History of Habitat for Humanity of Winchester-Frederick County

Braddock Street United Methodist Church spearheaded a project to develop a local Habitat for Humanity affiliate in 1995. Habitat for Humanity International granted affiliation status in February 1997.

The first Habitat for Humanity of Winchester-Frederick County home was built on Charles Street in Winchester in 1998, a second home was completed on N. Pleasant Valley Road and the third home was built in Shawneeland in the fall of 1999. We completed seven homes at Gibson Place in 1999 and 2000. Five more were completed in 2001 and 2002. In 2003 -2004 we completed six homes on Watson Avenue, one of which was the Dowell J. Howard “build” completed by their construction students and one built by Handley High School construction students. Dowell J. Howard students have built a number of homes for us, as has Handley H.S., and Shenandoah University students. Two more houses were complete on Watson Ave in 2005. Through a partnership with the City of Winchester, Habitat obtained nine lots on N. Kent St. and Fremont St. which were complete in 2006 and 2007. A building lot that was donated in Millwood by a long time Habitat supporter providing the opportunity to complete the first house in Clarke County in 2008, during which time a three house project on Baker St. in downtown Winchester was started. By the end of 2008, five houses in the West Wynd Development in Stephens City were under way. Beverley Shoemaker of Bowman-Shoemaker Companies, the developer of West Wynd, donated the lots while a Community Development Block Grant through the Town of Stephens City provided funding for infrastructure. Over the next 2 years volunteers from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Interfaith Build, Women Build and Blue Ridge Association of REALTORS® completed all five homes. In 2010, two houses were completed on West Lane in Winchester and our first Green House on Fremont Street. In addition began partnering with area agencies through a “Neighborhood Stabilization Program” to acquire and redevelop foreclosed homes in neighborhoods that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight.

Since 1997, we have completed 45 homes. This year we are working to serve more families as volunteers are currently completing rehab projects on Orchard Ave. and Chase St. along with preparing for future projects in both Winchester and Frederick County. In addition to these building projects, Habitat is launching “A Brush with Kindness,” an exterior home preservation program that helps low-income homeowners who are struggling to maintain the exterior of their homes.

Just as our house production has increased so has our staff, from a small one-room office located in the First Baptist Church for the first six years of affiliation to occupying a larger office on Route 7 for 2 additional years, and we still had staff working from their home. In August 2007, we successfully completed the renovation of a beautiful historic stone building that will serve as Habitat’s permanent home located at 145 Baker St. This new facility has allowed us to better accommodate the needs of our staff and volunteers.

In 2006 Habitat opened the ReStore, a home improvement outlet center, selling new and used building materials to help provide a self-sustaining funding stream for Habitat for Humanity of Winchester–Frederick County. The need for a larger facility became apparent as donations and business increased at the original location on Cameron St. In June 2011 the Habitat ReStore relocated to a new, larger facility at 1944 Abrams Creek Drive. Now, it is better equipped to handle more donations and customers; in turn, it produces much needed funds for the affiliate..

While Habitat for Humanity does not preach any particular religious doctrine at Habitat we do all live by what Habitat founder Millard Fuller has called the “Theology of the Hammer”.

Theology of the Hammer is a fundamental principle of Habitat for Humanity. It teaches us to put aside our differences and to work in partnership with one another.