Fort Lewis was originally settled by Colonel Charles Lewis more than two centuries ago in present day Bath County, Virginia. In 1750 he built a small stockade to protect the strategic western end of the Shenandoah Mountain pass from Indian raids. One of a series of fortifications authorized by the Virginia Colonial General Assembly along the frontier during the French &amp; Indian War. Col. Lewis went on to die a hero's death fighting the Shawnee, allies of the British, in the 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant, now widely regarded as the first conflict of the American Revolution. His vast 3,200 acre mountain farm, still known as Fort Lewis Farm, has remained relatively unchanged over its 200-year history.