Public invited to Lewis Store tonight
One of America's oldest retail structures needs some TLC.
People are invited to Fredericksburg's Lewis Store this evening to learn about the 1749 building, quaff a beverage, enjoy some light hors d'oeuvres and socialize on the latest First Friday.
Historic Fredericksburg Foundation Inc. is rolling out the welcome mat from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Colonial-era store, 1200 Caroline St., across from the Central Rappahannock Regional Library.
See an exhibit and hear of new research on the foundation's recent Vintage Route 1 program, including a 20th-century timeline, discover what HFFI has planned for the coming months, mingle with historians and preservationists, and thank the volunteers who made the Historic Route 1 events happen last month. It's all free.
From the Lewis Store, with its distinctive brick and Aquia stone facade, patriot and plantation owner Fielding Lewis ran a mercantile empire that included a fleet of ships plying the trans-Atlantic trade. Lewis, who built Kenmore and oversaw the Fredericksburg Gun Manufactory during the American Revolution, was George Washington's brother-in-law.
--Clint Schemmer