Why Would I Want to Live There? (Part 4- Lewisburg)
In one way or the other, every town in West Virginia is unique. Each one has its own special “feel.” That is certainly true of the three Ascend WV featured cities- Morgantown, Shepherdstown, and Lewisburg. The three locales represent highly diverse parts of our state. Morgantown is a vibrant college town. Shepherdstown is a quiet village that will fool you into thinking you’ve stepped back into the 19th century. Lewisburg is…a little hard to define, but in a good way. It doesn’t fit into a neat box. It’s a little bit old town charm, a little outdoor adventure, a little weird, and 100% West Virginia.
There was a show on The CW a few years ago called The Hart of Dixie. New York City doctor Zoe Hart was thrust into small town southern life when her estranged father left his Alabama medical practice to her upon his death. The fictional town was called Bluebell. It was idyllic place with Victorian homes, boutiques, a bakery, and a gazebo in the town square. I took my wife to Lewisburg for the first time several years ago. The first thing she said as we entered the town proper was, “Bluebell! It looks like Bluebell!” Sure enough, Lewisburg has old Victorian homes, tons of unique shops and restaurants, peaceful city parks, and a medical school to top it all off (The WV School of Osteopathic Medicine). I’m sure there are some aspiring Zoe Harts from big cities who have ended up in Lewisburg to pursue their medical dreams!
Lewisburg sits in a broad valley with the Allegheny Mountains in every direction. It’s a little less rugged than many of WV’s mountain communities. The farms in the valley surrounding Lewisburg make for some incredibly picturesque scenes with the mountains in the distance. Just a couple miles from Lewisburg, the Greenbrier River passes by on its way to Hinton and the New River. The southern terminus of the famed Greenbrier River Trail is just outside Lewisburg in Caldwell. For those who are interested in exploring what’s below the service, Lost World Caverns is only five minutes from downtown Lewisburg.
There are some great, locally owned restaurants in town, including the Asylum, Hill and Holler, and Food and Friends. There’s also a distillery, Smooth Ambler, that is making waves in the world of bourbon. You can take a tour for $10, but the premium whiskey will cost much more! For those who want to stay a while, Lewisburg is home to the General Lewis Inn. Parts of the Inn were built in the early 1800’s, and it became a hotel in 1929. If the General Lewis Inn isn’t exclusive enough (where rooms can go for well over $300 per night), the Greenbrier Resort is only 10 minutes from Lewisburg in White Sulphur Springs. The Greenbrier is one of America’s most luxurious resorts, with five-star dining options and a golf course that once hosted the Ryder Cup.
A short drive north on US 219 will take you to Pocahontas County, home to Snowshoe Mountain ski resort, Cass Scenic Railroad, Cranberry Glades, and some of the best trout fishing in the eastern US. Going south of Lewisburg on Rt. 63, you’ll pass the Big Bend Tunnel, where John Henry supposedly worked and beat the (then) new steam drilling machine by driving a steel drill by hand 14 feet into solid rock. As the Ballad of John Henry goes, “the steam drill only made it 9, Lord, Lord…steam drill only made it 9.”
All the Ascend WV cities are strategically located near outdoor recreation without being too isolated. Lewisburg has all plenty of modern conveniences- there’s a Walmart, a couple of car dealerships, national chain restaurants and hotels, and a hospital. However, it’s probably the most remote (in relative terms) of the three featured cities. The closest city with a major concentration of department stores and entertainment options is Beckley, which is nearly an hour away. Roanoke, VA is about 90 minutes southeast of Lewisburg. Nevertheless, Lewisburg is a very livable city. It has everything a person needs without the crowds and traffic, save for the State Fair for 10 days in August (see my previous post for more on that great event). Lewisburg even has a Carnegie Hall- one of four Carnegie Halls in the world that still serves as a performance venue.
The Ascend WV program has been a smashing success so far. There have been far more applications than available spots. The application window has closed for Morgantown and Shepherdstown, but you can still apply to live in Lewisburg. If you’re living outside of West Virginia and you have the option to work remotely, put in your application to join us in the Mountain State! For my next and final post of the “Why Would I Live There?” series, I sat down with a friend who moved to West Virginia from New York. She had some great thoughts about the pros and cons of living in WV compared to NYC, so check back soon to read about our conversation!
