Happy Fourth of July from the Salem Museum!
Pictured here is a military uniform from the Revolutionary War. This Continental Line Uniform has a blue jacket with red facings, a white linen waistcoat, and natural linen trousers. While the blue and red coat is an iconic part of the Revolutionary War, it is not actually what Virginian soldiers wore at the beginning of the conflict.
The Patriot coats were called “lottery coats” because each colony drew lotteries to determine which color wool their soldiers got. Virginians were assigned the brown coats with red facings.
Visitors can see this uniform and a brown Virginian “lottery coat” on display this weekend at the Salem Museum. These coats are available for visitors to try on and experience how different clothing felt in the Colonial Era.
Discover this and more in the Salem Museum’s new feature exhibit, “Salem’s Hidden Hero: Andrew Lewis and the Revolutionary War.” Chronicling Lewis’ life and his lynchpin status in the course of the American Revolution, visitors can try on garments, handle tools, and interact with materials resembling those of Revolutionary era Virginia.
The Salem Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-4 and located at 801 E. Main St.
