July 18, 2023 - July 25, 2023
John Handley High School, built in 1923 as a fourth through twelfth grade school, is the pride of the City of Winchester. Handley 100th is a photographic exhibit celebrating Handley’s 100th anniversary. This exhibit, which features 25 photos and 27 panels depicting 10 decades of Handley history, was on view at the MSV from July 18, 2023–July 25, 2023. The photographs show the growth and changes of Handley over 100 years from 1923 to 2023.
This display was organized by Handley High School 100th Anniversary Committee and made possible with support from John Handley High School Museum and Archives.
Judge Handley was born in the southeastern corner of Ireland on January 27, 1835. He became a naturalized American citizen in 1856, in Rochester, NY. In 1860, Handley passed the bar exam in Washington, DC, and later that year moved to Scranton, PA. Within a few years, he had a thriving practice and had amassed many profitable investments in real estate. Though Handley never resided in Winchester, he fell in love with the area. He purchased lan in the area in 1873 and started the Equity Improvement Company here in 1889. Upon his death in 1895, he bequeathed to the City of Winchester $250,000 for the building of a library and the remainder of his estate (about $1.2 million) for the construction of free schools for the children of the city. In addition to the structures in the city that bear his name, funds from the Handley Trust were used to build the Douglas(s) School (1927), the first school in the city built for the education of the city's African-American children.
"Dr. Garland R. Quarles" Aside from Judge Handley, no name is more associated with Handley High School than the name Dr. Garland R. Quarles. He served as teacher, Principal, and Superintendent for 42 years. Dr. Quarles came to Handley fresh from Randolph-Macon College in 1923. He met his homeroom of junior and senior boys in the portable buildings of the high school called "chicken-coops" by the students and led them to Room 24 in the newly constructed John Handley High School. After coming to Winchester to teach English in 1923, he became Principal of Handley in 1928, and in 1930 became the Superintendent of the Winchester City Schools. In these positions, he served ably and efficiently, establishing a school system which gained a reputation for academic excellence. From 1930 to 1959 he wrote, narrated, and in large measure produced, the Apple Blossom Pageant, which became synonymous with his name and brought acclaim to this city from all parts of the country.
"Handley Under Construction" On June 13, 1923 the cornerstone laying ceremony took place for Handley High School.
1923 Handley Football Team
Handley School May 4, 1934 at Apple Blossom Pageant
Handley School January 17, 1946
"Greer Garson with Zuckerman Brothers" Actress Greer Garson visiting Winchester September 6, 1942 to promote sale of War Bonds. To her left (in uniform) is Irvin Zuckerman, Class of 1940. To her right is Lamar Keene, manager of the Capitol Theater and (in uniform) Charles Zuckerman, Class of 1943.
"Apple Blossom Wedding" Apple Blossom Pageant May 1953, "Wedding Dance"on the steps of Handley School. Groom is Joe Sheetz and Bride is Mary Williams.
"Handley Cadet Battalion" The Cadet Battalion began in 1917 in the Old Winchester High School. It flourished in the 1920s but faded as an activity by the next decade.
1935 Handley Band
1944 Future Farmers of America - Handley Chapter
1945 Football Team: First Undefeated and Untied Team
"Chicken-Coops" Because the John Kerr School was too small to house all of the students, buildings, which became known as "chicken-coops," were erected on the grounds of the yet to be built John Handley High School.
1999 Baseball Team Northwestern District Region II Champions, VHSL State AA Champions
1936 Handley State Champion Undefeated Track Team
"Outdoor Ceremonies Add New Dignity to '68 Graduation" Instead of holding graduation ceremonies in the auditorium, the Handley graduating class of 1968, silhouetted against the sunset, left their Alma Mater from a mot appropriate setting, the front steps of the school. These commencement exercises will be remembered as a turning point in the customs of Handley.
1923-24 Girls' Basketball Team
Original Spotlight Used to Illuminate Front of School
Tennis player Chris Garber became the school's first girls' state champion in 1975.
"1965" John Handley High School was segregated until 1963. Gloria Ann Brown was the first African American student to graduate from the school.
James R. Wilkins, Jr. at the dedication ceremony of the Handley Bowl.
The Handley Bowl
2005 started the four-year-long renovation. The wooden planks of "the boardwalk" in the learning village could get dangerously icy in the winter. "Having to walk from the school to the trailers was inconvenient when it was snowy and slippery outside," said senior Ashley Hill.
Northwestern District Region II Champions, VHSL, State AA Champions 1985.
Northwestern District Region II Champions, VHSL, State AA Champions, Division III.
"Superintendent Letter"
"1952" Win or lose, the Junior Stand was always on hand to bolster our spirits with plenty of food and drinks. They spent hours in bad and good weather preparing and selling refreshments. They money raised went toward the senior gift to the school and the prom. Then after games they had the task of cleaning grounds and removing trash.