Virgil Stuart Lusk was born in Buncombe County (modern Madison County), North Carolina on May 9, 1836. Lusk was a Confederate veteran, attorney, and Republican politician who served as solicitor for the 12th judicial district (1868-1871), assistant U.S. District Attorney for North Carolina (1871-1881), mayor of Asheville (1881-1885), and state legislator (1889 & 1895-1897). He died in Asheville on September 5, 1929.