What a fascinating story this is.  I’m not from Winchester so didn’t attend Handley High School, but it’s a name that’s out there – a lot.  So I’m interested.

What motivates a man, who never lived in the city, to leave a sizable portion of his estate to the educational betterment of the town?  Fascinating.  And apparently very problematic initially.  I never really got into history, and I probably won’t dive to deeply into this, but it’s fascinating nonetheless.

I’ve decided that I’m going to start “investigating” my town (or at least the town where I currently live because “my town” in Bridgewater, VA) and will be posting my thoughts each weekend (at least for now) and John Handley is a big part of this town.

I also find it humorous that the Wikipedia page for John Handley High School lists, as notable alumni, Brian Partlow (who I know as a really nice guy) ahead of Patsy Cline!  no offense Brian

John Handley High School. An endowed public school in Winchester, VA. Order a print of this image.