Historical Reminiscing with Robert B. Hitchings
The Mausoleum of Rev. William H. Lewis 1816-1883
Every cemetery has its stories and Norfolk, Virginia, cemeteries have theirs. Cemeteries are supposed to be a sacred place, but unfortunately in today’s world one sees so much vandalism and hatred towards the dead. It’s truly sad. Many people feel a cemetery is the only place they can connect with their love ones that have departed, from either a horrible disease or a horrible traffic accident.
Every mausoleum is unique in appearance and comes with its own rich story. And each mausoleum is a resting place for a beloved individual. Mausoleums are a symbol of remembrance and honor in many cultures. It is also a status simple reflecting one's wealth. Over the years exquisite mausoleums have made their way here in Norfolk's cemeteries. But I prefer the ones that are plain and simple. And who cannot forget the many ghost stories of different mausoleums that have been written over the years including the sighting of ghosts. Unfortunately, my story has no ghosts.
The Victorians use to say, “Cemeteries are the city of the dead.” They are so right for in every cemetery you have your dead mayors, doctors, lawyers, ministers, saloon keepers, prostitutes and regular folks who represent the beautiful fabric of our city.
Recently, I was called upon to do research on an African-American man who is buried in West Point Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia. He is buried in a mausoleum which is unusual for an African-Americans in those days.
John Dill, an old friend and the operation manager of Bureau of Cemeteries called on me to solve the mystery of this man who rests in his mausoleum. Who was this man resting in this old peaceful cemetery?
Quietly tucked away in old West Point Cemetery, the oldest African-American cemetery here in Norfolk with its high wall separating from Elmwood Cemetery, is an unusual mausoleum of a Rev. William Lewis, a Methodist minister, Man of the cloth of our City of Norfolk. You can see this mausoleum as you drive up into this old cemetery.
As one looks at the front of this unique, simple and old, mausoleum, one sees a small marble plague stone above the old rustic door that reads L. E. Lewis, 1895.
On the back of the mausoleum is a tall beautiful, slab-like marble tombstone that that stands, reading, William H. Lewis, born July 25, 1876, in Hollis, Maine. He died July 25, 1876.
The stone is made by O’Rourke, a Catholic stonemason whose business was not far from today's City Hall, on Union Street. Unfortunately, there is no obituary on this man from Hollis, Maine. I even checked the Maine newspapers and found nothing.
The information on these old marble stones is not accurate. In my research the dates were wrong. Could someone have added the wrong dates by accident, or could the mausoleum been built in the golden years of one’s life when memory has faded? Essentially, I was dealing with faulty data that simply did not add up.
I went to work, first by using the old City Directories (1880-1883) of Norfolk, Virginia. I also checked the 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 Norfolk, Virginia, census records for a William E. Lewis. However, my big discovery was when I found the will of a Rev. William H. Lewis, probated in Norfolk’s City Hall, listing his wife Mary and adopted daughter Rosa Hunter. This was a terrific find.
In the Norfolk-Virginian newspaper, I found a small obituary of Rev. William H. Lewis, showing a memorial service being conducted by Rev. J. Butts & Rev. I. J. Pindell, on July 15, 1882, District Conference, Southern District of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The census records proved to be so good. In 1860 Norfolk, Virginia, Lewis H. Lewis is listed as a Huckster, and his personal estate value was $400.00, which in those days was a hefty sum of money for an African-American. A huckster is a door-to-door peddler selling all sorts of things. Apparently he did well in his business. He is listed as a Mulatto free person of color. He was 42 years and living in his house were A. L. Armstrong 20 years, John Bowser 21 years and Harriett Bowser only 2 years old.
In the 1870 Census record I find William H. Lewis listed as a minister of the cloth. He had apparently found God during the troubled times of our Civil War. He had a wife, Mary E. Lewis, age 47, and daughters Rosa Hunter, 18 years old, and Ellen Brown, age 17.
In the 1880 Norfolk Census he is listed as Rev. Lewis, age 64, with his wife Mary E. Lewis, age 54. He made his will on July 17, 1882, and on December 22, 1882, his will was probated in Norfolk’s Corporation Court.
In his will he leaves his double house and the lot next to his church, St. Luke’s Methodist on the north side of Scott Street, Norfolk, Virginia, to his wife and later to his adopted daughter Rosa Hunter.
In viewing the outside of the mausoleum one sees two memorials. And, as I was probing this old tomb for family information, I was coming up empty. The mystery of this old tomb is still a mystery. Unfortunately, our cemetery records have been damaged and many have just disappeared. Determining the identity of the people buried inside is a mystery too. For example, how many of the Lewis family are buried inside? We do not know. Was this mausoleum just built for Rev. William H. Lewis? At times I felt like I was dealing with three different men, all with the same name.
We may never know the answers to my questions, but we do know this Rev. Lewis, through hard work pulled himself up by the boot straps and afterwards became a most beloved minister, man of the cloth for the African American community here in Norfolk, Virginia. Believe me, the mystery of Rev. Lewis has been very challenging, but I must say most interesting and intriguing.
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Robert B. Hitchings is a seventh generation Norfolk resident, graduating with an Associate's Degree in Biology from Old Dominion University and BA in history from Virginia Wesleyan University. During his studies he was awarded a scholarship at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, England, and he was an exchange student at Brooks-Westminster College, Oxford, England. From 1999-2014 he worked as head of the Sargeant Memorial History Room at Norfolk Public Library, and since then has headed the Wallace History Room at Chesapeake Public Library. He is also the President of the Norfolk County Historical Society, and for six years was a columnist for The Virginian-Pilot. Robert may be reached at nchs.wallaceroom@gmail.com
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