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
Hooray for the Return of Archives After Hours! A Closer Look at our World War I Veterans
Come to our first Archives After Hours event of the year on Thursday, January 30 at 5:30 pm. This event’s focus will be on our local World War I veterans and the Handley Plaques.
It's a Perfect Time to Join our Family History Hunters Group
New Years is a great time to pick up hobbies and join clubs. Got an interest in the past? Wondering about who your ancestors were? Why not join Family History Hunters? Family History Hunters is an informal monthly meeting for genealogists of all levels of experience. The group meets on the second Thursday of each month to discuss a topic related to studying your family history to make genealogical research more successful. The upcoming topics include…
January - Beginners Genealogy
February - Googling your Ancestors
Prisoners of Congress: Philadelphia's Quakers in Exile, 1777-1778
Many locals will be familiar with the connection to prisoners of war camps the Winchester area has had throughout history: the Hessian prisoners brought here during the Revolutionary War and the German prisoners during World War II. Many may be unfamiliar with the story of a small group of 20 men from Philadelphia, PA exiled out of the commonwealth and sent to Winchester for months during the Revolutionary War. Norman Donoghue’s new book Prisoners of Congress: Philadelphia’s Quakers in Exile, 1777-1778 examines that topic.