August 2023 – Preservation of Historic Winchester

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.

Friday Roundup: Quick Updates and Links

411 S. Loudoun St.: A number of people have reached out to PHW about this building. It’s too early to say how this may go, but given the interest expressed, we hope it will be possible to find a buyer. If you are contemplating pursuing this property and have not reached out for more information, we will remind our readers you will need to file a Motion to Intervene ASAP to be heard at the upcoming August 28 hearing.

Valley Conservation Council Resources: The VCC shared two updates to their resources page this week. Conservation Resources for Landowners provides general resources for habitat, soil, and water projects. All resources include the counties in which they operate and descriptions of what they can help with.

Native Landscaping Resources provides resources specific to native plant landscaping and pollinator gardens. If you’re looking for a place to start a native plant project, this page is a great resource!

At Home on Main Street: The National Trust for Historic Preservation shared a Q&A on two aspects of a four-part research initiative to provide action-oriented recommendations for thoughtful housing development. In 2021, Main Street America, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, launched the At Home on Main Street (AHOMS) project, funded by the 1772 Foundation, in response to widespread housing challenges in the forms of both housing availability and affordability across the country, including in many Main Street communities. On the Main Street America website, you can read and download “A Report on the State of Housing” and “A Housing Guidebook for Local Leaders.”

Eventbrite Changes: We were notified late yesterday Eventbrite will start charging additional fees to list events with more than 25 tickets on their platform. While we’ve enjoyed the ease of using Eventbrite for digital tickets for the Holiday House Tour the past few years, we will most likely be going back to direct sales on the PHW website. We heard last year some people had issues with checkout through Eventbrite, so fingers crossed our self-hosted checkout option will be more user-friendly. If not, we will always have tickets available at the Bough & Dough Shop at the Hexagon House and in select other locations in Winchester.

Identified: Thanks to Frances and Missy, we feel more confident last week’s photo of Mulvey’s is the rear of Abija Blue, which is modern day street address 16 S. Loudoun. Frances shared that Mulvey’s was owned by the same family that owned the Oxford Shop at 21 S. Loudoun. The Oxford Shop is now Roma’s – but look above the outdoor seating and you’ll still see the Tudor Revival styling on the building to mark the location.