The Handley Library at 100 W. Piccadilly Street is one of the more architecturally striking buildings in the Shenandoah Valley. The Beaux-Arts building — completed in 1913 to a design by architect James Stewart — features a prominent domed rotunda, arched windows, and rusticated stonework that makes it look more appropriate to a state capital than a small Virginia city. Its grandeur is explained by its origin: the library was funded by a bequest from Judge John Handley, an Irish immigrant who made his fortune in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and left $250,000 to the city of Winchester on his death in 1895 — with instructions that it be used for education.
The library is still an active public library and welcomes visitors. The interior is worth seeing for the original woodwork, the reading room under the dome, and the Handley Archives, which contain an extensive collection of local historical materials including Civil War documents, maps, and photographs. If you have any interest in Winchester's history beyond what the museums offer, the archives are the place to dig. The building is open during regular library hours and admission is free.