Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Andrew Lewis bust joins other famous Virginians in Capitol

Andrew Lewis (1720-1781), a Revolutionary War era hero whose family was among the first settlers in Augusta County, was remembered during a ceremony when his bust joined those of George Mason, Patrick Henry, and other famous Virginians in the old House of Delegates chamber in the Virginia Capitol.
Lewis's family came to America in the early 1730s eventually settling in Augusta County where Andrew learned the skills of surveying. He married and moved to Roanoke County near Salem where they established a home named Richfield. They would have seven children. Lewis is perhaps best known for service in the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War, but the battle that ensured his military legacy was at Point Pleasant when he defeated the Shawnee Chief Cornstalk. Lewis
Lewis has previously been memorialized in both Virginias. Lewisburg, West Virginia is named in his honor. A portion of I-81 is designated the Andrew Lewis Memorial Highway. Salem's Andrew Lewis Middle School is named for him. And there are streams, Boy Scout camps, and memorials found in communities in the Valley and West Virginia.

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