560 WFCHS/THL

Inventory created by Archives Staff 06/1986. Last revised 06/2020

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: Collection is open to all researchers.

USE RESTRICTIONS: Restrictions may apply concerning the use, photoduplication, or publication of items in this collection. Consult a member of the archives staff for information concerning these restrictions. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of copyright.

EXTENT: 0.88 linear feet

DATE: 1734 -1987; bulk 1759-1801

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The Stephens City, Virginia, Records contains deeds, wills, land grants, surveys, and other materials related to the history of the town. There are also more recent city records such as town council meeting minutes, zoning ordinance, miscellaneous newsletters, and council member lists from the 1980s.

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL: Peter Stephens built the first home in Stephens City in 1732. In 1758, his son Lewis applied to the Virginia General Assembly to establish the town as Stephensburg. As the town grew, it became known as Newtown. The name was officially changed to Stephens City in April 1880. The town was well known for its manufacture of sturdy wagons prized by Virginia farmers and settlers traveling to the West.

CITE AS: Stephens City, VA Records, 560WFCHS/THL, Stewart Bell Jr. Archives, Handley Regional Library, Winchester, VA, USA

ACQUISITION INFORMATION: Acquired as a gift.

ORGANIZATION:

BOX 1

1. Plan of the in lots and a sketch of the situation of the lots in the town to them, original and photocopy (has been archivally encapsulated

2. Plat of Newtown, 1830 (based on the names of the owners of the lots) – Made for the Anti-Quit Rent Society of the town of Newtown-Stephensburg

3. Will of Lewis Stephens, Sr. 1805, typescript certified by clerk, 3 leaves

4. Will of Peter Stephens, Sr. 1757, certified by clerk, 3 leaves

5. Legislative Petition 1799, photostat of original, 2 leaves; transcript, 1 item

6. Patent to Peter Stephens of 674 acres by Gov. Gooch, Oct. 3, 1734, photostat

7. Grant of 424 acres to Lewis Stephens, Sr. from his father, Peter Stephens, out of the above-mentioned 674-acre patent to Peter, May 2, 1755, photostat of manuscript

8. Deed between Lewis Stephens – Vance Bush and John McGinnis, Oct, 3 1793, photostat, 2 leaves

9. Stephens City Council Minutes, Abstract of Stephens City, Dec. 28, 1883-Sept. 12, 1961

10. Abstract from deeds of lots in Stephens City, no dates, 46 leaves, transcript, carbon

11. Lord Fairfax Grant, 1752, photostat, 1 leaf; photocopy, 1 leaf - Survey for Lewis Stephens, 1750-51, photostat, 1 leaf; photocopy, 1 leaf

12. Act for erecting town on 900 acres belonging to Lewis Stephens, 1758
Enlarging town of Winchester and erecting town of Leesburg

13. Description of Ground Survey and plat of outside boundaries of Stephensburg

14. Copy of Description and Plat of Stephens City, 1884 - Larrick Survey, Oct. 10, 1884

15. Goode map of Stephens City, survey of August, 1958

16. Results of Committee Findings and Expenses—investigating charter, boundaries and state highway work

17. List of so-called In-Lots and Out-Lots 3

Copies of Deeds certified by Lee N. Whitacre, Clerk of Court, October 12, 1961 (organized chronologically as follows):

18. Charles C. Bradford, May 6, 1759

19. Gabriel Jones, August 9, 1759

20. Robert Allen, September 4, 1759

21. Aberhart Towing, October 4, 1759

22. David Allen, April 31, 1760

23. Lawrence Stephens, May 3, 1760

24. George McCall, May 3, 1760

25. Nicholas Pittman, May 3, 1760

26. Bryan Bruin, May 4, 1760

27. Frederick Repppart, May 5, 1760

28. Thomas Allen, September 4, 1760

29. George Weaver, September 5, 1760

30. Henry Carver, December 26, 1760

31. George Weedon, May 5, 1761

32. George Wright, May 6, 1761

33. Nicholas Pitman, December 26, 1761

34. Lawrence Snapp, December 26, 1761

35. George Helm, May 16, 1762

36. Jacob Sheveldecker, May 1, 1765

37. Jacob Sheveldecker, May 26, 1765

38. John Davis, May 26, 1765

39. Vance Bush, April 6, 1778

40. Joseph Stephens, October 20, 1779

41. Richard Stafford, April 21, 1783

42. John Hite, Jr., August 5, 1783

43. Lewis Stephens, August 5, 1783

44. George Leonard, October 7, 1783

45. Vance Bush, October 5, 1786

46. Catherine Fogelsong, July 27, 1787

47. William Cunningham, April 12, 1790

48. Robert Ware Peacock, July 4, 1790

49. Thomas Dunn, September 1, 1790

50. Henry Crum, September 4, 1797

51. James Suggs, May 31, 1798

52. John Taylor, June 7, 1799

53. Barnett Lee, December 2, 1799

54. John W. Driver, January 29, 1801

55. John Yeakley, November 5, 1872

56. Greenhill Cemetery, April 18, 1874

57. L. Stephens Deed to Zea, November 15, 1875

BOX 2

Capital Improvement Program

Council, Committee, and Board Members

Mailing List

Stephens City Town council Minutes, January – June 1987

News Articles

Newsletter 1981-87

Stephens City Ordinances, 1978-1987

Resolutions

Town Code

Town Code—supplemental

Zoning Ordinance--1987

BOX 3

Minutes of Stephens City (Newtown, Stephensburg), Virginia, 1842-1889, typescript