Exploring Patsy Cline's Humble Roots in Winchester, Virginia

A marker in front of the house where Cline grew up.

For Patsy Cline fans, it’s difficult to believe that the year 2017 marked the 54th anniversary of the legendary singer’s death, but fans and devotees continue to keep her memory alive.

Movies, books, musicals, plays and even blogs pay tribute to the life of the iconic performer and recording artist. A loyal fan club, run by her daughter Julie Fudge, is still going strong. Those interested in sharing their enthusiasm can learn more about the club here.  
For the devoted Patsy Cline fans who enjoy her songs, sing her praises and are just plain “Crazy” about her, the pilgrimage to Winchester is a must. 
A few weeks ago I visited her humble abode located in a residential section of Winchester at 608 S. Kent Street where tours are conducted from April through October.

The modest house on Kent Street in Winchester, Virginia where Patsy Cline grew up

Born to a Teenage Mother

Few would have predicted that future stardom would blossom from Patsy Cline's humble beginnings. Born Virginia Patterson Hensley in 1932 to a 16-year-old seamstress mother and a 43-year-old blacksmith father, the road was often rocky for the family, who, by all accounts, moved around quite a bit. After the father left the household in 1948, the family settled into the small Kent Street home pictured above.  
Cline, who was introduced to music at an early age, often sang along with her mother Hilda in church. To make up for the income lost when the father left, Patsy dropped out of high school, working as a soda jerk and waitress. Despite her circumstances, the burgeoning young singer held tightly to her hopes and dreams. 
Cline admired stars of the era like Jo Stafford and Hank Williams and in 1947 convinced a radio disc jockey to allow her to perform on his show. The talent coordinator, impressed by her potential, invited her back. This, in turn, led to more appearances at local establishments where she would sport her signature fringed Western outfits. 

Copies of Cline's original sketches are on display in the dining room. Patsy would design the costumes and Hilda would sew them.

Replicas of Cline's costumes hang in the dining room.

Patsy Cline gained national attention in 1957, when she landed a gig on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts. Singing her now-famous song, “Walkin’ After Midnight,” she wowed the audience, sending the applause meter into the stratosphere. “Walkin’” shot up to number two on the country music charts and climbed to number 16 on the pop charts, officially earning her the distinction of being one of the first country singers to achieve a “crossover” pop hit record.

From Triumph to Tragedy

Cline reached the height of her popularity in the early 1960s when she was named the number one female artist in 1961 and 1962. When she released, “I Fall to Pieces,” it, too, became a crossover hit and climbed to number one on the country charts and number six on the pop charts, once again demonstrating her wide appeal.  She went on to receive acclaim for a string of hits before tragedy struck.

On March 3, 1963, Cline sang at a benefit held at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in Kansas City for the family of disc jockey “Cactus” Jack Call, who had died in an automobile accident approximately one month earlier. Dense fog prevented her from flying out of town the following day. Although friend Dottie West tried to convince her to take the 16-hour drive back to Nashville in the car, Cline opted instead to fly out on a small Piper PA-24 Comanche plane on March 5, ignoring reports of continued inclement weather which included high winds.

Cline’s manager, Randy Hughes, untrained in instrument flying, took the helm and on the evening of March 5, 1963, crashed the aircraft in the driving rain approximately 90 miles from Nashville.  Cline was dead at the age of 30.
Ten years after her death, in 1973, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Fans Keep Her Memory Alive

To this day, fans remain dedicated to keeping Patsy Cline’s memory alive. Her childhood house is open to tours, guided by dedicated volunteer docents who are eager to share details of the singer’s short life.

The dining room of the Patsy Cline house where many costumes were created.

"It is a joy to meet the people who come from all over the world to visit the home of the legendary singer. Her music is still played and is very popular even though she died more than 50 years ago. I am proud that she grew up in the same community where I was born and live," said docent and volunteer Joyce McKay.

Kitchen of the Patsy Cline House

Living room of the Patsy Cline House

Kitchen nook overlooks the large backyard where the family grew vegetables.

The living room where the family watched Patsy perform

Fan Mark Borchers said he wasn’t exposed to Patsy Cline until 1980, when he took advantage of an introductory offer to purchase six eight-track tapes for a penny as part of his enrollment in a music club. “One of those was the Patsy Cline Story. "I played that tape to death and still have it to this day,” he said. Borchers, who read a book about Cline, learned her mother Hilda’s general address and decided to send her a note. Hilda wrote back and that was the beginning of a meaningful friendship. Not only did Borchers learn details on how to join the fan club, but he was eventually invited to Hilda’s house where he dined with the family and even held Cline’s Lifetime Achievement Grammy. “Hilda retrieved it from the closet and I held it in my hands--talk about a special moment in a young man’s life,” said Borchers.

Paying Respects
Having finished my tour of the house, I took a moment to pay my respects to the singer who is laid to rest at nearby Shenandoah Memorial Park with her beloved husband Charlie Dick. Her unassuming grave can be spotted behind the funeral home. Be sure to bring along at least one penny to lay on her grave--a tradition that's said to bring good luck.

Patsy Cline is buried in the Shenandoah Memorial Park next to her husband Charlie Dick.

To learn more about the Patsy Cline house, or to plan a visit, be sure to visit the web page at http://celebratingpatsycline.org/.

Music, Art, Architecture and More in Historic Winchester, Virginia

If you're interested in a change of scenery, Winchester, Virginia is an interesting place to poke around. From my home base in Pennsylvania, it's less than a two-hour drive, so it's a convenient destination for a weekend getaway just to explore.

Fans of music legend Patsy Cline can tour her childhood home from April through October and architecture enthusiasts can download a handy self-guided walking tour of the area. Those interested in the arts can visit a museum containing thousands of artifacts and history buffs can choose from any number of guided tours to learn more about the region.

These are just a few suggestions on what to do and see when visiting the city.

Take a Walking Tour

A handy self-guided walking tour titled, “250 years of History and Architecture” is available online here and will take you on a short walk to 29 different destinations from the Old Frederick County Courthouse, to George Washington’s Office Museum, which served as Washington’s headquarters during the French and Indian attacks. The final destination on the tour will take you to the historic George Washington Hotel built in 1924.

The Old Court House Civil War Museum

An old stone house on Loudoun Street

The George Washington Hotel

Listed among the Historic Hotels of America, the George Washington Hotel is centrally located and convenient to area attractions.

The tidy, five-story brick building was one of the first “fire-proof” hotels to be built in the United States and visited by many luminaries throughout the years, from Bob Hope to Lucille Ball and Betty Crocker, who hosted an apple pie baking contest there as part of the popular Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival.

In addition to providing comfortable accommodations, the hotel offers visitors a glimpse of historic artifacts displayed in glass cases throughout the property. Other amenities include an onsite restaurant called Georges and live entertainment at the Half -Note Lounge.

Guests of the hotel can relax in an impressive and luxurious Roman-style indoor pool located on the lower level.

Shop and Dine on Loudoun Street

Not far from the George Washington Hotel is Loudoun Street, an outdoor "mall" where tourists can steps inside historic buildings like the Old Court House Civil War Museum and Miller’s Drug Store, known as the "oldest continuing family-run drug store" in America.

Restaurants line the streets, giving visitors ample dining choices and during the warmer months customers gather outside at tables, shielded from the sun by over-sized umbrellas, where they enjoy eating, drinking and people watching.

Shoppers and window shoppers alike will be pleased with the eclectic variety of shops, which offer an array of unique items.

Learn More about Patsy Cline

This year marks the 53rd anniversary of the untimely death of Virginia “Ginny” Patterson Hensley, otherwise known as legendary singer “Patsy Cline,” who met an untimely death at the young age of 30 due to an airplane crash.

Her childhood home is tucked away on a small, residential street in Winchester and is open to visitors from April through October. Located on the National Register of Historic places, the humble abode Cline shared with her mother from 1948-1957 appears how it would have looked when Patsy was growing up there and is furnished with personal items owned by the family. Relatives were consulted to help ensure the authenticity of the decor.

Cline's childhood home on Kent Street in Winchester, Virginia

Guests can view the small living room where she practiced her music, the sewing area where her mother crafted her outfits, the kitchen nook where many a conversation likely took place and the bedrooms where they laid their heads to rest each night.

A bedroom in the Cline house.

The Cline living room.

Volunteers Moe and Bill Hull will be happy to answer any questions you may have about the beloved singer and will even play you a clip of her first-ever professional appearance, circa 1957, where she sang “Walkin’ after Midnight,” on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.

A nook in the Cline kitchen provides a view to a large backyard.

A sewing area where Patsy's mom made her outfits.

The 45-minute tours are held from Tuesday through Sunday from April through October. To schedule a tour, click here. 

Visit “Stonewall” Jackson’s Headquarters

Stonewall Jackson's headquarters

Gen. Thomas Jonathan Jackson’s headquarters sits back among other houses in a residential area along a tree-lined street. Those visiting during the warmer months will likely witness neighbors out and about doing landscaping work in the yards of their private homes.

Jackson was known as a fearless soldier who arrived in Winchester in 1861 and set up headquarters at the Taylor Hotel, drawing so much attention that he was offered to use a vacant house on Braddock Street by Lt. Col. Lewis Moore, the great grandfather of actress Mary Tyler Moore.

Today the house showcases much of the original furnishings purchased by Moore in the 1850's, along with personal and professional artifacts of Jackson, many of which were donated by Jackson’s granddaughter.

On display are personal items like his prayer book, his prayer table, a lock of his hair, his death mask and pictures of Jackson’s family.

Docents tell the story of “Stonewall” Jackson while leading visitors through the house and sharing excerpts from his logs. In one particularly interesting log entry, Jackson describes in detail the wallpaper he admired in the room where he worked. This original wallpaper was uncovered during a renovation and Mary Tyler Moore decided to replicate it as close to the original as possible so visitors can get a feel for what Jackson found so striking so many years ago.

The house is open for tours from April 2 to October 31, seven days a week. For more information click here. 

Learn about the Art, History and Culture of the Shenandoah Valley

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley

Open Tuesday through Sunday, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley provides a glimpse into the arts, history and culture of the region.

Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Michael Graves, the museum showcases more than 11,000 pieces, which make up the permanent collection and includes baskets, ceramics, textiles, furniture and more. Many of the objects can be viewed by online by clicking on this link. 

The Glen Burnie House located on the grounds dates back to the 18th century and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Those who visit during the warmer months can tour six acres of gardens that are open from April through October.

Gardens of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (picture courtesy of Judy Watkins, Virginia Tourism Corporation) 

Now that the weather is improving, it's a great time of year to visit the region. Please keep in mind some attractions are closed on Mondays, so be sure to visit the individual websites before making final plans.