LEWISBURG
Pop. 3,600.


In 1774, an army of frontiersmen assembled under the command of Gen. Andrew Lewis

for an expedition against the Shawnee, Mingos, Ottawas and Delawares led by Chief Cornstalk.
After a grueling march of 160 miles, the Virginia militiamen defeated the Indians at the Battle of Point Pleasant on the Ohio River. This greatly reduced the threat of indian raids in the Greenbrier River Valley.

As a tribute to Gen. Lewis, the settlement that had grown up around Lewis Spring was named LEWISBURG.






The Battle of Lewisburg




On May 23, 1862, the 800 residents of Lewisburg awoke to the sounds of battle between the Union and Confederate soldiers.

Although they outnumbered and outranked the Union troops, the Confederate Army was defeated in a brief, little remembered, but deadly battle.

Some memorable names from that battle are:
Col. George Crook,

best remembered as the man who captured Apache Chief Geronimo.


Col. George S. Patton,

grandfather of World War Two's famous General Patton.







Since we'll be hitting the historic points of interest, I figure maybe we should get some pointers from the Visitors Center, which just happens to be located in Carnegie Hall. (Yes, they have their own Carnegie Hall).
And here it is....it was undergoing some construction the day we visited.





Referred to as one of West Virginia's greatest treasures, Carnegie Hall is quite different from it's luxurious sister hall in New York which seats thousands. This rather institutional looking hall, holding only 400, was built in 1902, thanks to the generosity of Andrew Carnegie. It was used as a classroom and an auditorium for the Lewisburg Female Institute. It later became the Greenbrier College.

Today, the hall serves as home to art and dance studios, a small museum , meeting rooms, and much more...as well as the Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors Center.

Come on....let's go get some maps and brochures for our visit.







Lewisburg is a 200 year old town that is nestled in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains. It is rich in beauty and history. There are many 18th and 19th century structures still in use today...such as the


Old Stone Church



The Old Stone Church was built in 1796 and is one of Lewisburg's most famous landmarks. It is the oldest church in continuous use west of the Alleghenies. It is constructed of native limestone, and remains virtually unchanged. At rest in the cemetery that surrounds the building are some of the area's early settlers.






We found this plaque on the grounds of the Old Stone Church.

After reading it, we had to go and find the Confederate Cemetery. We were told by the town folk that you had to watch closely for the sign or you might miss it. We found it!!

That sign post is at the road entrance. This is the stone that greeted us at the gated entrance to the graves....

And here is a picture of the graves. You can't really tell from this, but the graves are in the form of a cross.

I can't tell you the feeling I had while standing there looking at this mound shaped like a cross. It was almost like standing on hallowed ground. To think what these men, and the others, must have gone through.....It really gives you an appreciation for what we have.








This statue is in honor of the Confederate dead.






Another great place to visit and learn about the past and present history is the North House Museum.



The North House was built in 1820, and is now the home of the Greenbrier Historical Society. Visitors are treated to views of two hundred years of life in the United States. From the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to World War II, the lives of everyday Americans can be seen at the North House Museum. There's something to interest everyone. My grandson and I got a special tour of a few rooms. The docent (that's what they call the guide) showed us the very first wagon used to carry the mail.....yep, rural mail delivery started right here in West Virginia. The cart was originally black, but now it's painted red, white, and blue...to match the colors of our mail trucks today.






Well, let's head on over to the Greenbrier Courthouse.



This is the last of several courthouses in Lewisburg; it was constructed in 1837. This large red brick building with it's white columns is typical of the many early courthouses still seen in Virginia. (Don't forget, West Virginia used to be a part of Virginia).






We had the pleasure of visiting Lewisburg this past summer. Thanks to my research for this WV page, I already knew what I was looking for, and I wasn't disappointed. Even tho it was a rainy day, which can cause short tempers, the people there were as friendly as they could be. I loved Lewisburg!!!

We could spend a whole lot more time here, but I think we'd better be movin' on. There's just one more thing we have to do first. And that's go SHOPPING!!

Now I know that there are some wonderful shops here in Lewisburg, but I've got someplace else I want you to see. To do that, we're going to head for....





BECKLEY




where we'll be visiting the fabulous TAMARACK.

This rather unique looking building (it's round) holds the many crafts created by West Virginians. You can find just about anything you might want here. My favorite things are the statues made from coal.



It's time to move on....I hope you didn't spend all your money here. Do we have enough room in the car for all this stuff? (Groan) We're heading for the Mountain Lakes region. Let's go.