Bridge in Waterford Named on Tuesday for Loudoun Historian

Release: Loudoun County

The historic bridge on Featherbed Lane over Catoctin Creek in Waterford has been officially named the John G. Lewis Memorial Bridge. Loudoun County officials hosted a naming ceremony Tuesday, honoring the memory of a man who led the effort to include the bridge on the Virginia and National Register of Historic Places.

The bridge, a rare example of a wrought iron truss bridge, was originally erected in 1889 on the Leesburg & Alexandria Turnpike (Route 7) over Goose Creek, to replace a bridge destroyed by flooding. In 1932, the bridge was dismantled and moved to its current location.

In 2013, The Board of Supervisors approved a resolution initiated by Catoctin District Supervisor Geary Higgins to request that the Commonwealth Transportation Board name the bridge for Lewis. An architectural historian, Lewis was a major figure in historic preservation in Loudoun County for more than 50 years and led the effort that placed the bridge on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

He documented many of Loudoun County’s historic structures, served as chairman of the Loudoun County Scenic River Committee, spearheaded scenic river designations for Catoctin Creek and Goose Creek, and was instrumental in creating Loudoun County’s historic districts.

Lewis, who died in 2013, can be seen in interviews about the county’s historic districts at www.loudoun.gov/historic-interactive.