Stewart Bell Jr. Archives
Handley Regional Library
Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society
P.O. Box 58, Winchester, VA 22604
(540) 662-9041 ext. 17
archives@handleyregional.org
www.handleyregional.org
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