Founded in 1744 and chartered in 1752, Winchester is the oldest Virginia city west of the Blue Ridge. Its National Register sites, museums and cemeteries.
Last checked Oct. 18, 2026. Dates come from the City of Winchester’s history timeline, National Register listings from the National Park Service’s NRHP location data, and museum details from the Winchester-Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Winchester calls itself the oldest city in Virginia west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was once a Shawnee camping ground, according to the city’s history, before Col. James Wood laid out the town in 1744. George Washington began his public career here, and in the Civil War the town changed hands about 70 times.
Plan a visit
- Winchester-Frederick County Visitors Center and Civil War Orientation Center: 1400 S. Pleasant Valley Road, 540-542-1326
- Historic district rules for owners: City planning staff, 540-667-1815, option 7
- Museum hours change with the season; call ahead using the numbers below.
Timeline
From the city’s history page:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1744 | Col. James Wood founds the town on land granted to Thomas, Lord Fairfax |
| 1748 | George Washington, 16, first comes to Winchester as a land surveyor |
| 1752 | The Virginia General Assembly charters the town |
| 1754 | Abram’s Delight is built; it is the oldest known house left in the city |
| 1756 | Fort Loudoun is built under Washington’s direction in the French and Indian War |
| 1758 | Washington is first elected to public office, to the House of Burgesses from here |
| 1775 | Daniel Morgan leads riflemen on the “bee-line” march to Boston |
| 1808 | A central water system is installed, which the city calls the third-oldest in the U.S. |
| 1826 | The Medical School of the Valley of Virginia is founded |
| 1840 | The Frederick County Courthouse is built; it is now a Civil War museum |
| 1843 | Mount Hebron Cemetery is organized |
| 1862-1864 | Winchester changes hands about 70 times; battles of Kernstown (1862, 1864) and Winchester (1862, 1863, 1864) |
| 1866 | Stonewall (Confederate) Cemetery and the National (Union) Cemetery are dedicated |
| 1874 | The town becomes the City of Winchester, independent of the county |
| 1884 | John Kerr School opens |
| 1895 | Judge John Handley’s bequest funds Handley High School and Handley Library |
| 1900 | Rouss City Hall is built, half paid for by Charles Broadway Rouss |
The historic district
Most of downtown sits in two overlapping districts. The Winchester Historic District was added to the National Register in 1980 and enlarged in 2003, 2008 and 2016. The city’s own Historic Winchester District is a local designation: exterior changes visible from the street there need city approval. See our permits and zoning guide.
National Register listings in the city
The National Park Service lists these places in the city of Winchester, with the year each was certified:
| Year | Place | Address |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Thomas J. Jackson Headquarters | 415 N. Braddock St. |
| 1969 | Handley Library | Braddock and Piccadilly streets |
| 1973 | Abram’s Delight | Parkview Street and Rouss Spring Road |
| 1976 | Adam Kurtz House | Braddock and Cork streets |
| 1977 | Old Stone Church | 304 E. Piccadilly St. |
| 1979 | Glen Burnie | 801 Amherst St. |
| 1980 | Winchester Historic District (enlarged 2003, 2008, 2016) | Downtown |
| 1987 | Hexagon House | 530 Amherst St. |
| 1996 | Winchester National Cemetery | 401 National Ave. |
| 1998 | John Handley High School | 425 Handley Blvd. |
| 2000 | Douglas School | 598 N. Kent St. |
| 2001 | Frederick County Courthouse (filed under Frederick County) | 20 N. Loudoun St. |
| 2004 | Fair Mount | 311 Fairmount Ave. |
| 2008 | Winchester Coca-Cola Bottling Works | 1720 Valley Ave. |
| 2009 | Mount Hebron Cemetery and Gatehouse | 305 E. Boscawen St. |
| 2010 | The Triangle Diner | 27 W. Gerrard St. |
| 2010 | The George Washington Hotel | 103 E. Piccadilly St. |
| 2013 | Daniel Morgan House | 226 Amherst St. |
| 2013 | Hawthorne and Old Town Spring | 610 and 730 Amherst St. |
| 2022 | C. L. Robinson Ice and Cold Storage Corporation | 536-580 N. Cameron St. |
| 2022 | Virginia Apple Storage Warehouse | 1955 Valley Ave. |
| Listed; year not given in the NPS data | Patsy Cline House | 608 S. Kent St. |
Many more sites just outside the city, including the Kernstown Battlefield Historic District (2024), are listed under Frederick County.
Museums and sites you can visit
From the visitors bureau’s listings:
- Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and Glen Burnie House, 901 Amherst St., 888-556-5799. Galleries, gardens and the house on land James Wood settled in 1735; the oldest parts of the house date to 1794 and 1797. themsv.org.
- Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum, 20 N. Loudoun St., 540-542-1145, in the 1840 courthouse that served as a hospital and prison in the war.
- Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters, 415 N. Braddock St., 540-773-1604. Jackson used the house in the winter of 1861-62.
- George Washington’s Office Museum, 32 W. Cork St., 540-662-4412.
- Abram’s Delight Museum, 1340 S. Pleasant Valley Road, 540-662-6519, with an 18th century log cabin on the grounds.
- Godfrey Miller Historic Home, 28 S. Loudoun St., 540-667-5869, built about 1785; tours by appointment and on the first Friday of each month, April to November.
- Patsy Cline Historic House, 608 S. Kent St., the singer’s home in Winchester.
- George Washington’s Fort Loudoun, 419 N. Loudoun St., open on set “Sunday with a Sentry” dates; see our things to do guide.
- Kernstown Battlefield, 610 Battle Park Drive, 540-450-7835, site of the First and Second Battles of Kernstown; tours offered seasonally.
Cemeteries
- Mount Hebron Cemetery, 305 E. Boscawen St., 540-662-4868: four adjoining burial grounds with marked graves from 1769, including Stonewall Confederate Cemetery, where 2,575 Confederate soldiers are buried, and the grave of Judge John Handley, visited by city schoolchildren each May.
- Winchester National Cemetery, 401 National Ave., 540-825-0027, the burial ground for Union soldiers from the battles of Winchester and other Valley fights.
Related: parks and trails, population and moving to Winchester.
Frequently asked questions
When was Winchester, Virginia, founded?
Col. James Wood founded the town in 1744 on land granted to Thomas, Lord Fairfax. The Virginia General Assembly chartered it in 1752, and it became the independent City of Winchester in 1874.
How many times did Winchester change hands in the Civil War?
The city’s history says Winchester changed hands about 70 times between Union and Confederate forces from 1862 to 1864, with three battles of Winchester and two of Kernstown nearby.
What is the oldest house in Winchester?
Abram’s Delight, built in 1754 by the Hollingsworth family, is the oldest known house remaining in the city. It is now a house museum at 1340 S. Pleasant Valley Road.
What museums are in Winchester, Virginia?
They include the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and Glen Burnie House, the Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum in the 1840 courthouse, Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters, George Washington’s Office Museum, Abram’s Delight and the Patsy Cline Historic House.
What is on the National Register of Historic Places in Winchester?
The National Park Service lists about two dozen places in the city, from Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters (1967) to the Virginia Apple Storage Warehouse (2022), plus the Winchester Historic District, listed in 1980 and enlarged three times.
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