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
Meet “Rattlesnake Granny”
Nancy Pullum was a resourceful woman of the 19th century. Living in the Blue Ridge Mountains around present-day Thorton Gap, Nancy made a living catching rattlesnakes and rendering their oil into a medicinal ointment. She was connected with her natural world in many ways: milking cows and raising hogs, picking wild berries, and facing the harsh mountain winters. Her friends and neighbors include John (a formerly enslaved man) and the historic Virginia sculptor William Randolph Barbee.
Unlock Your Family History with Library Genealogy Resources
Are you curious about your family's past? Whether you're just starting your genealogy journey or you're a seasoned researcher, the Handley Regional Library System offers a treasure trove of free genealogy and local history resources to help you dig deep into your roots.
Here’s a look at the powerful tools available through our library system—some of which you can access from home, and others you’ll want to explore during a visit to one of our branches.
Say Cheese! Check out our photograph collection at Archives After Hours
Did you know that Stewart Bell Jr. Archives has over 25,000 photographs housed in its collection? It’s true! These photographs represent a diverse look at our community and its people throughout the years. The oldest photographs date to the early years of mass photographic technology in the 1850s, and the latest photographs date to the 2020s. Within those one hundred and seventy years, a lot of local events, places, and people have been documented through photography.