William Lewis (judge)
Encyclopedia
William Lewis was a Pennsylvania attorney and politician.
Born in Edgemont, Pennsylvania
, Lewis read law to enter the bar in 1773. He was in private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
from then until 1787, when he was elected as a representative to the Pennsylvania State Legislature. In 1789 he became the United States Attorney
for the District of Pennsylvania, until 1791.
Lewis received a recess appointment
from President George Washington
on July 14, 1791, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania
vacated by Francis Hopkinson
. Lewis was formally nominated on October 31, 1791, and was confirmed by the United States Senate
, and received his commission, on November 7, 1791. His service terminated on January 4, 1792, due to resignation, and he returned to private practice in Philadelphia until his retirement in 1817. He died in Philadelphia.
Lewis is also known for building the Historic Strawberry Mansion
in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park
in 1789. At the time the house was known as "Summerville" and was converted into a historic house museum in 1931.
Born in Edgemont, Pennsylvania
Edgemont, Pennsylvania
Edgemont is a unincorporated community in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the Harrisburg-Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area, nearby bordering the state capital city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania northeast, and the nearby census-designated place of Progress, Pennsylvania, the...
, Lewis read law to enter the bar in 1773. He was in private practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
from then until 1787, when he was elected as a representative to the Pennsylvania State Legislature. In 1789 he became the United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the District of Pennsylvania, until 1791.
Lewis received a recess appointment
Recess appointment
A recess appointment is the appointment, by the President of the United States, of a senior federal official while the U.S. Senate is in recess. The U.S. Constitution requires that the most senior federal officers must be confirmed by the Senate before assuming office, but while the Senate is in...
from President George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
on July 14, 1791, to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania
United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania
The following are former United States district courts, which ceased to exist because they were subdivided into smaller units. With the exception of California, each of these courts initially covered an entire U.S. state, and was subdivided as the jurisdictions which they covered increased in...
vacated by Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson , an American author, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey. He later served as a federal judge in Pennsylvania...
. Lewis was formally nominated on October 31, 1791, and was confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, and received his commission, on November 7, 1791. His service terminated on January 4, 1792, due to resignation, and he returned to private practice in Philadelphia until his retirement in 1817. He died in Philadelphia.
Lewis is also known for building the Historic Strawberry Mansion
Historic Strawberry Mansion
Historic Strawberry Mansion is a summer home originally built for Judge William Lewis in 1789. It is located in East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA....
in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consists of 63 parks, with , all overseen by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, successor to the Fairmount Park Commission in 2010.-Fairmount Park proper:...
in 1789. At the time the house was known as "Summerville" and was converted into a historic house museum in 1931.
Sources
- Historic Strawberry Mansion Official Website http://www.historicstrawberrymansion.org