Community
 
[ At a Glance: Winchester ]
[At a Glance:Frederick County ] [At a Glance: Clarke County]

History

Winchester was the first settlement and first chartered city west of the Blue Ridge (1752). Originally called Frederick Town, after the father of King George III, the town was renamed after the ancient capital of England by Col. James Wood, the city’s founder. Despite its English political ancestry, the region was primarily settled by Germans who brought their crafts and trades and established the area’s heritage of industry and commerce.

Frederick County, which surrounds the City of Winchester, was established in 1738 from part of the "Northern Neck" land grant by Charles II in 1649 to (through inheritance) Thomas Lord Fairfax. The county originally comprised 8,235 square miles. At various times, other counties were formed from Old Frederick, included Clarke, Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, and Warren counties in Virginia and Berkeley, Hardy, Hampshire, Jefferson, and Morgan counties in West Virginia.

The Winchester-Frederick County area has historically been a strategic crossroads. That description remains true today. Roughly 50 percent of the U.S. population lives within a 12-hour drive of the Interstate 81-Interstate 66 intersection in southern Frederick County. Virginia Highway 7, now a four-lane highway to Washington-Dulles International Airport, was one of the earliest Colonial roads, crossing the Blue Ridge at Snicker’s Gap and on westward to Winchester. The Great Wagon Road, from Philadelphia to the southern Colonies, was supplanted by the Valley Turnpike, then by U.S. 11 and now by I-81.

Because of its location, the Winchester-Frederick County area played a crucial role in all of the wars that were fought on U.S. soil. It was a center of defense in the French and Indian War. Col. George Washington made Winchester his headquarters when he was sent to build a line of forts to defend the Virginia frontier. During the Civil War, Winchester was headquarters for both Stonewall Jackson and Sheridan. Five major battles were fought for control of the region and Winchester itself changed hands more than 70 times.

Topography

 The topography of Frederick County is characterized by the rolling Shenandoah Valley, 8 to 10 miles wide. On its west flank sits mountains, ridges, and valleys of the Appalachian system. Frederick County and the City of Winchester comprise 436 square miles, or 279,000 acres. The City of Winchester occupies 9.3 square miles. The average altitude of the valley is about 700 feet. On ridgetops and mountaintops, the altitude is about 1,950 feet. The most prominent mountains are along the Virginia-West Virginia boundary, with Pinnacle Knob (2,844 feet) at the highest point in Frederick County. The lowest point in the county is about 500 feet. Handley Library, in downtown Winchester, is at 714 feet.

Natural Resources

 Groundwater: Winchester and Frederick County are located in the Valley and Ridge Province where limestone occurs producing large volumes of water, principally from fracture zones and solution channels. Springs are also a valuable source of water. Some produce 4,000 gallons a minute.

Surface water: The Shenandoah River Basin is a main source of surface water.

Forest land: Encompasses 130,947 acres. About 105,750 acres is farmland.

Minerals: Sand and limestone are quarried in the county. The sedimentary rocks of the area belong to the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian Periods. These rocks are the parent materials of most soils in Frederick County.

Climate

 There are four distinct seasons. Few days fall near zero. Nine years in 10 will have growing seasons from 148 to 219 days, depending on daily minimum temperature.

Average January temperature: 32.7 degrees

Average July temperature: 75.0 degrees

Average annual precipitation: 38.4 inches

Average annual snowfall: 27.8 inches

 At a Glance: Winchester

Claims to Fame: The Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, held the first weekend in May.

Home of country music star Patsy Cline

One-time home of George Washington and arctic explorer Adm. Richard E. Byrd.

Site of numerous Civil War military actions.

Location: 72 miles west of Washington, D.C., 97 miles southwest of Baltimore in the northern Shenandoah Valley.

Population: 1960: 15,110; 1970: 19,429; 1980: 20,217; 1990: 21,947; 2000: 23,585; 2010 projected population: 26,230.

Civilian Labor Force: December 1998: 14,238 (employed 14,005). Unemployment rate: 1.8 percent. In 1988, the labor force was 12,034. The unemployment rate was 4.2 percent.

Average age of Winchester resident: In 1990: 33 years.

Racial Diversity: 95.3 percent white; 3.9 percent black; 0.8 percent Hispanic; 0.2 percent other.

Gender Breakdown: Female: 51 percent; Male: 49 percent.

Median Housing Price: The median housing price for homes sold by the Blue Ridge Association of Realtors, including those in Winchester, was $123,117 in 1998.

At a Glance: Frederick County

Claims to Fame: Author Willa Cather (born in western Frederick County in 1873)

James W. Denver, for whom Denver, Colo., is named ( born in western Frederick County in 1817)

Site of numerous Civil War actions

Location: 72 miles west of Washington, D.C., 97 miles southwest of Baltimore in the northern Shenandoah Valley.

Population: 1960: 21,941; 1970: 24,107; 1980: 34,150; 1990: 45,723; 2000: 59,209; 2010 projected population: 64,880.

Civilian Labor Force: December 1998: 31,816 (Employed 31,142). Unemployment rate: 2.1 percent. In 1988, the labor force was 21,526. The unemployment rate was 4.3 percent.

Average Age of Frederick County Resident: In 1990: 33 years.

Racial Diversity: 95.3 percent white; 3.9 percent black; 0.8 percent Hispanic; 0.2 percent other.

Gender Breakdown: Female: 51 percent; Male 49 percent.

Median Housing Price: The median housing price for homes sold by the Blue Ridge Association of Realtors, including those in Winchester, was $123,117 in 1998.

At a Glance: Clarke County

Claims to Fame: Home of U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr. Home of Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax. Clarke County is named after Explorer George Rogers Clark.

Location: 60 miles west of Washington, D.C., in the northern Shenandoah Valley.

Population: 1960: 7,942; 1980: 9,965; 1990: 12,101; estimated 1998 population: 12,800; 2000: 12,652; 2010 projected population: 16,110.

Civilian Labor Force: December 1998: 6,721 (employed 6,647). Unemployment Rate: 1.1 (3rd best in state out of 135 jurisdictions). In 1988, the labor force was 4,537. The unemployment rate was 3.7 percent.

Average Age of Clarke County Resident in 1990: 36.5 years

Racial Diversity: 90.8 percent white; 9.2 percent non-white.

Gender Breakdown: Female 50.5 percent; Male 49.5 percent.

Median Housing Price: The median housing price for homes sold by the Blue Ridge Association of Realtors, including those in Clarke County, was $123,117 in 1998.