works
Dave Hickman
J&W Farm
Susan Keenan
Lighthouse Woodworking
The Merry Beader
Ornamentally Creative
Libba Pendleton
Very Merry Mittens
Waterlilly

The Shop this year will be held Wednesdays-Sundays at the Hexagon House, November 17-December 10, 10 AM-5 PM. To coincide with some other holiday events happening in Winchester, the Bough & Dough Shop is rolling with a theme of an old fashioned general store this year. We hope to have fantastic products as well as a fun visual experience for shoppers. We’re also excited to test out our Laidlaw Amphitheater space for our greenery and wreath sales – hopefully there will be a little less bending down to pick your boughs this year. Look for more information as we move into November!

Friday Roundup: Blight and Bough & Dough Shop Updates

411 S. Loudoun‘s demolition request to the BAR was concluded yesterday, after the brief hiatus in August for a status report with the court. While a potential buyer was interested in purchasing and rehabbing the property, the owners were unwilling to entertain the idea of a sale. Given the very unusual nature of this request, the BAR members voted to abstain from ruling on this demolition, as no alternate path could be found. Both the 514-520 S. Loudoun townhouses and 411 S. Loudoun will likely be demolished before the end of this year.

Discussion after the meeting included the situation at 137 S. Loudoun, which is also a blighted structure. BAR members are concerned about a potential loss of another salvageable building. In this case, the current owner is willing to sell, the property is listed for sale, and much site plan work has already been completed and a facade restoration plan was previously approved at BAR (which will transfer to a new owner). We will encourage our readership who may be interested in rehabbing a building to investigate this structure.

We would also like to extend our thanks to the artists who have applied to the Bough & Dough Shop. We plan to send out the acceptance letters with individualized recommendations for products starting Tuesday, Sept. 12 – if you applied but don’t hear from us by email on Friday, Sept. 15, please reach out to us at phwinc.org@gmail.com.

For our usual shoppers, it looks like we will have a good mix of new and returning artists. We’re looking forward to sharing our artist lineup in next Friday’s dispatch!

Friday Roundup: Labor Day Weekend

First, it’s not too late! If you need to fill out your artist application for the Bough & Dough Shop this year, this is your last chance! Fill out the form on the last page of the info packet and return by email to phwinc.org@gmail.com. We’ll be finalizing the artist lineup when we return to the office on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Next, we’re starting phase two of Holiday House Tour preparations. We are now open to take sponsorship ads for this year’s program booklet. Our advertising sponsors support the Holiday House Tour by offsetting the costs of printing and postage associated with the event, as well as the small stipend for decorating allotted to each tour site. These sponsorships allow us to maximize the fundraising efforts associated with the ticket sales and Bough & Dough Shop proceeds.

We have three ad sizes – full page, half page, and business card size – as well as one opportunity for a major sponsor to be placed on our back cover. If you have not sponsored before, we have a sponsor form available online; we’ll be sending packets to our past sponsors shortly.

We ask all sponsors secure their spots by submitting their ads by end of day October 27, 2023 for the booklet printing deadline, with the sponsorship payable by Dec. 31. If you have questions or need help with your ad, contact us at phwinc.org@gmail.com.

If you are not able to financially support the Holiday House Tour, we also have another option for in-kind support. Do you have evergreens that will need a trim in mid November to early December? The Bough & Dough Shop would be delighted to take any cuttings you can spare. Options include pine, spruce, boxwood, magnolia, nandina, holly, juniper, or other greenery or natural dried materials suitable for wreaths and centerpieces. If you are cutting greenery and have extra to spare, feel free to leave your donations in the Laidlaw Amphitheater at the rear of the Hexagon House, 530 Amherst St.

Friday Roundup: Town Talk Edition

PHW hit the road this week and visited Mike McCool in Front Royal for Town Talk!

Decades of Dedication: How Preservation Historic Winchester is Saving the City’s Architectural Legacy.

In this Town Talk, our publisher Mike McCool, speaks with Sandra Bosley, Executive Director of Preservation Historic Winchester, and delves into Winchester’s heritage conservation efforts.

Winchester has a long-standing history of beautiful homes and landmarks, reflecting the rich tapestry of its past. In the face of modernization, one organization has remained vigilant, ensuring that the city’s historic heartbeat continues to thrive.

See Royal Examiner Town Talk.

Apply for the Bough & Dough Shop 2023 by September 1!

Today also marks the final week before PHW closes our artist applications for the Bough & Dough Shop 2023. If you’ve been hesitating, don’t wait any longer! Download the informational packet to learn more, and fill out the application on the last page. It’s free to apply, and we would love to find new artisan talent to showcase in this year’s event. Return your applications by end of day Friday, Sept. 1 either to the Hexagon House at 530 Amherst St., Winchester, VA 22601, or by email to phwinc.org@gmail.com.

Friday Roundup: Three Events and Updates

First: Are you an artist? Do you know someone who is? Come visit PHW at the Hexagon House tomorrow morning, Aug. 19, between 10 AM and noon for an artist open house event to learn more about this year’s Bough & Dough Shop and fill out an application to be one of our artisan vendors. Vendor space will be capped at 30 applications this year.

Looking at the current lineup of artist submissions, we could use more ornaments of various styles (we have had particular requests for Winchester-themed souvenir ornaments), holiday decor (including live or artificial greenery arrangements) and other unique holiday gift type items.

If you can’t make the open house event tomorrow, you can find the information and application online at our website. But hurry – applications close September 1!

Second: PHW is aware of at least one person who would like to purchase 411 S. Loudoun St. and has begun the process to start the negotiations. With that in mind, the demolition request through the City was continued at yesterday’s BAR meeting. As this is an ongoing situation, we likely won’t have any further updates until September or later.

Third: From August 26-September 4, fifteen locations including museums, historic organizations, and community sites will come together to showcase the area’s historical food traditions at “Hungry for History.” Four restaurants and a brewery will also participate with historic recipes and special programs. There will be presentations, cooking demonstrations, how-to classes, children’s activities, food tastings, special handouts and giveaways, special tours, agriculture related programs and more. Topics at the event will include history from many eras, spanning from Native American pre-contact up to the present day.

Dates and times for the activities vary depending on the site. Many of the activities are free of charge; an admission fee will apply to some sites. See the event schedule for details, or visit the website: https://visitwinchesterva.com/hungry-for-history-food-event/

Friday Roundup: Yard Crawl Weekend and Upcoming August Events

Tomorrow is the annual Route 11 Yard Crawl! If you are selling or participating, we wish you good luck and many happy finds. If you’ve never participated in the Yard Crawl, the official event spans 43 miles between Stephens City and New Market. While most of the event takes place outside PHW’s stated area of influence, it’s still a good excuse to visit the four major Frederick County sites – the New Town Commons and the the Family Drive-In at Stephens City, and Laurel Ridge Community College and Cedar Creek Battlefield Museum and Visitors Center in Middletown. Check out the event at their webpage.

Don’t feel like leaving Winchester? The next Behind the Scenes Tour at Handley Library is also taking place Saturday, 11 AM. Meet at the Lower Level of the Handley Library. The tour will take you behind the scenes to all floors of the building. Come learn about the architecture and history. Walk on the famous glass floors and peer down the well built into the stage. Tours are free and open to the public!

Are you an artist or know someone who is? Are you curious about the Bough & Dough Shop that takes place at the Hexagon House in November and December? Have you always wondered how we find new artists? Our August Open House is one of the ways! Visit us next Saturday, August 19, between 10 AM to noon at the Hexagon House, 530 Amherst St. in Winchester, to learn about the Shop, see the space, and grab an artist application. PHW representatives will be on hand to answer questions on logistics and processes, and it’s a great time for new artists to bring sample items to show us in person. You can also download the informational packet and application in advance from our website. If you’re considering joining the Shop, don’t delay – we’re closing applications for 2023 on September 1!

Mark your calendars for Hungry for History: Basic Preservation and Canning on Thursday, August 31, 5:30 – 7:00 PM at the Handley Library, Robinson Auditorium. This program is an introduction to food preservation. Guests will learn a little history and science behind safe food preservation, as well as learning about the five main ways we preserve foods today: boiling water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, dehydrating, and fermenting. You will leave with introductory knowledge of food preservation and a few helpful handouts. This event will be presented by Hannah Copp, Family and Consumer Services Associate Extension Agent focusing on food, nutrition, and health, Virginia Cooperative Extension.