FREDERICK COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Established: 1778
Parent County: Augusta County
Child Counties: Shenandoah (1772), Clarke (1836), and Warren (1836) Counties in Virginia. Hampshire (1754) and Berkeley (1772) Counties in West Virginia.
Frederick County was named for Frederick, Prince of Wales and eldest son of King George II.
CITIES & TOWNS
Winchester is the oldest city in the Shenandoah Valley, founded in 1744. As the County Seat, Winchester offers visitors and researchers a wealth of opportunities. Both George Washington and Stonewall Jackson had offices here. There are also a host of museums and other repositories available for research.
Stephens City is located approximately five miles south of WInchester and is the second oldest town in the Valley, founded in 1758 on Lewis Stephens’ land. Stephens City was originally settled by Scottish, Irish, and German immigrants. These immigrants were largely Lutheran and Presbyterian.
Middletown was established in 1796. In 1797, Israel Wilkinson built a tavern which is still in operation as The Wayside Inn and Restaurant and is one of the oldest operating inns in the country.
COURTHOUSE
Frederick County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Address: 5 North Kent Street, Winchester, VA 22601
Phone: 540-667-5770
Websites: http://winfredclerk.com/ & http://www.co.frederick.va.us/
Frederick County Clerk’s Office has records that date back to 1743 (birth: 1853 to 1912, death: 1853 to 1896, marriage: from 1782, land: from 1743, wills: from 1743). The Courthouse also has Civil War Muster rolls, World War I & II records and Militia records beginning in 1796.
LIBRARIES
Handley Library: Stewart Bell Jr. Archives
Address: 100 W. Piccadilly St., Winchester, Virginia
Phone: 540 662-9041
The hours for the Archives are different then the Handley Library. Please refer to the Archive’s website for current times.
The Stewart Bell Jr. Archives at the Handley Library is located on the lower level. The collection focuses on Winchester and Frederick County from 1732 to the present. The collection also contains information for surrounding counties and communities which are referred to as the Lower Shenandoah Valley.
HINT: When looking at the Archive’s Manuscript Collection, click the title of the finding aid to see a description and complete inventory for the given collection.
Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society
Address: 1340 S. Pleasant Valley Road, Winchester, VA 22601
Phone: 540.662.6550
The Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society’s mission is the preservation of Northern Shenandoah Valley culture and history with a focus on the city of Winchester and Frederick County. The society maintains five museums: Abram’s Delight, George Washington’s Office, Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters, 18th Century Valley Cabin and the Hollingsworth Mill. The society’s archival collection is maintained at the Stewart Bell, Jr. Archives room at Handley Regional Library in Winchester. The Society publishes a journal; past articles can be found using PERSI (PERIodical Source Index).
Winchester-Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Address: 1400 S. Pleasant Valley Road, Winchester, VA 22601
Phone: (540) 542-1326 or (877) 871-1326
The Winchester-Frederick County Visitors Center provides up to date information of attractions, events and information to plan your trip. The Visitors Center also houses the Civil War Orientation Center where information can be found to plan battlefield driving and historic site tours. Also explore the various events and experiences which affected daily life in the Valley during the Civil War.
Belle Grove Plantation
336 Belle Grove Road
Middletown, VA 22645
540-869-2028
Cedar Creek Battlefield
8437 Valley Pike
Middletown, VA 22645
540-869-2064
George Washington’s Office
32 West Cork and Braddock Streets
Winchester, VA 22601
540-662-4412
Kernstown Battlefield
610 Battle Park Drive
Winchester, VA 22601
540-869-2896
Mount Hebron Cemetery
1001 E Cork Street
Winchester, VA 22601
540-662-4946
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
901 Amherst Street
Winchester, VA 22601
540-662-1473
Newton History Center
5408 Main Street
Stephens City, VA 22655
540-869-1700
Old Court House Civil War Museum
20 N Loudoun Street
Winchester, VA 22601
540-542-1145
Stonewall Confederate Cemetery
305 E Boscawen Street
Winchester, VA 22601
540-662-4868
Virginia State Arboretum/Blandy Farm
400 Blandy Farm Lane
Boyce, VA 22620
540-837-1758
Winchester National Cemetery
401 National Avenue
Winchester, VA 22601
540-825-0027
The events below occur annually with the approximate dates shown. Visit each website for further details.
Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival
Late April to Early May
Old Town Winchester Farmers Market
Saturdays, May to September
Civil War Walking Tours
May to October
Frederick County Fair
Late July
Civil War Weekend
August
Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek
Third weekend in October
Candlelight Tours of Historical Society Museums
Late November to early December
Christmas Candlelight and Daytime Tours of Belle Grove Plantation
December
BOOKS
Cartmell, Thomas Kemp. Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants: A History of Frederick County, Virginia. Winchester, Virginia: The Eddy Press Corporation, 1909.
Kerns, Wilmer L, PhD. Frederick County, Virginia: Settlement and Some First Families of Back Creek Valley 1730-1830. Baltimore: Gateway Press Inc., 1995.
WEBSITES
Click images to enlarge.
County map image edited from US Census (http://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/general_ref/cousub_outline/cen2k_pgsz/va_cosub.pdf)
State map from Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=573528)