Lewisburg, WV Historic Walking Tour

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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. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Mt. Tabor Baptist Church, Lewisburg

Mt. Tabor Baptist Church is a historic African American congregation who worship in a building that predates the Civil War. The original congregation was predominantly white and dates back to the oldest Baptist congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains. In the antebellum period, this building was home to the Lewisburg Baptist Church, which was established shortly after the American Revolution. This church structure was the second for the congregation and was utilized as a hospital and barracks by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. The building was damaged during the war. In response, most of the white members joined other congregations while African Americans who had once worshiped alongside their masters in this church decided to repair the structure and start their own congregation. After the Civil War, the name was changed to Mt. Tabor Baptist Church.

10. John Wesley Methodist Church

Also known as First Methodist Church, this structure was built in the 1820 with additions added in 1835, probably by John Dunn. The church installed an interior slave gallery on one side and a slave entrance in the back. During the Battle of Lewisburg, May 23, 1862, the church was struck by a cannonball on the southwest corner, and the repairs to that corner are still visible. The church has been in continuous use since it was first built, and services are held each Sunday.

11. 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.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Lewisburg, WV Historic Walking Tour

Created by Kyle Warmack on October 9th 2017, 8:48:18 am.

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Lewisburg, WV is the county seat of Greenbrier County and is one of the oldest towns in the state. The area 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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Lewisburg, WV Historic Walking Tour

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