For 150 years, Winchester, Va.,
founded in 1729, was at the center of our nation’s early wars: The
French and Indian War, the Revolution, and the Civil War. Winchester
was a road and rail hub in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley. The
Valley was the breadbasket of the south during the Civil War.
Stonewall Jackson knew its strategic importance. Winchester was 35
miles from the Federal Armory at Harpers Ferry and 76 miles from
Washington City.
Itinerary
Note: This is a tentative itinerary. An updated itinerary will be
sent before the trip.
Friday, September 24, 2010
- Harpers Ferry Talk and Live-Fire
Demonstration.
John King, a U.S. Army veteran and a 30-year National Park Service
Ranger will discuss the Armory at Harpers Ferry and give us a
Live-Fire Demonstration. We will carpool to Harpers Ferry and need
to leave by 8:45 a.m. We’ll park at the Harpers Ferry Visitor’s
Center, and take a bus to the Lower Town where we will meet John
King at 10 a.m. for a two-hour presentation.
- Lunch will be at restaurants of
your choice in the Lower Town area at Harpers Ferry.
- We will leave by 1 p.m. to meet
our next guide at 1:45 p.m. at Stonewall Jackson’s headquarters in
Winchester.
- Friday afternoon in Winchester.
Our guide is Jonathan A. Noyalas, Assistant Professor of History and
Director of the Center for Civil War History at Lord Fairfax
Community College, Middletown, Va. He has written or edited seven
books and numerous articles about the Civil War. He will guide us
through the heart of Jackson’s 1862 Valley Campaign: The Lower
Valley including sites related to 1st Kernstown.
- Friday Dinner will be at
The Cork Street Tavern, 8 W Cork St # B,
Winchester, VA 22601 (540) 667-3777. Cork
Street is one of the oldest streets in Winchester and still retains
its original name—the one given in 1759 by Lord Fairfax and his
agent. The building lots along Cork Street were listed in the
original city plans. The original Tavern building was completed in
the 1830s. It survived heavy shelling from three major campaigns
during the Civil War.
- Friday Night Fun (Optional) -
Ghost Tour of Old Town Winchester (from a Southerner’s perspective!)
The tour takes two hours. We will meet our guide, local historian
and ghost buff, Mac Rutherford, at the Cork Street Tavern, which is
said to be haunted by several spirits. Spooky!
Cost: $8 per person for a group of 10 or more. $10 per person for
smaller groups.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
- We will visit Front Royal and travel to Middletown. After lunch, we
will see where Jackson had his delaying action in Newtown. We will
also tour Camp Hill and Bower’s Hill. We will end the day with a
walking tour of Winchester.
- Lunch will be served at
The Wayside
Inn, 7783 Main Street, Middletown, VA 22645,
(540) 869-1797. The Inn was established in
1797 and is nestled in the Shenandoah Valley at the foot of the
Massanutten Mountains.
- Dinner will be at
Brewbaker's Restaurant
in Old Town Winchester, 168 North Loudoun Street, Winchester, VA
22601, (540) 535-0111.
Other Area Attractions
For those not going on the
battlefield tours or those looking for Sunday activities, the following are some
additional places of interest.
Complete descriptions and contact info can be found at
Winchester - Frederick
County Visitor Center and at the individual site links below.
-
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
- $20
million museum and 6 acres of spectacular gardens. The museum
operates the Glen Burnie Historic House. Open 10-4, Tues-Sun. 901
Amherst Street, Winchester, VA, 888-556-5799.
-
Old Court House Civil War Museum
- The Old Court House was built in 1840 to serve the citizens of
Winchester and Frederick County. It was constructed on the site of
the 1741 courthouse which was the first courthouse beyond the Blue
Ridge mountains. Today, the Old Court House Civil War Museum
houses a nationally recognized collection and provides tours of
the building. Hours: Wed-Sat: 10-5, Sun: 1-5. Adults $5.00,
Children (5-17) $3.00, Children Under 4 free, Groups (10 or more)
$3.00. 10% discount on admissions for Seniors (65 or older);
Military (retired and active duty); College Students; AAA (ID
needed to receive any discount). 540-542-1145
-
Belle Grove Plantation - Originally home to Major Isaac Hite
and his wife Nelly, sister of President James Madison. In 1864, the
Battle of Cedar Creek raged around the mansion, but it was
remarkably unscathed. Open Mon-Sat: 10-4. Sun: 1-5. (540)
869-2028.
-
Abram’s Delight Museum
-
Winchester’s oldest home, built in 1754, served as the area’s first
Quaker meeting house. Open Mon-Sat: 10-4. Sun: 12-4. 540-662-6519.
-
George Washington's Office Museum
- George Washington used a little log building, now the middle
room of George Washington Office Museum, as a military office from
September 1755 to December of 1756 while Fort Loudoun was being
constructed at the north end of town. Hours: Mon-Sat: 10-4,
Sun: 12-4. Admission: Adults $5.00; Seniors $4.50; Students
$2.50; Family $12.00. 540-662-4412.
-
Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters Museum - This Hudson River
Gothic Revival style house, a Virginia and National Historic
Landmark, was used as headquarters by General "Stonewall" Thomas
Jackson during the winter of 1861-1862. Hours: Mon-Sat:
10-4; Sun: 12-4. Admission: Adults $5.00; Seniors $4.50;
Students K-12 $2.50; Family $12.00. 540-667-3242.
Note: Block tickets are available
for Abram’s Delight Museum, George Washington’s Office Museum and
Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters Museum.
Accommodations
We have identified two hotels in
the area suitable for our group. You will need to make your own
hotel reservations:
-
Wingate by Wyndham
150 Wingate Drive
Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 678-4283
Rate: $65 (group discount rate). Free hot breakfast is included.
A block of nonsmoking rooms has been reserved. If you smoke, the
hotel will accommodate you. Just let them know.
-
George Washington Hotel
- A Wyndham Grand Hotel
103 East
Piccadilly Street
Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 678-4700
Rate: $139, no breakfast. Rate includes AARP or AAA 10% discount.
It is a restored, historic 1920s hotel that overlooks Winchester’s
pedestrian mall.
No rooms have been reserved. There are many rooms available.
Costs for the Field Trip
$13 for entrance fees at the
different site plus a portion of the $375 speakers fee.
There is a $6 fee per vehicle to park at the
Harpers Ferry Visitor’s
Center, 171 Shoreline Drive, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, (304)
535-6029. The parking lot honors
National Park Service passes (if the name on it matches your
driver’s license).
Related Links
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