Winchester

I drove to Winchester today to see a few things. First, let me tell you about Winchester. Winchester, or Frederick as it was originally known, was organized into a town about 1752.  One of its early residents was George Washington, who came there a few years later as a colonel in the militia, in order to help the people defend themselves before and during the French and Indian War.  Washington would set up shop in this building:

He would work out of this building, organizing a regiment of militia, until a fort could be built.  He would leave from here to march with General Braddock in the failed attack on fort Duquesne (where Pittsburgh is, if you don’t know).

Fast forward to 1861.  Stonewall Jackson is sent here after the 1st Battle of Manassas to defend the Shenandoah Valley.  He is given the use of a home (I don’t have any pictures, sorry) north of Winchester to use as a headquarters.  He would remain here until about March or April of 1862. Winchester would suffer greatly in the Civil War, changing hands 72 times, with 13 of those happening in one really bad day.  Needless to say, Winchester was a wreck.  You might find this interesting.  The owner of the house, who let Jackson use it, was a man named Lewis Moore.  Some years ago, a T.V. actress, who was quite well known, came and toured the home.  After the tour, she asked if there was anything she could do for the organization that ran to museum.  They said that they had a scrap of the wallpaper that had been in Jackson’s office, and asked if she could get it replicated so they could put it up as it would have been.  She did so, and had it installed, all at her expense.  She would do much more through the years.  The actress: Mary Tyler Moore!

However, one house that did survive, a log cabin, was eventually painted, plastered, etc., and turned into a home.  In 1948, it was purchased by a Hilda Hensley, who was divorced, with 3 children. The oldest, Virginia Patterson Hensley, or “Ginnie,” started singing with groups in the area, including Jimmie Dean, and Bill Peer.  She soon changed her first name to Patsy.    Shortly she married a man by the name of Gerald Cline.  She recorded a few songs, got divorced, and hit it big in 1957 on “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” with the song, “Walkin’ after Midnight”.  Patsy Cline would move to Nashville, but would return frequently to visit her mother in this home, until she died in a plane crash in 1963 at the age of 30.

The floors are all original wood from the home.  Even the wheelchair ramp was made from the same wood that was found in the attic.  The sewing machine was used by Hilda to make clothing to support the family.  The picture was sent to Hilda from Patsy, and is inscribed, “To Mom, We finally made it.  All my love.”  The bedroom was shared by the whole family to save on heating costs.  The far bed was Patsy’s (you can see a pair of her pants on the bed), the closer one was share by Hilda and the other daughter (sorry, don’t remember names), and there is a bed behind me that Hilda’s son slept in.  One more thing.  The family (two cousins work at this museum) still called her Ginnie, even after she became famous, and aren’t sure where “Patsy” came from.

That’s all I have today.  Happy Road-Tripping!