Winchester Appeals to Washington
On 21 April 1756 when a Council of War was held in Winchester Va responded to the citizens appealing to Washington and his men to stay in town.
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A picture of that moment was made famous in Washington Irving's Life of Washington.
This Darcy illustration in that book by Washington Irving inspired 2 different versions made of it in two locations in Winchester VA (update 9/15/2016:
The 1913 or 1910 version.
This version exists today.
Our last viewing of it was at 9 Court Square and has been there since 1996.
Before that ?
1968 - 1996.
The painting was placed in the main lobby of the new F&M Building at 115 N Cameron St (BB&T took over the bldg 2001 ) until it was moved to 9 Court Square.
1927 ? - 1968.
The old F&M Bank Building which is that yellow brick building with the clock.
According to Jill Feltner the 1913 painting was rolled up and never displayed in the old F&M Bank Building.
1913 to 1927.
The closed Feltner Museum information sheet states this painting "was first viewed by the patrons during the Grand Opening of the Empire Theatre Christmas Eve 1913. "
There are claims that picture was on the ceiling of the Capitol Theatre in 1910 earlier than 1913.
From this source here are some more dates below:
Joe Vogel on January 28, 2013 at 9:07 pm posted the following:
The Empire Theatre opened in June, 1909, but the original building was destroyed by fire in July, 1912.
The house was rebuilt, and reopened on Christmas Day, 1913.
It is Interesting that the ceiling picture is not as wide as the later one.
Looks like someone extended the painting on both sides in a later year.
What still exists in the Feltner's hands is the shorter width version further below.
Back to the 1913 painting.
That picture as of this writing 9/16/2016 resides at 9 Court Square, shown in the photo below (the corner brick building which is the closed down Feltner Museum).
Shenandoah University owns the building.
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Something yesterday (10 August 2016) caused us to look at that picture and that moment again.
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Feltner Museum is closing. And apparently it has been in the process of closing for some time.
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They have a picture of that moment mentioned above.
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We're wondering what the status of this picture in the old F&M building will be, since the closing of the Feltner Museum might mean this copy will be moved or sold?
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See Winchester Star (10 August 2016) article on Feltner Museum closing.
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For those who have paid access, click on link to that article.
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Here's more on that picture and of what it depicted.
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Washington Irving created legends
Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Rip Van Winkle
and
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That last book has a picture of the citizens beseeching Washington and his men to stay in Winchester VA.
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The people asked, Help !
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The original picture is based on:
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April 21, 1756 The Captains of the Council of War agreed to stay in Winchester rather than go to Fort Cumberland:
"…The most judicious of the Inhabitants solicited our continuation here in the most earnest manner; and represented in the strongest light, the impossibility of their making a stand, should any accident happen to the small party we proposed marching with…"
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See letters Washington writes on the same day of this Council of War in Winchester VA.
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WHAT MADE THIS MOMENT FAMOUS?
What made this moment that precipitated the decision of the Council of War in Winchester VA famous?
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An illustration captioned "The People of Winchester Appealing to Washington" in Washington Irving’s Life of Washington (Volume 1 of 4) 1856. made this moment famous.
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Felix Octavius Carr "F. O. C." Darley (June 23, 1822 – March 27, 1888) is the artist.
Felix Darley drew it.
This picture is located on this page of Irving Washington's, The Life of Washington.
Mostly text version:
Illustrated version:
The painting from the Capitol Theatre / Empire Theatre
was saved from that torn down building
and was place here at 9 Court Square
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A painting based on Darley’s drawing appeared on the ceiling of the Empire Theatre on northwest corner of Rouss and Cameron streets.
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After the Empire Theatre/ Capitol Theatre was torn down, Farmers and Merchants Bank acquired the property and recovered the painting and after restoring it, displayed it in the bank.
Photos of this 1913 painting taken and supplied to this page by Scott Straub.
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The 1932 version:
It is located in Handley Library's West Wing Reading Room.
THIS VERSION EXISTS STILL TODAY AT HANDLEY LIBRARY
In 1932 the bicentennial of Washington’s Birthday, another version was created.
The Winchester Frederick County Historical Society commissioned the artist, Burtis Baker.
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Click on picture to enlarge.
This picture shows a metal engraving used to help Burtis Baker paint his copy.
See link at Handley Library Archives.
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T
he final product by Burtis Baker’s version of Darley’s original drawing, still exists in the in the Reading Room in Handley Library's West Wing.
The picture below is of the Reading Room in Handley Libary's West Wing, taken December 2015. Click on picture to enlarge.
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LINKS
About the Empire Theatre / Capitol Theatre near where the old F&M Bank is now.
The closed Feltner Museum information sheet states The Empire Theatre was sold to Warner Brothers in 1927. It then renovated the building and reopened as the Capitol Theatre.
Joe Vogel on January 28, 2013 at 9:07 pm
The Empire Theatre opened in June, 1909, but the original building was destroyed by fire in July, 1912. The house was rebuilt, and reopened on Christmas Day, 1913. The entrance of the Empire Theatre was on N. Cameron Street, but when the house was taken over by Warner Brothers as the Capitol Theatre it was remodeled and a new entrance was opened on Rouss Avenue.
Comfortably Cool on February 15, 2016 at 11:31 am
The Capitol Theatre opened in 1929, apparently early enough to be featured in the June 8th issue of Exhibitors Herald-World. No mention was made of replacing an earlier Capitol Theatre. Construction cost was reported as $120,000, or $1,000 for each of the Capitol’s 1,200 seats. The theatre had a Robert Morton organ, but limited stage facilities and no refrigeration system. Joseph Nielsen, an architect of Harrisonburg, VA, was credited with the Spanish-influenced design. The Capitol was operated by Shenandoah Valley Theatre Corporation, in affiliation with Universal Pictures Theatre Company.
115 North Cameron Street, Winchester, Va. Building has been demolished and replaced with F&M Bank, now (2000s) part of the BB&T banking complex.
100 North Loudoun Street, Winchester, Va Farmers and Merchants (F&M) National Bank and partial view of Rosenmyer Show Store and BPOE sign hanging from building.
