Virginia Department of Historic Resources
(dhr.virginia.gov)
For Immediate Release
April 2025
Contact:
Ivy Tan
Department of Historic Resources
Marketing & Communications Manager
ivy.tan@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6445
—The marker recalls the history of the John G. Lewis Memorial Bridge, one of the longest metal truss bridges still in use in the state—
—Text of marker reproduced below—
PLEASE NOTE: DHR creates markers not to “honor” their subjects but rather to educate and inform the public about a person, place, or event of regional, state, or national importance. In this regard, erected markers are not memorials.
RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) has announced that a state historical marker approved by the Commonwealth’s Board of Historic Resources was unveiled in early May for the John G. Lewis Memorial Bridge in Loudoun County.
The unveiling ceremony for the marker was held Friday, May 2, starting at 11:00 a.m., at the marker’s location on Featherbed Lane (Route 673) at GPS coordinates 39.232174188068534, -77.59140309619673, in Loudoun County (20180). This event was free and open to the public.
The dedication featured several speakers, including Richard Treat Gillespie, a retired history educator and local public historian; Geary Michael Higgins, a representative of the 30th District, which includes Loudoun, in the Virginia House of Delegates; and Suhas Subramanyam, U.S. representative for Virginia’s 10th congressional district. Bill Cuttler, P.E., Northern Virginia District Engineer of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and Al Van Huyck, a Loudoun County conservationist who has worked with the county’s Planning Commission and Agricultural District Review Committee in efforts to preserve the region’s historic and natural resources, also participated in the dedication. Chair of the Virginia Board of Historic Resources Aimee Jorjani attended the dedication on DHR’s behalf. Representative Subramanyam led the unveiling of the marker.
Built in Cleveland, Ohio, by Variety Iron Works in 1889, the pin-connected Pratt truss bridge now known as the John G. Lewis Memorial Bridge was installed for service in 1890 on Virginia’s Leesburg and Alexandria Turnpike, present-day Route 7, in Loudoun County. In 1932, the bridge was relocated to Featherbed Lane over Catoctin Creek. Standing at 159 feet, the structure is among the longest metal truss bridges still in use in the state. In 1974, local organizations rallied to preserve the bridge. With the support of the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition, the bridge was again protected in 2015, the year the community renamed it for local preservationist John G. Lewis, who documented more than 700 historic structures in the region.
The Virginia Board of Historic Resources, which is authorized to designate new state historical markers, approved the manufacture and installation of the John G. Lewis Memorial Bridge historical marker in December 2023. The research and application for the marker were coordinated by a group of local citizens concerned about preserving the bridge. Artwork for dedication invites was provided by local artist Alice Powers. Funding for the marker’s manufacturing cost and the dedication event was kindly covered by the Van Huyck/Chockley Family Foundation.
Virginia’s historical highway marker program began in 1927 with installation of the first markers along U.S. Route 1. It is considered the oldest such program in the nation. Currently there are more than 2,600 state markers, mostly maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, except in those localities outside of VDOT’s authority.
Full Text of Marker:
John G. Lewis Memorial Bridge
This pin-connected Pratt truss bridge was fabricated in Cleveland, OH, during the period when such bridges were in wide use (1875-1920). It was erected in 1890 on the Leesburg and Alexandria Turnpike, present-day Route 7. In 1932, the bridge was relocated to Featherbed Lane over Catoctin Creek, half a mile west of here. At 159 feet, it is among the longest metal truss bridges in use in VA. Local organizations rallied to preserve it in 1974. Supported by the Loudoun County Preservation and Conservation Coalition, the community again protected it in 2015. That year the bridge was named for local preservationist John G. Lewis, who documented more than 700 historic structures in the region.
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