By Aila Boyd, aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
The Salem Museum will offer a journey back in time to the American Revolution during Andrew Lewis Weekend, set for Saturday and Sunday, June 7-8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The event will feature two full days of living history, including interactive exhibits, historical interpreters, and educational lectures. Admission is free.
Colonial-era reenactors in period attire will bring the Revolutionary War era to life for visitors of all ages. Highlights include lectures, demonstrations of colonial trades and crafts, and an opportunity to meet Revolutionary War leader Gen. Andrew Lewis, portrayed by Salem Museum Executive Director Garrett Channell.
Andrew Lewis, who led western Virginia’s militia in the fight to secure frontier settlements, played a key role in driving Lord Dunmore —Virginia’s last royal governor—from Williamsburg in June 1775. That act of resistance was a pivotal moment in Virginia’s path toward revolution and will serve as a focal point of the weekend.
Living historians from the Fincastle Company will demonstrate the skills and professions essential to colonial life, sharing stories about the men and women who endured the challenges of Virginia’s frontier during the Revolutionary period.
A number of lectures and programs are planned throughout the weekend:
- At 2 p.m. Saturday, June 7, Dr. Nicole Dressler, associate teaching professor of history at the College of William & Mary, will present a lecture on the events surrounding Lord Dunmore’s expulsion and its significance. Dressler, a former dissertation fellow at the McNeil Center for Early American Studies, is currently working on a manuscript exploring convict servitude, antislavery, and prison reform in the 18th century.
- Channell will portray Gen. Lewis and present “Pioneer and Patriot: The Life of Andrew Lewis” at 11 a.m. Saturday and again at 1 p.m. Sunday. The program will explore Lewis’ contributions to Virginia’s independence and his ties to a notable Founding Father.
- At 3 p.m. Sunday, the Museum will commemorate the 1775 expulsion of Dunmore from Williamsburg. According to legend, an auction of the governor’s belongings was held that day. The Museum will use the occasion to examine the events of that day, Lewis’ involvement, and the broader legacy.
The Museum will also premiere a new exhibit, Salem’s Hidden Hero: Andrew Lewis and the Revolutionary War, which will trace Lewis’ life and his impact on the American Revolution. Visitors will have the chance to handle replica tools, try on period clothing, and engage with hands-on materials that reflect Revolutionary-era Virginia.
For more information, visit salemmuseum.org.
