National Preservation Month

Published on May 21, 2026

May is National Preservation Month, a celebration recognizing historic places and the lives of their residents. Winchester boasts a wealth of historic resources, including individually listed properties on the National Register of Historic Places (NHRP). Among them are Abram’s Delight, the City’s oldest surviving building, built in 1754, and Handley Library, constructed in 1913. In 1967, Winchester established the Historic Winchester District, which comprises nearly 1,000 contributing properties.

The Historic Winchester District is a zoning overlay that preserves the district’s historic character through a review process administered by the Board of Architectural Review (BAR). In the historic district, changes to the exterior of structures visible from the public right-of-way require BAR approval in the form of a Certificate of Appropriateness, although certain requests may be reviewed administratively. The BAR also awards historic building plaques to properties that exemplify Winchester’s architectural heritage. Since 1967, 160 plaques have been awarded. Applications to the BAR can be submitted through the City’s online permit portal.

The historic district is the core of Winchester’s preservation efforts. A recent rehabilitation project at 137 South Loudoun Street meticulously restored the façade and added new units to the rear of the building following a 2016 fire that had left it blighted. Now appropriately named the “Phoenix” building, the project has sparked new life on the south end of the pedestrian mall. In March, the BAR approved the placement of an interpretive marker at the recently rehabilitated 222 South Kent Street, an effort by Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity, recognizing the history of Ball’s Barber Shop and its importance to Winchester’s Black community.

Preservation efforts continue beyond the boundary of Winchester’s historic district. Winchester’s 2022 Comprehensive Plan highlights historic preservation as a means of promoting “architecturally appealing and walkable urban form while also respecting significant historic identity, image, and integrity.” Community-led efforts like the adaptive reuse of the NHRP-listed C. L. Robinson Ice and Cold Storage building, better known as ZeroPak, combine Winchester’s history with the demand for more affordable housing. Formerly an industrial structure that once stored apples, ZeroPak is now home to the residents of its 120+ affordable apartment units.

Much of Winchester’s enduring charm is rooted in historic preservation. Through design review and the maintenance of human-scale design and mixed-use development, the historic district feels distinctly Winchester, cultivating a place where the stories of local businesses and residents occupy the same walls as those of Winchester’s past.