Lewisburg Historic District Walking Tour

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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.

2. 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.

3. Old Stone Cemetery

In 1850, Norborne Beall Gantt gifted land to expand a town cemetery and designated a portion of the conveyed land as a "burial place for Whites" and a portion to be used as a burial place for "Africans or Blacks." A private family cemetery for the Creigh family was later incorporated into what is now called Old Stone Cemetery. Buried in the cemetery are many Greenbrier County pioneer families.

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. 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.

6. 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.

7. Site of Virginia Court of Appeals Library

This building was erected in 1834 as a library and study for the Virginia Court of Appeals. Inside visitors may see a section of a plaster wall where soldiers scratched their names during the Civil War when the building was used as a hospital. After the war, the building was used as a Masonic Lodge, private residence, the Greenbrier County Public Library, and the library for the New River Community and Technical College. It is currently leased to the Greenbrier Historical Society by the City of Lewisburg and is undergoing renovations.

8. Col. Marcus Goshen House

Thought to have been built about 1800, this is a frame building with hand-hewn studs. The log kitchen and dogtrot were late enclosed as part of the house. It is named for Col. Goshen, a former postmaster.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. Thomas Edgar House

The stone part of this building dates from the 1790s and served as the dwelling of Thomas Edgar, Greenbrier County first public surveyor. Its thick walls are built from native limestone and has an unusually wide front door. The Rev. Dr. McElhenney occupied the stone structure when he came to Lewisburg in 1808, and tradition states that in it he directed the first school in Lewisburg.

14. 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.

15. Lt. Gov. Samuel Price House

This stately home sits on a large lot shaded by old maple trees. The two-story brick house and cut-stone foundation were built in 1840 and purchased soon thereafter by Samuel Price. Nearly square in plan with a hipped roof, the house has some Greek revival elements, six chimneys, and the visitor enters through a massive forty-eight inch wide door. Of particular interest are two octagonal brick buildings on the east side that were originally used as a bathhouse and smoke house. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

16. Varner-Erskine-Silas B. Mason House

The original brick structure was built in 1829 for Christian and Elizabeth Varner. It was later purchased by Silas Mason who began a series of enlargements, alterations and architectural changes to the house that came to be known as the "mansion." Mason traveled extensively in his job as a railroad contractor, during which time he discovered new architectural features that he would then incorporate on his house.

17. Floyd Estill House

Built in 1855 by Floyd and Susan Rebecca Estill, this house and three-acre estate face Arbuckle Lane. This house is an unusually fine example of transitional Greek Revival architecture. it is said this was the last house in town to have been undergirded with whole tree trunks.

18. Welch House

This log cabin dates to the early 1800s and is covered with wide board and batten. The lot is part of an early survey by John G. McClannahan. As the house evolved, one can see various stylistic elements, including Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian.

19. Johnston Reynolds House

This three-story brick structure is reported to have been built by John Dunn for Johnston Reynolds. The house may have served as a school for females. A brick slave quarters and kitchen was moved to the grounds of New River Community and Technical College Library. This former house now serves as offices of the Greenbrier County Board of Education and has seen many alterations and additions.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. Houck Store

This two-story mercantile building was built circa 1910 and replaced a log building that once housed Greenbrier County's first courthouse. Work done in the 1980s found the foundation for a smaller building beneath the existing building.

24. Clingman's Market

Since its construction, this building has housed a saddler's shop, meat market, and restaurant. It is best known as Clingman's Market, which operated within the building for 57 years, from 1945 to 2002.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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."

28. 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.

29. Rev. John Spotts House

John and Mary Beard Spotts purchased Lot 15 in 1831 and built this brick home soon thereafter. The Reverend Spotts was a teacher for Dr. John McElhenney at Lewisburg Academy. This house at one time was said to have housed the largest theological library west of the Allegheny Mountains.

30. James Montgomery House

This Federal style house was built by John Dunn in 1845 for James and Ann Susan Montgomery. Historian Ruth Dayton Woods describes the house as " a cheerful two-story brick house, standing with the sun in its face at the northwest corner of Lee and Randolph streets." The interior of the earlier part has very good random-width floors as well as very attractive mantels. A two-room basement has a fireplace and dirt floors and is thought to have been a summer kitchen.

31. Thomas Pare House

Although the exact date is not known, the log part of this structure is one of the oldest constructions on North Lee Street. A cannon ball, most likely from the Civil War Battle of Lewisburg, was found in the front wall during restoration.

32. Greenbrier Military School (West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine)

The oldest privately-owned military school in America, the Greenbrier Military School was established by Dr. John McElhenney in 1808. The institution operated as the Lewisburg Academy and was later named the Greenbrier Military Academy. The building was later home to the Greenbrier Presbyterial School that provided an education for boys that included four years of military training. The building survived several fires and the school operated until 1972. Notable alumni of GMS included the 20th Governor of West Virginia, Homer A. Holt, and Bob Evans, who founded the Bob Evans restaurant chain. After the Greenbrier Military School closed, the building was acquired by a group of physicians who opened the Greenbrier College of Osteopathic Medicine, known today as the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.

33. Henry Hodson House

This building was constructed in the French Second Empire style of architecture by Henry Reece Hodson in 1882 as a boarding school for girls, but it was never used for that purpose. Notable features of the Second Empire style found in this structure are the mansard roof, arched windows with Gothic shutters, and asymmetrical facade. Next to the house is a one-story, square brick dependency that resembles a pigeonnier.

34. Lewisburg School

Known as Lewisburg High School, construction on this building began in 1924. The architecture cannot be firmly placed in any particular style having been built in a transitional period between revival styles of the late 19th century and the streamlined institutional architecture associated with the New Deal. Following consolidation of Greenbrier County's high schools, the school continued to serve as a junior high and elementary school until 2012.

35. Thomas-Bell House

This two-story brick house with a central passage way was probably built about 1875 for David Richard ("D. R.") Thomas (1845-1920) and Mary Ellen ("Ella") Thomas. Following his service in the Confederate Army, D. R. Thomas returned to Lewisburg where he owned a grocery store at the corner of Washington and Court Streets. From 1940 until 2006, the house was owned and occupied by the Bell family.

36. 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.

37. Donnally House

For over 100 years, this house served as the home to the Donnally family, Lewisburg's famed glove makers. In 1837, the property was conveyed to Charles Donnally. Early deeds indicate the presence of a log house that may well be incorporated in the existing house as it has log sills and hand hewn beams. Columns that mimic those across the street at the General Lewis Inn were added in the 1950s.

38. Jacob Smith-Patrick Beirne-Echols House

Built by or for Jacob Smith or James H. Nesmith, this two-story brick house has unusual stepped gables. As it has been for many years, the house is nearly concealed by trees and vines. Patrick Beirne purchased the house in 1845, and it remained in the Beirne family until 1895. It has been in the John Echols family since.

39. Mathews House

This house was built in 1845 to replace an earlier brick home that burned. This is a three-by-three bay, L-shaped structure with a hipped roof. Its floor plan is regular Georgian with large 6/6 sashes. Special feature include the very large inside chimneys with corbeled caps, the pairs of brackets all around the deep cornice, and substantial entrance porch with much Italianate-style decorative woodwork.

40. John Lipps House

This brick house began as a rather plain two-story brick structure with impressive tall chimneys. This transitional house with an ell has seen many additions including porches and a piazza to accommodate the large familes who have resided here. Wide lawns with trees make for an expansive appearance .

41. Venable-Mathews-Moore House

The first house on this lot was built circa 1855 by John Dean Venable (1805-1881) and Nancy Winall Venable (1813-1889). The property was bought in 1892 by Mason Mathews (1867-1928) and Jane Montgomery Mathews. The Mathews either added to and enlarged the Venable house or razed the Venable house and built a new one. The house gained the many turn of its century features in the late 1800s. This structure is notable for its variety of beautiful leaded and beveled window glass. Through the years, several additions were made to the rear of the house.

42. Benjamin Carmin Tavern-Mathews House

The original part of this house was built about 1807. Underneath the weatherboard is log construction which proves it to be one of the earliest houses on Washington Street. The building has an extensive history as a guest house known as the Carmin Tavern and later the Athea Inn.

43. Justice Homer A. Holt House

It is thought the house was built in 1834 according to a date cut into a brick in the wall. A number of alterations have been made to the house through the years, the most conspicuous being the replacement of the original double portico with the present colonial entrance and an open terrace. Colonel C. E. Turley, historian, describes the house as, "...been occupied, over the years, by six of Greenbrier County's most prominent families. All of them, it seems, made numerous and conspicuous alterations. In size the house is imposing and its workmanship inside and out is of the finest."

44. Bowen House

This large brick and wood-frame house on a one-acre lot may have been built by James Butler Bowen in the 1830s. Legend has it that he built this and the house next door, known as Minnie Manor, for two of his unmarried daughters (he and his wife had nine). Bowen lived on Spring Creek north of Lewisburg where he operated a gristmill, sawmill, oil mill, and a carding machine.

45. Stalnaker House

Noted for its attractive imbricated shingles, this house was constructed circa 1835 by William S. and Elizabeth Littlepage . The original basement kitchen still exists in the house.

46. Dr. Hugh Wilson House

This lovely painted pink brick home was built in 1834. It is noted for a fine hand-carved entrance doorway with sidelights and a semi-eplipitical fanlight with delicate tracery. The doorway is supported by reeded columnns, which are repeated on the inside. The door still has the original brass box lock. In the rear yard are original log outbuildings. Noteworthy are the sunburst designs on the mantles of the fireplaces in the living and dinning rooms.

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. John A. North Second House

This brick house was built by John Dunn in 1835. The two-story front porch and arched doorway with decorative glass make for an attractive entrance. Inside are the original oak and tiger maple floors and hand carved woodwork. It is a fine local example of Federal style architecture with Greek Revival elements.

50. Richard F. Tyree-John Dunn House

This building was originally two houses. The stone part of the structure was built with local stone by Richard F. Tyree in 1805. The stone mason may have been Christopher Foglesong who is credited with building the Old Stone Church and County Jail. John Dunn built the brick portion of the house, now covered with stucco, circa 1834. it has been used as a store, dance hall, boarding house and real estate office.

51. Dennis-Anshutz-Tuckwiller House

Built by General Thomas H. Dennis in 1884, this home displays the style of Italianate architecture. The asymmetrical facade features projecting eaves supported by corbels, elaborate columnn capitols, bay windows, and a porte-cochere or carriage port. The wide central hall opens into large high-ceilinged rooms whose tall windows extend to floor levels. The handsome doors are made of solid walnut.

52. Capt. Robert F. Dennis-Caldwell House

John A. North and his wife, Charlotte, conveyed the land upon which this dwelling stands to their daughter, Martha, and her husband, Robert F. Dennis, in 1853. The house was probably built in the same year. The property was conveyed by Dennis' executors to the Caldwell family in 1899 and remained in the ownership of that family until 1994.

53. Community Green Space

The building that originally stood on this lot was built in 1845 and had been used as a tinner's shop, a drug store, and for general merchandising. The building survived the great fire of 1897 that destroyed much of downtown, but it did not survive a fire in 1997. Today it is used as a public park.

54. Old Barber Shop

Built circa 1860, this building may have housed the Lewisburg Post Office between 1865 and 1881. This location has been in continuous use as a barbershop since 1891.

55. 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.

56. 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.

57. 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.

58. Bolling School (1940-1963) Greenbrier Episcopal School (2020-)

Bolling School was officially established in 1933 and named in honor of a local African American educator, but the institution dates back to the schools established in this area by the Freedman's Bureau for the African American youth of the city in 1869. This building replaced the first Bolling School, a wood frame structure that was destroyed by fire in 1936. Construction of this school was complete in 1940 and the building served as Bolling School from 1940 to 1963. After integration, the structure became Lewisburg Middle School for a number of years and the building was later home to a community center. In 2018, Greenbrier Episcopal School acquired the building and announced a two million dollar restoration plan. The school plans to include historic photos and artifacts related to the history of Bolling School when they complete the restoration and renovation process and open the building as a school once again for the fall 2020 semester.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

Lewisburg Historic District Walking Tour

Created by Lewisburg Historic Landmarks Commission on December 4th 2017, 7:41:35 pm.

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Originally known as Fort Savannah, the name of the settlement was changed to Lewisburg after the Battle of Point Pleasant to honor General Andrew Lewis. Officially created in 1782 by the Virginia Assembly, it is the county seat of Greenbrier County and the third oldest town in West Virginia. A complimentary printed version of the walking tour is available at the Greenbrier Valley Visitors Center at 905 Washington Street West (corner of Washington and Court Streets).

Entries on This Tour

Lewisburg Historic District Walking Tour

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