Short Walking Tour of Lewisburg - Clio

Entries on This Tour

1. John North House

Operated by the Greenbrier Historical Society, the North House Museum offers a variety of exhibits that share the history of life in the Greenbrier Valley for over more than two centuries. The museum is located in the historic home of John and Charlotte North which was built about 1820. In 1836 the home became James Frazer's Star Tavern and Inn. At the turn of the century, it was owned by the Greenbrier College for Women until its closure in 1972. Four years later, the historical society acquired the house. Over the past decades, this museum and library have amassed a collection of thousands of artifacts and rare books. The museum and society also host special community and educational events throughout the year.

2. Greenbrier Hall, Greenbrier College For Women

Greenbrier Hall was constructed in 1921 as part of Greenbrier College for Women. The college, first known as the Lewisburg Academy, was founded in 1812 by Presbyterian pastor Dr. John McElhenny. The school was closed during the Civil War, but reopened in 1875 as Lewisburg Female Institute. In 1911, the school was renamed the Lewisburg Seminary and Conservatory of Music. In 1923, the name was changed to Greenbrier College for Women. The college closed in 1972. The building is now home to the Lewisburg campus of the New River Community and Technical College. Greenbrier College buildings, such as Carnegie Hall and North House, continue to be used to serve the educational and cultural needs of the community.

3. Dick Pointer Cemetery

This is one of the oldest African-American cemeteries in Lewisburg, and it is estimated there were over 100 burials, including Dick Pointer for whom the cemetery is named.

4. Old Stone Presbyterian Church

Built in 1796, Old Stone Presbyterian Church escaped destruction during the Civil War due to its use as an emergency hospital for both Union and Confederate troops. After the Battle of Lewisburg on May 23, 1862, Old Stone's sanctuary housed fallen Confederate troops prior to their "burial" in an open trench near the south wall of the church. As one of the oldest churches in continuous use west of the Allegheny Mountains, Old Stone is unique in its history, construction, and importance to Civil War history.

5. Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg, WV

Named for Andrew Carnegie, the philanthropic steel tycoon, Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg, West Virginia, is one of only four Carnegie Halls in the world that is still in continuous use as a performance venue. The structure was built in 1902 with the generous contribution of $26,750 from Andrew Carnegie and the community’s contribution of $10,000. Carnegie Hall replaced one of two buildings at the Lewisburg Female Institute that burned down in 1901. Carnegie Hall provided the Lewisburg Female Institute, later and most commonly known as Greenbrier College for Women, with classroom space, studios, a laboratory, and an auditorium. After Greenbrier College closed in 1972, the college campus was bought by the state of West Virginia to be used briefly as the Greenbrier Center, a facility for individuals with special needs. With risk of demolition in the early 1980s, local residents formed Carnegie Hall, Inc. in 1983 and saved the building, repurposing it to serve the community with a performance venue, gallery space, and arts education programming. Carnegie Hall is a part of the West Virginia Historic Theatre Trail.

6. Bowyer-Grow-Foster House

Materials, such as its hand-hewn log frame and its construction methods, indicate that this house was built in the late 1700s and is one of the earliest houses in Lewisburg. Luke Bowyer, a prominent lawyer in the late 1700s and early 1800s, lived here from 1808 to 1814. Later, it belonged to William Foster, who served as Lewisburg's mayor from 1928-1930 and 1933-1942. He is the longest serving mayor to date.

7. Williams-Neely Building

This three-story painted brick building has been used for various mercantile businesses as well as a restaurant, hotel, gift shop and drug store. An attractive wrought-iron second-floor balcony has been removed. The building now houses a number of offices.

8. Site of Bank of Greenbrier

Constructed in 1897 as Greenbrier Bank, this building operated under the Elks Club from 1951 and 1981 and is still called the "Elks Building." It features Romanesque Revival architecture, a symmetrical facade, round arches, semi-circular arches on the windows, red brick, rusticated stone around the windows and doors and decorative ironwork. The building is trimmed in native sandstone. In recent years, the ground floor of this building has been occupied by retail shops. On the second floor, there were offices and, briefly, the Uptop Sandwich Shop. The third floor served as the meeting area for the Elks Club and the site of a mid-day card game that went on for a number of years. The second and third floor have been repurposed as apartments.

9. Greenbrier Valley Bank Building

This building was constructed in 1897 to replace buildings destroyed in the fire of the same year. It replaced the burned Bank of Lewisburg that later became the Greenbrier Valley Bank. For many years, Lewisburg had the only bank between Staunton, Virginia, and Charleston. It was designed by James M. Lee of the Lee Military Academy and built under the supervision of Joseph F. Wright of Huntington. The woodwork was done by William L. Wetzel of Lewisburg. The building was initially trimmed with blue sandstone that was brought from Cleveland, Ohio. In addition to the bank, it was built to accommodate a retail store and post office on the ground floor and rental offices on the second floor. Today, it houses Lewisburg's City Hall and two retail stores. Noteworthy is the bracketed cast meal cornice atop the facade with a centered pediment bearing the date 1897.

10. Site of Lt. Gov. Samuel Price Law Office

Samuel Price purchased a "small piece of a lot" for an office from Sarah Stuart in 1852. His office was built circa 1855 and escaped the Lewisburg fire of 1897 that destroyed much of the business district. This building, made of double-brick construction, remained in the Price family until 1946.

11. Lewis Theatre

The Lewis Theatre was designed in functional, post-deco style by R.L. Whitten, an architect from Charleston, WV, and was constructed for Sam and Alex Yarid in 1939 for presenting film and “small” vaudeville. This two-story structure was built primarily of hollow, glazed terra cotta block, popular from about 1900 into the 1930s. It had 540 seats downstairs, and 100 seats in the balcony. The street-level front was originally faced at with Black Vitrolite slabs, shown in historic photos along with the original marquee.

12. Greenbrier County Courthouse

The Greenbrier County Courthouse was built in 1837 by a local brick mason named John. W Dunn. and has been improved throughout the years. The original courthouse stands at the center of two new wings, which were built in 1937 and 1963. The Greenbrier County Courthouse was one of the first courthouses built west of the Appalachian mountains, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

13. Lewis Spring/Andrew Lewis Park

Most likely, this limestone spring house was built in the 18th century. It is thought that Capt. Andrew Lewis discovered the spring. The area we know as Lewisburg was called Savannah. Fort Savannah, a frontier fort, may have been built near here in the latter half of the 18th century. Ruth Woods Dayton, local historian, believed the spring may have been inside the log fort. Dr. John F. Montgomery, another local historian, thought the fort was on the other side of Jefferson Street. Regardless, the spring was a source of water for the fort and later for the settlement that developed around it. Andrew Lewis Park was dedicated in 1974 as part of the commemoration of the assembly of the troops in 1774 for the march to the Battle of Point Pleasant.

14. The Barracks, Lewisburg WV

This three-story stone and log structure was built on Lot 11 of the first town plot sometime near the city's incorporation in 1789, making the Barracks the oldest building in the city of Lewisburg. It is quite possible it was built about 1787 by William Morrow, a tailor. Located near the General Lewis Spring, the Barracks were a stopping point for travelers and military units. It was also a center of trade and transportation, as stage coaches and freight wagons stopped regularly at the Barracks. The structure is presently being restored by the Greenbrier Historical Society.

15. Reynolds-Patton House

This structure sits on Lot 27 of the original town plat and embraces a portion of the site of Fort Savannah, a frontier log fort. In 1856, the lot was conveyed by Alexander Reynolds to his widowed sister, Sally Patton, and the house may have been built shortly after it was acquired. It was a residence until 1936 when it was converted into a funeral chapel.

16. Princess Theatre Building

Opened on December 23, 1913 by W. W. Foster, the Princess Theatre was the first moving picture theatre in Lewisburg and began by showing silent films. It was also reported to have been the site of a basement speakeasy during Prohibition.

17. Bell Tavern

This two-story painted brick building was the "western part" of The Bell Tavern that was thought to have been built before 1823 and has since been demolished. This building may have been built by John Weir, noted architect and brick mason. In addition to having been part of the adjacent tavern, it was a store house and was occupied by a saddle shop in 1879.

18. Community House

This Federal style building may have been built by master mason, John Weir, as a store house. John Withrow (1816-1886), owned the building from 1852-1865 and ran his mercantile business in it. He lived upstairs with his wife, Louisa Anne Withrow (1819-1878). Louisa taught at the Lewisburg Academy. In her obituary, she was described as "...a decided Presbyterian, yet, she was catholic in her views, and liberal and non-sectarian in her sentiments."

19. U.S. Post Office, Lewisburg, WV

This historic post office was constructed in 1937 and contains a mural entitled "Old Time Camp Meeting" that depicts a social and religious event of local importance. The mural was painted in 1940 by Robert Franklin Gates as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal Program. Gates (1906-1982) studied at the Detroit School of Arts and Crafts and the Art Students League. He became head of the art department at American University in Washington, D. C.

20. General Lewis Inn

The General Lewis Hotel now the General Lewis Inn, was established in the 1920s by the Hock family. The property was originally a private residence owned by John Withrow and then his daughter, Lettie Ford. The original brick home is still incorporated in the architecture of the hotel, and the other structures on the property were liquidated and used as materials for the Inn. . Other amenities on the property include a reflection pool and a pergola that were added recently. Also noteworthy, is the Yellow Buckeye tree in front of the inn. At over 100 feet tall, it is the largest recorded Yellow Buckeye in West Virginia. Today the Inn is owned by the Aaron and Sparrow Huffman.

21. Jesse B. Bowlin House

Built about 1784, this log house is said to have been the first house built on "Hard Scrabble Hill," the area of East Washington Street where horses and livestock had difficulty climbing the hill. The building has been used as a drover's office with counting gate, a schoolhouse, and a commissary during the Civil War. J. W. Benjamin, local historian, reported the house served as headquarters for the staff of "The Yankee," a newspaper published twice by Union soldiers from Ohio. Patrick McCleary, a tin and coppersmith, added a unique pattern of weatherboards to the building when he owned it.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Short Walking Tour of Lewisburg

Created by Preservation Alliance of West Virginia on July 23rd 2017, 5:15:45 pm.

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Description

The county seat of Greenbrier County and one of the oldest towns in the state of West Virginia, Lewisburg is home to dozens of historic homes and buildings. This short tour follows a few of the main streets downtown to offer a general overview of Lewisburg's history in about an hour and a half. The tour was created by Preservation Alliance of West Virginia Americorps member and Fayette County native Hailey Horn and expanded thanks to the work of Skip Deegans of the Lewisburg Historic Landmark Commission. If you would like an extended tour of over fifty sites, the Commission has created an extended tour in Clio. The community was originally called Fort Savannah, or Camp Union, before being incorporated as Lewisburg; named after Andrew Lewis, the man who surveyed the land and helped settle the land. With an unusually large number of old structures for such a small town, the old part of town is a National Register Historic District.

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