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 Va. by a long time Habitat supporter providing the opportunity to complete the first house in Clarke Co. in 2008, during which time a three house project on Baker St. in downtown Winchester was started. By the end of 2008, two of the three houses on Baker St. were complete and five houses in Frederick County in the West Wynd Development, in Stephens City was under way. The lots in West Wynd were donated by Beverley Shoemaker of Bowman-Shoemaker Companies, the developer of West Wynd. and a Community Development Block Grant through the Town of Stephens City has made this project on Frederick County possible.

Since 1997, we have completed 38 homes. This year we plan to complete an additional 3 houses in the city of Winchester and 3 houses in the West Wynd development in Frederick County.

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.

The ReStore opened their doors in October 2006, which is a retail store selling donated new and used building supplies at 563 North Cameron Street, Winchester. The revenue from the ReStore has exceeded original expectations and has become a tremendous asset in funding Habitat’s building program.

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.