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Local History & Genealogy

The Stewart Bell Jr. Archives is a local history and genealogy center jointly operated by the Handley Regional Library and the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society. Our holdings include a variety of materials documenting the history of the Lower Shenandoah Valley from 1732 to the present, with an emphasis on the City of Winchester and Frederick County, Virginia. 

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Archives News & Events

Hotchkiss Map

Traveling through Time with John Ross

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Elizabeth Knappenberger

Maps are fascinating.  They can provide us with so much information about the people and places in history, all the while in a manner that is easy to understand and just visually beautiful.  We can learn where our ancestors and our community lived and how they lived through maps. 

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Genetic Testing

What’s Genetic Genealogy?

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Elizabeth Knappenberger

Technology can aid in the search for ancestors in many ways.  A relatively new option to pursue is genetic genealogy testing.  How does this technology work?  What information can it tell you and what can’t it tell?  For answers, come to the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives upcoming talk, Genetic Genealogy with Shannon Combs-Bennett on Saturday, May 11 @ 2:00 pm.  Ms.

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old photographs

Protecting your Family’s Memories

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Elizabeth Knappenberger

Do you have stacks of old family photographs collecting dust?  Do you wish you could share these photographs with all your extended family?  Do you worry about your photographs being destroyed or ruined?  If so, come to our Preservation and Scanning of Photographs workshop on Saturday, April 20 @ 10:30 am in the Benham Gallery of Handley Library.

Stewart Bell Jr. Archives Manager Lorna Loring will lead a workshop demonstration explaining the three steps to begin your photography preservation efforts.

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