Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Winchester (Va.) Deed of Trust, Sidney P. York and Wife to William L. Bent, 1860. Local government records collection, Winchester (City) Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

This item was returned to the library from the National Archives in November 1949 under the accession number 23476n.

Historical Information

Born in May 1829, Sidney P. York was a teacher in Virginia and New Jersey and a member of the War Department in Washington. In 1854, York founded the Valley Female Institute, later known as Fairfax College in Winchester, Va. During the Civil War, York's sympathies remained with the Union; as a result, York's property was confiscated and he became a prisoner of the Confederacy. In 1869, York relocated to Vineland, N.J., where he was a teacher, 1869-1878, and superintendent of schools, 1878-1897. York also served as member of the War Department for six years. York and his wife Elizabeth had two sons -- Merwin York and Clarence M. York. York died on 7 June 1903.

The City of Winchester, in Frederick County, was first known as Opequon, then as Frederick's Town (or Fredericktown), and, finally, upon establishment as a town in 1752, as Winchester. According to tradition, one of the town's founders, James Wood, named the town in honor of his birthplace in England. Winchester was incorporated as a town in 1779 and as a city in 1874.

Scope and Content

Winchester (Va.) Deed of Trust, Sidney P. York and Wife to William L. Bent, 1860, transfers York's property in order to satisfy debts incurred by York. York granted control over a lot in Winchester known as the "Valley Institute," along with all of the furniture in the establishment. The "Valley Institute" refers to York's Methodist school the Valley Female Institute, which was later termed Fairfax College.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Winchester (Va.) Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• Land subdivision--Virginia--Winchester.

Geographical Names:

• Winchester (Va.)--History--19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Deeds--Virginia--Winchester.
• Land records--Virginia--Winchester.
• Local government records--Virginia--Winchester.

Added Entry - Personal Name:

• York, Sidney P. (1829-1903).