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.
Archives News & Events
Your Local Genealogy Group is Here to Help
Family History Hunters is an informal group for genealogists of all levels of experience that meets every month at Handley Library. The organization is a discussion group examining research strategies and current genealogy topics. It is a place to come and share your successes and find help with your challenges. Each month features a different focus. Here's what's coming up...
September 14 @ 12:30 pm (Benham Gallery – Handley Library): Researching colonial and early US war records.
It's time for an Archives Fair!
October is American Archives Month, and it seems like the perfect opportunity to bring together archives from across the Shenandoah Valley to celebrate and educate the public about what we do. What does it mean to be an archivist? How do we preserve a variety of different types of artifacts for future generations? What do the archives in the Valley have in their collections? And how can we help you with your research and questions?
Outlived the Odium
The Handley Regional Library’s Stewart Bell Jr. Archives are proud to invite Jonathan Noyalas, director of Shenandoah University’s McCormick Civil War Institute, back to the stage! He has spoken numerous times about the Civil War and its impact on the Valley and its people.