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Winchester Tales, Winchester, VA (2026)

02/03/2026

In the early twentieth century, Wi******er gained a new resident named Louis Zuckerman. He arrived carrying a family name rooted in Ashkenazic tradition—Zuckerman, formed from Zucker (sugar) and mann (man). In earlier generations, the name was often associated with sugar merchants or confectioners. In Wi******er, Louis purchased his first business and established a metal and scrap operation, laying the foundation for what would become a long-standing family enterprise. As he planned his future, he would have understood that the family’s progress now depended on steady work, reputation, and commitment to the town he had chosen.

The family’s presence expanded through service and civic life. Louis’s sons served in World War II and were photographed with actress Greer Garson inside John Handley High School on September 9, 1942, a moment preserved in Wi******er’s wartime record. In later years, that same family name reached City Hall when Charles Zuckerman served as mayor. Today, the Zuckerman name remains active in Wi******er through people like Phil, Linda, Ian, Steve, Ann, and Kitty Zuckerman. From European origins to a metal business built in the Shenandoah Valley, the name continues to carry forward a record of work, service, and continuity that would have made Louis Zuckerman proud.

02/02/2026

After the blizzard of 1966 dropped more than twenty inches of snow on Frog Eye, phone service across the area was unreliable. Bob Fries, working for the phone company, was sent out near Opequon to check the lines. He moved slowly along the road, stopping at poles and junctions, noting damage, sagging wires, and trouble spots that would need repair crews.

Behind him stood Hodgson Market, a familiar fixture at the crossroads. Bob wasn’t there to fix anything that day—just to see what the storm had done and report it. The work was quiet and methodical, but necessary. Those checks were the first step in getting Frog Eye reconnected, and the then and now photos preserve a moment when the valley was still digging itself out and taking stock of what the storm had left behind. Thank you, Chris Fries for the old photo and the story about your dad!

02/02/2026

Before a sanctuary ever rose on the land, a simple log building already stood there, serving the community as a schoolhouse. In 1842, the first house of worship was built beside it and dedicated by the Rev. William Hill, then pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Wi******er. For years it has been a true neighborhood church, its doors open to all—Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists, and Presbyterians worshipped together beneath its roof. At one time, a small gallery was added, stretching the walls just enough to welcome more voices, more hymns, more shared faith.

The Civil War brought hardships to the area and to the church . The Union cavalry used the church as a stable for their horses. In 1862 or 1863, the building was burned by retreating soldiers, leaving behind ashes and memory. From that loss came its enduring name—Burnt Church—a reminder not only of destruction, but of a sacred place that once bound a community together…and still does!

I lived next-door to Burnt Church for over seven years in Mrs. Nellis’ old craftsman style house. Many may remember Mrs. Nellis as she was a teacher at the Bryarly School. Those were very special days in a very special community and in a very special house!

02/01/2026

I had the opportunity to stop while traveling through Pittsburgh at the exact spot where General Edward Braddock was mortally wounded. It’s in the little town of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Lots of old houses here now. George Washington and Braddock’s army would have come up from the river behind the statue. This is as far as they got…

02/01/2026

Why is it called Star Tannery?
When Thomas Cover purchased 340 acres in the mountains of Frederick County, many laughed and called it “Cover’s Folly.” The land seemed remote and useless, but Thomas and his wife Elizabeth saw something different. The property was rich in chestnut oak, perfect for tanning bark, and Cedar Creek flowed steadily through it, providing the water the trade required. Within a few short years, their vision proved right. The tannery they built began producing leather for major companies, most notably the Star Shoe Company, and in its honor, Thomas named the operation Star Tannery. What began as a gamble soon became one of the largest tanning operations in Virginia, and possibly the nation.

As the business grew, so did a community around it. Workers, craftsmen, and families settled nearby, and Thomas and Elizabeth helped establish a school, church, post office, and cemetery. By 1872, the Star Tannery Post Office served hundreds, and a yearly picnic for employees and their families became a tradition that still continues. Thomas later expanded with a second tannery in Capon Bridge, West Virginia, securing the family’s legacy. When Thomas died in 1926, ten years after Elizabeth, they were laid to rest together in Mount Hebron Cemetery — the couple who turned “folly” into one of the great industrial stories of the Shenandoah Valley.

02/01/2026

Did you know that Frederick County had a nudist colony back in the day! It was called “Buck Skin Lodge”...I'm just giving you the bare facts...and the naked truth. Giving you the story stripped down and exposing the real Wi******er Tail.🙂

The resort was run by Mr. and Mrs. Young and it was sold and developed in the early 70s. It’s now the Autumn Hills Estates subdivision, and the land celebration company owns the lodge and airstrip. Yes you heard that right…these nudist had money to fly in! If they would have had pants on, they would have had deep pockets!

02/01/2026

Most of us know the beloved Snow White Grill in Wi******er, a hometown landmark that has served generations of locals. But few realize that it was part of a small franchise concept, built to look the same no matter which town you stopped in.

Just up the road in Frederick, Maryland, there once stood another Snow White Grill — nearly a twin to the one in Wi******er. The roofline, the layout, even the feel of the building mirrored its sister location, offering a sense of comfort to travelers moving along the Valley corridor. These grills were designed to be familiar, dependable, and friendly — places where truck drivers, young couples, and families all shared the same counter. Though the Frederick location has long since disappeared, its memory reminds us that the Snow White Grill was more than just a single restaurant. It was part of a moment in time, when roadside dining was new, hopeful, and full of promise — and when a simple meal could make a traveler feel right at home

02/01/2026

Long before it was known as Route 7, the road between Wi******er and Berryville began as a narrow Native American path, later widened by settlers moving through the Shenandoah Valley in the early 1700s. Wagons followed the natural contours of the land, passing orchards, stone fences, and open pasture. In 1832, the route was formally chartered as the Berryville–Wi******er Turnpike, one of the Valley’s important early macadamized roads. It became a vital artery for farmers hauling wheat, apples, and livestock to market, and for travelers heading east toward the Blue Ridge gaps.

By the time this photograph was taken in 1901, that stretch of road still moved at the pace of hooves and wooden wheels. Dust rose slowly in summer, and in winter the road fell quiet beneath frost and snow. There were no engines, no hurry — only the sounds of the country. Looking at the image today, it’s hard to imagine that this peaceful lane would one day become one of Northern Virginia’s busiest corridors. Yet beneath the asphalt and traffic, Route 7 still follows the same gentle path laid down more than two centuries ago — a road that has watched the Valley change, one generation at a time.

02/01/2026

No doubt Robert E. Lee’s most famous mount was Traveller, the powerful gray horse forever linked to the image of the Confederate commander. Yet there was another horse who carried him just as faithfully, and in many ways more gently. Her name was Lucy Long — a small, calm sorrel mare remembered fondly by those who later saw her walking the streets of Lexington beside Traveller. In 1862, during the Sharpsburg Campaign, Lee suffered a painful fall when Traveller pulled him down a steep embankment, breaking his hands and forcing him for a time to travel by ambulance. It was then that Jeb Stuart, knowing his commander’s need, sought out a quieter mount — one that would move easily beneath a wounded man.

Stuart found her at a country home known as The Bower, owned by Stephen Dandridge and located in Jefferson County, WV…near Leetown. The Bower was well known in its day for hospitality and was a familiar stop for Stuart and his staff. There, Lucy Long was purchased and presented to General Lee — a steady, low-moving mare whose calm temperament perfectly suited him. For two years she carried Lee through the war until she was sent to the rear with foal, allowing Traveller to once again take the lead. Though history remembers Traveller most, those who knew Lee understood that Lucy Long held a special place in his heart. Lucy Long outlived General Lee and died peacefully in 1892. She was buried without fanfare, just laid in an unmarked grave in a field near Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

02/01/2026

For those who have lived here all their lives—and for those who have just arrived—there is something important to know about Wi******er. Our roots run deep in country music and bluegrass. One of the most important chapters in that story belongs to Lynn Morris.

On one cool October morning, Lynn stepped out of her home and walked toward Fairmont Avenue, smiling at a small cat tucked near a neighbor’s bushes. A stroke years earlier had slowed her speech but not her spirit. Her mind remained clear, her warmth unchanged, and the hands tucked into her coat pockets were the same hands that won the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship in 1974. Long before she ever called Wi******er home, Lynn’s music was already shaping bluegrass across the country.

Raised in Texas, Lynn discovered bluegrass in Colorado Springs and committed herself fully to the banjo. Within five years she reached the top of the national stage. Along the way she met Marshall Wilborn, an extraordinary bass player in his own right whose steady rhythm became the backbone of their sound. Together they formed the Lynn Morris Band and built something special. At a time when bluegrass was dominated by men, Lynn quietly opened doors—recording five albums, winning IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year three times, and earning Song of the Year for Hazel Dickens’ “Mama’s Hand.” Younger artists, including Alison Krauss, looked to her as a trailblazer. After Lynn’s stroke in 2003, friends gathered in Nashville for a benefit in her honor, a reflection of the respect she earned through both talent and kindness. Some people change history without fanfare. Lynn Morris did exactly that—and Wi******er is proud to call her one of its own…

Grab a cup of coffee and listen to this!
https://youtu.be/sPHWoniyqq8?si=GXKpd32tGA3cAgdE

02/01/2026

In July of 1755, during the Battle of the Monongahela, British General Edward Braddock was struck down as his army collapsed along the forest road near Fort Duquesne. In the chaos, his deep red silk sash was used to help lift and carry the wounded general from the field to a waiting wagon. Blood soaked into the fabric as Braddock was removed from the fight. Before his death, he entrusted the sash to his aide, George Washington.

The sash later became part of the personal effects of President Zachary Taylor, stored away in a trunk that eventually rested for many years inside his daughter Betty Dandridge’s home on Braddock Street in Wi******er. Carefully wrapped and largely forgotten, the stained silk went unnoticed as the town passed from peace into war and back again. When the sash was finally rediscovered, its importance was recognized, and it was donated to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, where it remains today.

02/01/2026

Edward Caledon Bruce was born in 1825 at 217 West Boscawen Street in Wi******er, the son of Scottish immigrant and businessman John Bruce. Stricken with scarlet fever at fourteen, Edward lost his hearing, a turning point that pushed him inward and toward art and writing. By the 1840s he owned the Wi******er Virginian newspaper and quickly gained recognition as both an artist and editor. His work was exhibited at the American Art-Union in 1849, and after marrying into an artistic family, Bruce spent several years in Charles Town, VA (now WV).

When the Civil War began, Bruce hoped to serve but was barred due to his deafness. Instead, he went to Richmond to work within the Confederate government, where a personal connection led to a rare opportunity. In 1865, while General Robert E. Lee was headquartered near Petersburg, Bruce was granted permission to paint him from life—the only artist allowed to do so during the war. After the conflict, Bruce eventually returned to Wi******er, resuming his work in journalism and art. He died in 1900 and was laid to rest in the family plot at Mount Hebron Cemetery. The original painting disappeared after the war… it may have been destroyed, or it may be stored away in someone’s attic…

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