Winchester (population 16,724) was founded in 1793. Recently the town saved and restored the abandoned and crumbling 1889 S.P. Kerr Building, which had been built squarely atop Town Branch, the source of water for original settlers and a major contributing factor to the deterioration of the Kerr Building.
The building is now being reborn as a commercial enterprise with a façade easement that protects its historic appearance in perpetuity. Another 19th-century building has been donated to house a regional history museum.
Designated a Preserve America Community in April 2004.