Winchester in Frederick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Evans Family Memories

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Evans Family Memories Marker

Inscription. This old stone house was for many years the homeplace of the Evans family. William Armstead "Shug" Evans, a free Black, came to Winchester from southern Virginia before the Civil War. He first operated a stage line from Winchester south to Strasburg and north to Stephenson. When the railroad replaced the need for a stage line, he ran a livery service, with stables next door to his home. And when automobiles replaced the need for horses, his sons carried on with a taxi business. In 1947, the Elks Club, Daniel J. Farrar Lodge #458, purchased this property, and the Elks have met here ever since.
Captions
Home of the Elks Club. 1966

Shug Evans’s daughter Hattie Evans Bell was also in the transportation business, operating the Evans Hotel on Sharp Street in Winchester. During the era of segregation, the hotel was listed in the Green Book, so Black travelers would know they would be welcome.

Shug Evans’s grandson, Earl D. Evans (front row, third from left), was a trustee of the Elks Club, c. 1960s.

Virginia Informer July 17, 1939

Shug Evans "held quite a prominent place in the business world of Winchester,” said his obituary in the Winchester Evening Star, January 15, 1917

Photos courtesy of the Stewart Bell Jr. Archives of the Handley Regional Library and the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society.

This marker was created as a collaboration between Winchester-Frederick County Tourism and the Local Black History Task Force.

Topics.

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This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is July 13, 1939.

Location. 39° 11.274′ N, 78° 9.664′ W. Marker is in Winchester, Virginia, in Frederick County. It is at the intersection of North Kent Street and Elk Street on North Kent Street. The marker is located on the south side of the Daniel J. Farrah Elks Lodge #458. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 414 North Kent Street, Winchester VA 22601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Evans Family Memories Marker

marker: John Kirby, Jazz Musician (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Third Battle of Winchester (about 700 feet away); Spottswood Poles (about 700 feet away); Dr. Taylor F. Finley (about 800 feet away); The Early Education Of Black Students In Winchester (about 800 feet away); Piccadilly's Public House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of Fort Loudoun (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fort Loudoun (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winchester.

Also see . . .
1. History of Evans Home. (Submitted on May 28, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. New signs offer additional insight into local Black history. (Submitted on May 28, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
3. African - American. (Submitted on May 28, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Daniel J. Farrah Elks Lodge #458 & Maggie Farrah Dismond Temple #760 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

3. Daniel J. Farrah Elks Lodge #458 & Maggie Farrah Dismond Temple #760

Credits. This page was last revised on May 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 28, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 186 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 28, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.