Fort Lewis

Archaeological evidence indicates that Native Americans lived in this area for more than 10,000 years. James Campbell, one of the first Europeans to settle here, began acquiring land in 1742. During the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), the Virginia General Assembly authorized the construction of a line of forts to protect the frontier. Fort Lewis, named for Maj. Andrew Lewis, was built on Campbell’s property by 1757. The Virginia Regiment, led by Col. William Byrd III, used the fort as a staging ground for expeditions against the Cherokee in present-day Tennessee in 1760 and 1761. Campbell sold his land in 1760, and it became part of an estate known as Fort Lewis.