Historic Lexington Loses a Friend

I received the Rockbridge Historical Society’s newsletter recently and was saddened to learn of the death of Royster Lyle, Jr. Lexington, Virginia has lost a local treasure. For over 30 years, Mr. Lyle has been a leader in the historical preservation efforts of Lexington and surrounding Rockbridge County; particularly when it came to the area’s historic architecture and artifacts.

Mr. Lyle was a graduate of Hampden-Sydney and a U.S. Army veteran. He was instrumental in establishing the George C. Marshall Research Library in 1962 on the campus of Virginia Military Institute. There he worked in various positions as curator, associate director, and as foundation secretary until he retired in 1993. According to the RHS newsletter:

“Royster was the epitome of the Renaissance Man. A founder of Historic Lexington Foundation in 1966, he led initial efforts to preserve the historic character of Lexington’s central business district. He was instrumental in the successful community effort to preserve House Mountain as a public asset. He was also a major force behind the creation of the Chessie Nature Trail and Woods Creek Park.”

Lyle also co-authored, with Dr. Pamela Simpson of Washington & Lee University, “a landmark book, The Architecture of Historic Lexington.” Mr. Lyle was a member of numerous preservationist groups and his ancestors were some of the earliest settlers of Rockbridge County.

Though I never met him face to face, he was most gracious in helping me with some of the research for my book, Stonewall Jackson – The Black Man’s Friend. He was enthusiastic about the subject matter and eager to help. His research was foundational in my writing about his ancestor and Stonewall Jackson’s close personal friend, John Blair Lyle. Our telephone conversations were always lively and interesting.

As a memorial, the RHS has established a special fund in his name which will be devoted to the repair and restoration of artifacts in its collection. One of the first projects will be the Jackson-Junkin Desk. The desk was given by Stonewall Jackson to his father-in-law, Dr. George Junkin in 1853. Contributions can be made by contacting the Rockbridge Historical Society.

Most appropriately, Mr. Lyle was laid to rest in the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery on May 17.