Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 09/09/1969
NRHP Listing Date 11/12/1969
NRHP Reference Number 69000364
Judge John Handley of Scranton, Pa., who made a fortune in coal investments, late in life developed a warm affection for the city of Winchester and its Scotch-Irish heritage. In 1895, he left funds for the construction of a school, and also for this library “for the free use of the people of the city of Winchester.” The result of this munificence is perhaps Virginia’s purest expression of the regal and florid Beaux Arts classicism. The Handley Library’s architects were J. Stewart Barney and Henry Otis Chapman of New York. Begun in 1908 and completed in 1913, the library was a model for its time. The dome, colonnades, and esplanades encased the most modern facilities, including an auditorium, well-appointed reading rooms, and five levels of glass-floored stacks, all in fireproof construction. Still an efficient facility, the Handley Library is an illustration of the long-lasting benefits of architectural quality.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: July 14, 2022
