Cline, Patsy, House
Also known as: Dhr Id#: 138-0042-0584; 138-5010-0001
Why it's listed
This modest frame house at 608 South Kent Street in Winchester, Virginia, was the home of country music singer Patsy Cline from 1948, when she was sixteen, until 1953, and intermittently until 1957. Probably built in the mid-19th century, it is a two-story, three-bay Greek Revival dwelling on a limestone foundation, with vinyl siding, a standing-seam metal roof and an early-20th-century rear addition. Inside, the original flooring and a Greek Revival mantel survive. Cline shared the house with her mother, Hilda Hensley, and her younger siblings. Hilda sewed her daughter's western stage outfits in the dining room, and Cline rehearsed there and received an offer from gospel performer Wally Fowler to audition in Nashville. Cline lived here longer than anywhere else in the Winchester and Nashville areas. Other Winchester sites tied to her early career have been torn down or heavily altered, leaving this house as the best-preserved reminder of her formative years. It remains a private residence.
Significance in brief: The house is nationally significant for its association with country singer Patsy Cline, who lived there from 1948 to 1953 and intermittently until 1957. Key events of her early career took place there, including Wally Fowler's offer of a Nashville audition and her mother's sewing of her cowgirl costumes. It was her longest residence in the Winchester and Nashville areas.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05001230, listed November 8, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 608 S. Kent St., Winchester |
|---|---|
| County | Winchester |
| Listed | November 8, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001230 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1948-1957 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Performing Arts |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains a private single-family residence in a working-class neighborhood, as it was in Cline's lifetime. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Winchester Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.17791, -78.16440 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05001230.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7148237
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.