Winchester, Virginia

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Winchester, Virginia
Independent city
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Loudoun Street Mall in Winchester in July 2020
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Seal
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Location of Winchester in Virginia
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Winchester
Location of Winchester in Shenandoah Valley
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Winchester
Winchester (Northern Virginia)
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Winchester
Winchester (Virginia)
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Winchester
Winchester (the United States)
Coordinates: 39°11′N78°10′W / 39.183°N 78.167°W / 39.183; -78.167
CountryUnited States
State Virginia
County None (Independent city)
Founded1744
Government
 • MayorJohn David Smith Jr. (D) [1]
Area
[2]
 • Total
9.21 sq mi (23.86 km2)
 • Land9.19 sq mi (23.81 km2)
 • Water0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
725 ft (221 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
28,120
 • Density3,100/sq mi (1,200/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
22601
Area code 540
FIPS code 51-86720 [3]
GNIS feature ID1498552 [4]
Website winchesterva.gov

Winchester is the northwesternmost independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. [5] As of the 2020 census, the city's population was 28,120. [6] It is the principal city of the Winchester metropolitan area with a population of just over 145,000 extending into West Virginia, which is a part of the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. Winchester is home to Shenandoah University and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.

Contents

History

Native Americans

Indigenous peoples lived along the waterways of present-day Virginia for thousands of years before European contact. Archeological, linguistic and anthropological studies have provided insights into their cultures. Though little is known of specific tribal movements before European contact, the Shenandoah Valley area, considered a sacred common hunting ground, appears by the 17th century to have been controlled mostly by the local Iroquoian-speaking groups, including the Senedo and Sherando.[ citation needed ]

The Algonquian-speaking Shawnee began to challenge the Iroquoians for the hunting grounds later in that century. The explorers Batts and Fallam in 1671 reported the Shawnee were contesting with the Iroquoians for control of the valley and were losing. During the later Beaver Wars, the powerful Iroquois Confederacy from New York (particularly Seneca from the western part of the territory) subjugated all tribes in the frontier region west of the Fall Line.

By the time Anglo-European settlers arrived in the Shenandoah Valley around 1729, the Shawnee were the principal occupants in the area of the Shenandoah Valley that developed into Winchester. During the first decade of white settlement, the valley was also a conduit and battleground in a bloody intertribal war between the Seneca and allied Algonquian-speaking Lenape from the north, and their distant traditional enemies, the Siouan Catawba based in the Carolinas.

The Iroquois Six Nations (the Tuscarora people had joined them by 1722 after losing battles in the Carolinas in the early 18th century) finally ceded their nominal claim to the Shenandoah Valley at the Treaty of Lancaster (1744), arranged by British officials. The treaty also established the right of colonists to use the Indian Road through the valley, later known as the Great Wagon Road.

The father of Shawnee chief Cornstalk had his own court at Shawnee Springs, near today's Cross Junction, Virginia, until 1754. In 1753, on the eve of the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War), messengers came to the Shawnee from tribes further west, inviting them to leave the Valley and cross the Alleghenies, which they did the following year. [7] [8] The Shawnee settled for some years in the Ohio Country before being forced by the US government under Indian Removal in the 1830s to remove to Indian Territory.

European exploration and settlement

French Jesuit expeditions may have first entered the valley as early as 1606, as the explorer Samuel de Champlain made a crude map of the area in 1632. The first confirmed exploration of the northern valley was by the explorer John Lederer, who viewed the region from the current Fauquier and Warren County line on August 26, 1670. In 1705 the Swiss explorer Louise Michel and in 1716 Governor Alexander Spotswood did more extensive mapping and surveying. In the late 1720s, Governor William Gooch promoted settlement by issuing large land grants. Robert "King" Carter, manager of the Lord Fairfax proprietorship, acquired 200,000 acres (810 km2). This combination of events directly precipitated an inrush of settlers from Pennsylvania and New York, made up of a blend of Quakers and German and Scots-Irish homesteaders, many of them new immigrants. The Scots-Irish comprised the most numerous group of immigrants from the British Isles before the American Revolutionary War. [9]

The settlement of Winchester began as early as 1729, when Quakers such as Abraham Hollingsworth migrated up (south) the Great Valley along the long-traveled Indian Path (later called the Great Wagon Road by the colonists) from Pennsylvania. He and others began to homestead on old Shawnee campgrounds. Tradition holds that the Quakers purchased several tracts on Apple-pie Ridge from the natives, who did not disturb those settlements. [10] The first German settler appears to have been Jost Hite in 1732, who brought ten other families, including some Scots-Irish. Though Virginia was an Anglican colony, Governor William Gooch had a tolerant policy on religion. The availability of land grants brought in many religious families, who were often given 50-acre (200,000 m2) plots through the sponsorship of fellow-religious grant purchasers and speculators. As a result, the Winchester area became home to some of the oldest Presbyterian, Quaker, Lutheran and Anglican churches in the valley. The first Lutheran worship was established by Rev. John Casper Stoever Jr., and Alexander Ross established Hopewell Meeting for the Quakers. By 1736, Scots-Irish built the Opequon Presbyterian Church in Kernstown.

A legal fight erupted in 1735 when Thomas Fairfax, Sixth Lord Fairfax came to Virginia to claim his land grant. It included "all the land in Virginia between the Rappahannock and the Potomac rivers", an old grant from King Charles II which overlapped and included Frederick County. It took some time for land titles to be cleared among early settlers.

Founding

By 1738 these settlements became known as Frederick Town. The county of Frederick was carved out of Orange County. The first government was created, consisting of a County Court as well as the Anglican Frederick Parish (for purposes of tax collection). Colonel James Wood, an immigrant from Winchester, England, was the first court clerk and had been a surveyor for Orange County, Virginia. He contracted for his own home Glen Burnie homstead around 1737, and it may have been used for early government business. [11] Wood laid out 26 half-acre (2,000 m2) lots in 1744. [11] The County Court held its first session on November 11, 1743, where James Wood served until 1760. Lord Fairfax, understanding that possession is 9/10ths of the law, built a home here (in present-day Clarke County) in 1748.

In February 1752, [12] the Virginia House of Burgesses granted the fourth city charter in Virginia to 'Winchester' as Frederick Town was renamed after Colonel Wood's birthplace in England. In 1754, Abraham Hollingsworth built the local residence called Abram's Delight, which served as the first local Quaker meeting house. George Washington spent a good portion of his young life in Winchester helping survey the Fairfax land grant for Thomas Fairfax, Sixth Lord Fairfax, as well as performing surveying work for Colonel Wood. In 1758 Wood added 158 lots to the west side of town. In 1759 Thomas Lord Fairfax contributed 173 more lots to the south and east. [13]

French and Indian War

House at the site of Fort Loudoun. The fort was built between 1756 and 1758 under the supervision of George Washington. 419 North Loudoun Street.jpg
House at the site of Fort Loudoun. The fort was built between 1756 and 1758 under the supervision of George Washington.

General Edward Braddock's expeditionary march to Fort Duquesne crossed through this area in 1755 on the way to Fort Cumberland. Knowing the area well from work as a surveyor, George Washington accompanied General Braddock as his aide-de-camp. Resident Daniel Morgan joined Braddock's Army as a wagoner on its march to Pennsylvania. In 1756, on land granted by James Wood, Colonel George Washington designed and began constructing Fort Loudoun, which ultimately covered 0.955 acres (3,860 m2) in present-day downtown Winchester on North Loudoun Street. Fort Loudoun was occupied and manned with guns until the start of the American Revolutionary War.

During this era, a jail was built in Winchester. It occasionally held Quakers from many parts of Virginia who protested the French and Indian War and refused to pay taxes to the Anglican parish. While their cousins in Pennsylvania dominated politics there, Virginia was an Anglican colony and did not tolerate pacifism well. The strong Quaker tradition of pacifism against strong Virginia support for this war and the next, led to long-term stifling of the Quaker population. Winchester became a gateway to Quaker settlements further west; by the mid-19th century, the Quaker population was a small minority here.

During the war in 1758, at the age of 26, Colonel George Washington was elected to represent Frederick County to the House of Burgesses. Daniel Morgan later served as a ranger protecting the borderlands of Virginia against Indian raids, returning to Winchester in 1759. Following the war, from 1763 to 1774 Daniel Morgan served in Captain Ashby's company and defended Virginia against Pontiac's Rebellion and Shawnee Indians in the Ohio valley (that part now in West Virginia).

Revolutionary War

Colonel Daniel Morgan DanielMorgan.jpeg
Colonel Daniel Morgan

During the Revolutionary War, the Virginia House of Burgesses chose local resident and French and Indian War veteran Daniel Morgan to raise a company of militia to support General George Washington's efforts during the Siege of Boston. He led the 96 men of "Morgan's Sharpshooters" from Winchester on July 14, 1775, and marched to Boston in 21 days. Morgan, Wood, and others also performed duties in holding captured prisoners of war, particularly Hessian soldiers. Hessian soldiers were known to walk to the high ridge north and west of town, where they could purchase and eat apple pies made by the Quakers. The ridge became affectionately known as Apple Pie Ridge. The Ridge Road built before 1751 leading north from town was renamed Apple Pie Ridge Road. The local farmers found booming business in feeding the Virginia Militia and fledgling volunteer American army.

Following the war, the town's first newspapers, The Gazette and The Centinel, were established. Daniel Morgan continued his public service, being elected to one term in the U.S. House of Representatives (1797–1799).

Civil War

Winchester c. 1875 Circa 1875 in Winchester, VA.jpg
Winchester c. 1875

Winchester and the surrounding area were the site of numerous battles during the American Civil War, as the Confederate and Union armies strove to control that portion of the Shenandoah Valley. Seven major battlefields are in the original Frederick County:

Within the city of Winchester:

Near the city of Winchester:

Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters Museum Jackson headquarters.png
Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters Museum

Winchester was a key strategic position for the Confederate States Army during the war. It was an important operational objective in Gen Joseph E. Johnston's and Col Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's defense of the Shenandoah Valley in 1861, Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862, the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863, and the Valley Campaigns of 1864. Including minor cavalry raids and patrols, and occasional reconnaissances, historians claim that Winchester changed hands as many as 72 times and 13 times in one day. Battles raged along Main Street at points in the war. Union General Sheridan and Stonewall Jackson located their headquarters just one block apart at times.

At the north end of the lower Shenandoah Valley, Winchester was a base of operations for major Confederate invasions into the Northern United States. At times the attacks threatened the capital of Washington, D.C. The town served as a central point for troops conducting major raids against the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and turnpike and telegraph paths along those routes and the Potomac River Valley. For instance, in 1861, Stonewall Jackson removed 56 locomotives and over 300 railroad cars, along with miles of track, from the B&O Railroad. His attack closed down the B&O's main line for ten months. Much of the effort to transport this equipment by horse and carriage centered in Winchester.

Final charge at the Third Battle of Winchester, depicted by Thure de Thulstrup c. 1886 Sheridan's final charge at Winchester (retouched).png
Final charge at the Third Battle of Winchester, depicted by Thure de Thulstrup c. 1886

During the war, Winchester was occupied by the Union Army for four major periods: by Major General Nathaniel Banks (March ? May 12 to 25, 1862, and June 4 to September 2, 1862), Major General Robert Milroy (December 24, 1862, to June 15, 1863), Major General Philip Sheridan (September 19, 1864, to February 27, 1865), and Major General Winfield Scott Hancock (February 27, 1865, to June 27, 1865). Major General Sheridan raided up the valley from Winchester, where his forces destroyed "2,000 barns filled with grain and implements, not to mention other outbuildings, 70 mills filled with wheat and flour" and "numerous head of livestock," to lessen the area's ability to supply the Confederates. [14]

Numerous local men served with the Confederate Army, mostly as troops. Hunter McGuire was Chief Surgeon of the Second "Jackson's" Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia. He laid the foundations for the future Geneva conventions regarding the treatment of medical doctors during warfare. Winchester served as a major center for Confederate medical operations, particularly after the Battle of Sharpsburg in 1862 and the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. Among those who took part in battles at Winchester were future U.S. presidents McKinley and Hayes, both as officers in the Union IX Corps.

The United States assigned military presence to Winchester and other parts of the South during Reconstruction after the war. Winchester was part of the First Military District, commanded by Major General John Schofield. This period lasted until January 26, 1870. [15]

20th century

Winchester was the first city south of the Potomac River to install electric light. [16] [ when? ] In 1917 the Winchester and Western Railroad connected Winchester with Rock Enon Springs, moving both vacationers and supplies to the resort that is now Camp Rock Enon with far greater speed. [17] : 366  Winchester is the location of the bi-annual N-SSA national competition, keeping the tradition of Civil War era firearms alive. A three-block section of downtown Loudoun Street was closed to vehicular traffic in the 1970s and is a popular pedestrian area featuring many boutiques and cafés. The street was repaved with brick and landscaped in 2013. Apple Blossom Mall opened in 1982.

In 1983, a tire dump in the area containing over seven million tires burned for nine months, polluting nearby areas with lead and arsenic. The location was cleaned up as a Superfund project between 1983 and 2002. [18] [19]

Geography

An 1856 oil painting of Winchester by Edward Beyer View of Winchester, Virginia.jpg
An 1856 oil painting of Winchester by Edward Beyer
Map of Winchester, Virginia, and the surrounding Frederick County (Winchester is independent of the county but is the county seat). Map of Frederick County, Virginia with Municipal and District Labels.png
Map of Winchester, Virginia, and the surrounding Frederick County (Winchester is independent of the county but is the county seat).

Winchester is located at 39°10′41″N78°10′01″W / 39.178°N 78.167°W / 39.178; -78.167 .

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.3 square miles (24 km2), virtually all land. [20]

It is in the Shenandoah Valley, located between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Allegheny Mountains, and is 15 miles north-northeast of the northern peak of Massanutten Mountain. I-81 passes through the city, along with US 50, US 522, US 17, which ends in the city, and SR 7, which also ends in the city. The city is approximately 75 miles (121 km) to the west of Washington, D.C., 24 miles (39 km) south of Martinsburg, West Virginia, 25 miles (40 km) north of Front Royal, 118 miles (190 km) south of Harrisburg, PA and 180 miles (290 km) north of Roanoke.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Winchester has depending on which isotherm is used, either a humid continental climate or a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. [21] The hardiness zone is 6b/7a. Winchester is one of the only cities in Virginia to have a humid continental climate.

Climate data for Winchester, Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1912–present)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)80
(27)		81
(27)		89
(32)		98
(37)		98
(37)		104
(40)		107
(42)		107
(42)		103
(39)		99
(37)		85
(29)		80
(27)		107
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)42.1
(5.6)		45.4
(7.4)		53.4
(11.9)		65.6
(18.7)		74.2
(23.4)		82.6
(28.1)		87.1
(30.6)		85.5
(29.7)		78.7
(25.9)		67.4
(19.7)		56.0
(13.3)		45.7
(7.6)		65.3
(18.5)
Daily mean °F (°C)31.6
(−0.2)		34.0
(1.1)		41.1
(5.1)		52.0
(11.1)		61.6
(16.4)		70.3
(21.3)		75.0
(23.9)		73.2
(22.9)		66.1
(18.9)		54.4
(12.4)		44.0
(6.7)		35.4
(1.9)		53.2
(11.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)21.2
(−6.0)		22.7
(−5.2)		28.8
(−1.8)		38.4
(3.6)		48.9
(9.4)		58.0
(14.4)		62.8
(17.1)		60.9
(16.1)		53.5
(11.9)		41.4
(5.2)		32.0
(0.0)		25.1
(−3.8)		41.1
(5.1)
Record low °F (°C)−18
(−28)		−16
(−27)		−6
(−21)		12
(−11)		28
(−2)		36
(2)		42
(6)		36
(2)		30
(−1)		16
(−9)		4
(−16)		−6
(−21)		−18
(−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm)2.48
(63)		2.23
(57)		3.43
(87)		3.22
(82)		3.94
(100)		4.04
(103)		3.82
(97)		3.66
(93)		4.39
(112)		3.05
(77)		2.89
(73)		2.81
(71)		39.96
(1,015)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)8.87.99.812.613.512.111.810.810.19.27.68.6122.8
Source: NOAA [22] [23]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1840 3,454—
1850 3,85711.7%
1860 4,39213.9%
1870 4,4771.9%
1880 4,95810.7%
1890 5,1964.8%
1900 5,161−0.7%
1910 5,86413.6%
1920 6,88317.4%
1930 10,85557.7%
1940 12,09511.4%
1950 13,84114.4%
1960 15,1109.2%
1970 14,643−3.1%
1980 20,21738.1%
1990 21,9478.6%
2000 23,5857.5%
2010 26,20311.1%
2020 28,1207.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [24]
1790-1960 [25] 1900-1990 [26]
1990-2000 [27] 2010 [28] 2020 [29]

2020 census

Winchester city, Virginia - Demographic Profile
(NH = Non-Hispanic)
Race / EthnicityPop 2010 [28] Pop 2020 [29] % 2010% 2020
White alone (NH)18,08517,62369.02%62.67%
Black or African American alone (NH)2,7832,80010.62%9.96%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)37660.14%0.23%
Asian alone (NH)5997002.29%2.49%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)3140.01%0.05%
Some Other Race alone (NH)571350.22%0.48%
Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)5981,2882.28%4.58%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)4,0415,49415.42%19.54%
Total26,20328,120100.00%100.00%

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

Economy

Winchester City Hall, February 2022 Rouss City Hall - corner view.jpg
Winchester City Hall, February 2022

Companies based in Winchester include American Woodmark, Trex, and Rubbermaid Commercial Products. Federal agencies with operations in Winchester include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, [30] the Federal Bureau of Investigation, [31] and the United States Army Corps of Engineers. [32]

According to the City's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, [33] the top employers in the city are:

#Employer# of Employees
1Valley Health1,000 and over
2 Rubbermaid Commercial Products 500 - 999
3 Winchester City Public Schools 500 - 999
4 Walmart 500 - 999
5 Shenandoah University 500 - 999
6City of Winchester500 - 999
7Axiom Staffing Group500 - 999
8 Martin's Food Markets 500 - 999
9 Trex 250 - 499
10 Kohl's 250 - 499

Record manufacturing

Winchester was home to Capitol Records' East Coast Pressing Plant. Capitol Records Distribution Corporation announced in 1968 the purchasing of land in Winchester, Va for a new record processing plant. Along with this plant they built several houses, bought a few small businesses and later built a tape production plant. The Winchester plant began construction in 1968 and production in 1969. The plant initially had a workforce of 250 people. This plant complemented the other existing manufacturing facilities of Capitol Records in Scranton, PA, Jacksonville, FL and Los Angeles, CA. In 1969 Capitol Records' Pressing Plant in Scranton began phasing out its vinyl manufacturing in favor of the new Winchester plant. Records pressed here include the Talking Heads' Remain in Light , Dead Boys' Young, Loud and Snotty, and Yoko Ono's Fly (Yoko Ono album). Capitol Records announced in late 1987 that it would end tape duplicating production in the US, in favor of offshore manufacturing, including in Winchester by early 1988, putting more than 500 employees out of work when they closed the Winchester plant. [34]

Arts and culture

Statue of George Washington at George Washington's Office Museum GeoWashStatueWinchesterVAJuly2022.jpg
Statue of George Washington at George Washington's Office Museum
Patsy Cline House, home of country music star Patsy Cline from 1948 to 1953 PatsyClineHouseWinchesterVA.jpg
Patsy Cline House, home of country music star Patsy Cline from 1948 to 1953

Historic sites

Handley Library Handley Library south side.JPG
Handley Library
John Handley High School Handley01.JPG
John Handley High School
SiteYear BuiltAddressListed
Abram's Delight 1754Parkview Street & Rouss Spring Road1973
Douglas School 1927598 North Kent Street2000
Fair Mount 19th century311 Fairmont Avenue2004
Glen Burnie 1794901 Amherst Street1979
Handley Library [35] 1913Braddock & Piccadilly Streets1969
John Handley High School 1920s425 Handley Boulevard1998
Hawthorne and Old Town Spring 1811610 and 730 Amherst Street2013
Hexagon House 1870s530 Amherst Street1987
Stonewall Jackson's Headquarters Museum mid-19th century415 North Braddock Street1967
Adam Kurtz House 1757Braddock & Cork Streets1976
Old Stone Church (Winchester, Virginia) 1788304 East Piccadilly Street1977
Triangle Diner 194827 West Gerrard Street2010
Winchester Historic District 1750–1930 US 522, US 11 & US 50/US 17 1980
Winchester Historic District (Boundary Increase)120 & 126 North Kent Street2003
Winchester National Cemetery 1860s401 National Avenue1996
George Washington's Office Museumby 174832 West Cork Street1975
Patsy Cline Historic House1880608 S. Kent St.2005
Mount Hebron Cemetery and Stonewall Confederate Cemetery 1844305 E. Boscawen Street2008

Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

Winchester is the location of the annual Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, which has existed since 1924. It is usually held during the first weekend in May. The festival includes a carnival, firework show, parades, several dances and parties, and a coronation where the Apple Blossom Queen is crowned. Local school systems and many businesses close the Friday of Apple Blossom weekend. [36]

Winchester has more than 20 different "artistic" apples that are made of various materials including wood, rubber pipe, plaster, and paint. These apples were created in 2005 by occupants of the city and were placed at a specific location at the artists' request after being auctioned off. For example, a bright red apple with a large stethoscope attached to it was placed beside a much-used entrance to the Winchester Medical Center.

Sports

Winchester is home to the Winchester Royals, [37] which is part of the Valley Baseball League, a National Collegiate Athletic Association-sanctioned collegiate summer baseball league in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. [38]

Shenandoah University is located in Winchester and has numerous male and female sports in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Winchester is also home to the Winchester Speedway, a 3/8-mile clay oval track, which plays host to a number of touring series, such as the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, and the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

Government and politics

United States presidential election results for Winchester, Virginia [39]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No. %No. %No. %
2024 5,25244.16%6,40753.87%2351.98%
2020 5,22143.13%6,61054.60%2752.27%
2016 4,79044.91%5,16448.42%7116.67%
2012 4,94648.04%5,09449.48%2562.49%
2008 4,72546.66%5,26852.02%1331.31%
2004 5,28356.55%3,96742.46%931.00%
2000 4,31454.70%3,31842.07%2543.22%
1996 3,68150.97%3,02741.91%5147.12%
1992 3,83349.77%2,76835.94%1,10014.28%
1988 4,49765.53%2,30033.52%650.95%
1984 5,05570.68%2,06428.86%330.46%
1980 4,24064.02%2,00630.29%3775.69%
1976 4,07562.85%2,34636.18%630.97%
1972 4,64775.55%1,41823.05%861.40%
1968 2,69555.76%1,36028.14%77816.10%
1964 2,18049.13%2,25450.80%30.07%
1960 2,32665.61%1,20333.94%160.45%
1956 2,37569.46%94527.64%992.90%
1952 2,37569.20%1,05530.74%20.06%
1948 1,27249.96%89435.11%38014.93%
1944 1,09552.09%1,00047.57%70.33%
1940 94545.72%1,11453.89%80.39%
1936 74340.14%1,09659.21%120.65%
1932 69836.54%1,17961.73%331.73%
1928 1,16859.53%79440.47%00.00%
1924 42033.39%82065.18%181.43%
1920 54041.54%73656.62%241.85%
1916 19628.65%46868.42%202.92%
1912 14120.83%44766.03%8913.15%
1908 26635.75%44960.35%293.90%
1904 14626.40%39471.25%132.35%
1900 42341.19%59357.74%111.07%
1896 44745.33%49049.70%494.97%
1892 46843.66%57954.01%252.33%
1888 54051.82%48846.83%141.34%
1884 55153.86%47246.14%00.00%
1880 39241.35%55658.65%00.00%

City council

Winchester's follows a Council-Manager form of government. It is governed by the Common Council, an elected body within a ward system. The city is composed of four wards, each with 2 councilmen, with the city's mayor serving as the ninth representative and leader of the council. While the council began as a 13-member board, it transitioned from 13 to 9, beginning in 2006 and ending in 2008. [40]

Education

Winchester Public Schools operates public schools, including John Handley High School.

Transportation

Winchester and Western Railroad station Winchester and Western Railroad station.jpg
Winchester and Western Railroad station

The most prominent highway serving Winchester is Interstate 81. I-81 extends northeast to southwest, connecting Winchester to eastern Tennessee, southwestern Virginia, eastern West Virginia, western Maryland and central Pennsylvania. Other highways passing through Winchester include U.S. Route 11, U.S. Route 17, U.S. Route 50 and U.S. Route 522. These four highways follow city streets through downtown Winchester, with U.S. Route 17 coming to its northern terminus. Virginia State Route 7 also serves Winchester, terminating in downtown. Virginia State Route 37 bypasses the city to the west.

Winchester Transit provides weekday transit for the city of Winchester. Winchester Regional Airport provides general aviation and air taxi service to the area.

Notable people

18th century

19th century

20th century

Sister cities

Winchester's first sister city, Winchester, England, is where the Virginia town gets its name. During the Eisenhower administration, Winchester also formalized a sister city relationship with Ambato, Ecuador.

Winchester 2014-04-14 15-18.jpg
A panoramic view of old town Winchester

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Frederick County is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,419. Its county seat is Winchester. The county was formed in 1743 by the splitting of Orange County. It is Virginia's northernmost county. Frederick County is included in the Winchester, VA-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berkeley County, West Virginia</span> County in West Virginia, United States

Berkeley County is located in the Shenandoah Valley in the eastern panhandle region of West Virginia in the United States. The county is part of the Hagerstown–Martinsburg metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 122,076, making it the second-most populous of West Virginia's 55 counties, behind Kanawha County. The City of Martinsburg is the county seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waynesboro, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Waynesboro is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a principal city of the Staunton-Waynesboro Metropolitan Statistical Area. Waynesboro is located in the Shenandoah Valley and is surrounded by Augusta County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,196.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Warren County is a U.S. county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The 2020 census places Warren County within the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area with a population of 40,727. The county was established in 1836. The county seat is Front Royal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shenandoah County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Shenandoah County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 44,186. Its county seat is Woodstock. It is part of the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarke County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephens City, Virginia</span> Incorporated town in Virginia, United States

Stephens City is an incorporated town in the southern part of Frederick County, Virginia, United States, with a population of 2,016 at the time of the 2020 census, and an estimated population of 2,096 in 2022. Founded by Peter Stephens in the 1730s, the colonial town was chartered and named for Lewis Stephens in October 1758. It was originally settled by German Protestants from Heidelberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Jackson, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia, United States

Mount Jackson is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,994 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Market, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia, United States

New Market is a town in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. Founded as a small crossroads trading town in the Shenandoah Valley, it has a population of 2,155 as of the most recent 2020 U.S. census. The north–south U.S. 11 and the east–west U.S. 211 pass near it and cross Massanutten Mountain at the town's titular gap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodstock, Virginia</span> Town in Virginia, United States

Woodstock is a town and the county seat of Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. It has a population of 5,212 according to the 2017 census. Woodstock comprises 3.2 square miles of incorporated area of the town, and is located along the "Seven Bends" of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. While some tourism references list Woodstock as the fourth oldest town in Virginia, the area was sparsely settled and perhaps platted in 1752 or shortly thereafter, but the town was actually established by charter in 1761. While there are a number of Virginia towns closer to the eastern seaboard that claim earlier founding dates, Woodstock was one of the first towns west of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romney, West Virginia</span> Town in West Virginia, United States

Romney is a town in and the county seat of Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 1,722 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Winchester, Virginia metropolitan area. The town was established in 1762 along with Shepherdstown; together, they are the two oldest towns in West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shenandoah Valley</span> Region of Virginia and West Virginia

The Shenandoah Valley is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, to the north by the Potomac River, to the south by the James River, and to the Southwest by the New River Valley. The cultural region covers a larger area that includes all of the Valley plus the Virginia Highlands to the west and the Roanoke Valley to the south. It is physiographically located within the Ridge and Valley Province and is a portion of the Great Appalachian Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Wood (governor)</span> American politician

James Wood was an officer of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the 11th Governor of Virginia. He was an abolitionist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third Battle of Winchester</span> Battle in the American Civil War

The Third Battle of Winchester, also known as the Battle of Opequon or Battle of Opequon Creek, was an American Civil War battle fought near Winchester, Virginia, on September 19, 1864. Union Army Major General Philip Sheridan defeated Confederate Army Lieutenant General Jubal Early in one of the largest, bloodiest, and most important battles in the Shenandoah Valley. Among the 5,000 Union casualties were one general killed and three wounded. The casualty rate for the Confederates was high: about 4,000 of 15,500. Two Confederate generals were killed and four were wounded. Participants in the battle included two future presidents of the United States, two future governors of Virginia, a former vice president of the United States, and a colonel whose grandson, George S. Patton, became a famous general in World War II.

Alexander White was an early American lawyer and politician in the present-day U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. He served in the House of Burgesses, the Virginia House of Delegates (representing Frederick County and later Berkeley County. During the American Revolutionary War, White facilitated the release of Quaker and Hessian civilian prisoners held by patriots. White also participated in the Virginia Ratifying Convention and became the northwestern Virginia district's inaugural member in the United States House of Representatives. United States President George Washington appointed White one of the commissioners responsible for the planning and construction of Washington, D.C..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Hall, Frederick County, Virginia</span> Unincorporated community in Virginia, United States

White Hall is an unincorporated farming community in northern Frederick County, Virginia, established in the late 1810s and located near the crossroads of Apple Pie Ridge Road with Green Spring and White Hall Roads, astride Apple Pie Ridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 50 in Virginia</span> Segment of American highway

U.S. Route 50 is a transcontinental highway which stretches from Ocean City, Maryland to West Sacramento, California. In the U.S. state of Virginia, US 50 extends 86 miles (138 km) from the border with Washington, D.C. at a Potomac River crossing at Rosslyn in Arlington County to the West Virginia state line near Gore in Frederick County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winchester, Virginia, in the American Civil War</span>

The city of Winchester, Virginia, and the surrounding area, were the site of numerous battles during the American Civil War, as contending armies strove to control the lower Shenandoah Valley. Winchester changed hands more often than any other Confederate city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christ Episcopal Church (Winchester, Virginia)</span> Church in Virginia, USA

Christ Church, or Christ Episcopal Church, is an Anglican church in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia. The church was founded in 1738, with its first vestry elected in 1742. It is the seat of Frederick Parish, Diocese of Virginia, which once covered half of the Shenandoah Valley and western Virginia, including what became West Virginia. The current church building, the parish's third, was designed by Robert Mills - it was completed in 1828, and is the oldest church building continuously used for religious purposes in the county. It is a contributing building in the local Historic District which predates the National Register of Historic Places, and which has been expanded three times since 1980.

Nineveh is an unincorporated community in Warren County, Virginia, on the main road between Winchester, Virginia, and Front Royal, Virginia. Prior to the creation of Warren County in 1836, Nineveh was in Frederick County, Virginia. A post office at Nineveh operated from the early 1800s until closing in 1954.

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