Category: Holiday House Tour

219 South Kent Street
The Home of Martha Shickle

This charming log cottage is one of the oldest extant structures on South Kent Street. It was likely built shortly after 1823 when part of Lot 142 was sold for $20 to Elizabeth Conrad. The cozy one and a half story cabin still retains many of its hallmarks as an early vernacular structure, such as a wood shingle roof, a solid vertical batten wood door, and a one story shed wing that formerly served as the milk and wash house. The home also incorporates Victorian-era gingerbread additions with delicate, stylized tulip sawn balusters on the porches.

This cottage, as well as several other nearby homes, was owned by the Hodgson family from 1899 until 1979, when the Hodgson Estate properties were purchased through PHW’s Jennings Revolving Fund and rehabilitated by the new owners.

The Bough and Dough Shop
Winchester Little Theatre (Pennsylvania Freight Station)
315 West Boscawen Street

Hours of Operation:
Saturday, Dec. 6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 7, noon-5 p.m.

Musicians:
Celtic Heir Duo, Sunday 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Start your Winchester Holiday House Tour weekend with a visit to the Bough and Dough Shop in the Winchester Little Theatre for fresh greenery and unique handmade items from local artisans!

The Winchester Little Theatre occupies a former Pennsylvania Railroad freight station built circa 1890. The hipped roof with large overhanging eaves supported with large brackets tied into the masonry walls provides cover for the freight loading dock. The interior was modified to accommodate live theatre performances by the Winchester Little Theatre. The Theatre moved into its railway home in 1974 and has provided critically acclaimed professional-quality live theatre to the community ever since. Since 2011, the Theatre has also been the home of PHW’s Bough and Dough Shop during the Holiday House Tour weekend.

This year’s proceeds from the Shop will benefit the Winchester Little Theatre Restoration Campaign. The Pennsylvania Freight Station is in need of substantial structural work to the masonry walls and roof, with the final goal being to restore the building’s original appearance with a slate roof. PHW is committed to seeing this local landmark restored and remain a vital arts hub for the Winchester-Frederick County community with a pledge of $25,000 and additional donations based on membership support like the Bough & Dough Shop.

When you purchase artisan goods or greenery from the Shop this year, you will be helping Winchester Little Theatre realize their dream of restoring the Pennsylvania Freight Station to its exterior appearance circa 1890.

2014 Artisans and Gifts at the Shop

Unique Handmade Gifts
EBS notecards & prints, jewelry, pottery, hand-carved woodenware, infinity scarves, herbal soaps, candles, holiday ornaments, greenery arrangements, hand-sewn gifts, and so much more…

Featured Bakery
Naughty Girls Donut Shop — Donuts, cupcakes, pies, assorted sweet breads, pastries, cookies, cheesecakes, brownies, whoopie pies, bars, etc.

Featured Artisans
Eugene B. Smith Gallery, Jackie Tobin, Mary Turner, Lin Hausknecht, Shauna Lupton, Alma Dove, Jose & Mary Montero, Karen Cartlidge, Nina Burke, Ellen Hockensmith, Kim Labash

Greenery for Decorating
Freshly-cut pine, juniper, magnolia, spruce, nandina, holly, boxwood, decorated wreaths, and bows

Tickets
Advance tickets for the Holiday House Tour Preview Party and Daylight Tour, Winchester Little Theatre tickets by play or season

Welcome to Potato Hill, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Old Town Winchester. The area encompasses the gentle hill on South Loudoun and South Cameron Streets and the adjoining side streets.

The origin of the name Potato Hill is lost in the mists of time and subject to fanciful speculation. Theories range from the area being particularly well-suited to growing potatoes, the site of a farmer’s market at the top of the hill where potatoes would roll off the back of wagons to be snatched by the residents, or perhaps most likely, an area with a high number of Irish immigrants. Whatever sparked the first use of the name Potato Hill was cemented into the history books by the 1850s, when “Potatoe Hill” was a frequent identifier of property transfers on South Loudoun Street.

Many of the buildings in this area are log, in whole or in part, and many of those likely contain remnants of Fort Loudoun. The fort, constructed by George Washington during the French and Indian War, never saw combat and was abandoned in the 1760s. Since the fort’s wood was in good repair, local builders repurposed it for their new construction on Potato Hill.

Potato Hill had fallen on hard times 200 years later. Several homes were saved by Preservation of Historic Winchester’s Jennings Revolving Fund. Others were “spin off” restorations enabled by PHW’s neighborhood stabilization efforts. All of these buildings remain because of owners who were willing to peel back the layers of inappropriate changes and reveal the early American history waiting beneath.

There is no better time to see these success stories than during PHW’s 50th anniversary year. Join us for the Potato Hill Promenade!

Map of the 2014 Holiday House Tour

1. 219 South Kent Street—Martha Shickle
2. 221 South Cameron Street—Eugene and Sarah Smith
3. 510-512 South Loudoun Street—Joseph and Sharon Collette — Preview Party House
4. 602 South Loudoun Street—David and Margery Wingenbach
5. 610 & 612 South Loudoun Street—Dr. John Chesson
6. 17 East Monmouth Street—Tommy and Sarah Beavers
B: Bough & Dough Shop, 315 West Boscawen Street — Saturday, Dec. 6 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 7 noon–5p.m.

Free parking is available the weekend of the House Tour at the Bough & Dough Shop lot, City-operated surface lots, and on-street along the tour. City Autoparks are $0.50 per hour. Please be mindful of residents when utilizing on-street parking. On-street parking is extremely limited in the Potato Hill neighborhood. Carpooling and utilizing City lots is recommended.

Thank you for your patience while PHW went into radio silence for a few weeks. We are well on our way toward the 38th annual Holiday House Tour festivities, which will be held this December 6 & 7. Starting on Monday, November 17, we will post a new Holiday House Tour themed post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday up to December 5. (We will continue the history of PHW’s past fifty years in January.)

One very important item to note is that this year’s proceeds from the Bough & Dough Shop artisans and the greenery will be donated by PHW to the Winchester Little Theatre Restoration Campaign. The Pennsylvania Freight Station is in need of substantial structural work to the masonry walls and roof, with the final goal being to restore the building’s original appearance with a slate roof. When you purchase artisan goods or greenery from the Shop this year, you will be helping Winchester Little Theatre realize their dream of restoring the Pennsylvania Freight Station to its exterior appearance circa 1890.

Buy Tickets Now
Online via PayPal at phwi.org or at the following advance ticket sale locations:
The Final Yard, 33 East Gerrard Street
Kimberly’s, 135 North Braddock Street
OakCrest Companies, 126 North Kent 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