Welcome Home to Beautiful Lynchburg Virginia! 

James River

Lynchburg Weather:  www.weather.com 
Lynchburg Schools:   www.lynchburg.org
Lynchburg News:      www.wset.com
Lynchburg Sports:     www.wset.com/sports
Lynchburg Parks & Recreation:  www.lynchburgva.gov/Index.aspx?page=86 
Lynchburg Jobs / Chamber of Commerce:  www.lynchburgchamber.org/
Lynchburg Real Estate:    www.lynchburgmls.com
Lynchburg Government:  www.lynchburgva.gov/
Lynchburg Hospitals / Health Care:  www.centrahealth.com/
Lynchburg Living & Entertainment:   www.lynchburgliving.com/
Lynchburg Police / Emergency Services:          www.lynchburgpolice.org/ 
Lynchburg Crime / Demographic Information:  www.city-data.com/city/Lynchburg-Virginia.html 

(Be sure to read the Washington Post article, "FINE, FUNKY, LYNCHBURG, VA" below) 

ABOUT LYNCHBURG:
Lynchburg, Virginia is a city which remembers its past while focusing on the future - a vibrant central city fostering a strong sense of community, economic opportunity for all our citizens and responsive, results-oriented local government. 

Lynchburg is a city of 50 square miles located near the geographic center of the state, bordered by the eastern edge of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. It is located approximately 180 miles southwest of the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. 

An active community boasting friendly residential neighborhoods, Lynchburg has a tradition of outstanding public education. Lynchburg operates one of the top school systems in the state and is recognized for its unique Partners in Education program that partners the business and government sector with the schools. The city is also home to five public/private colleges and universities. 

A city with outstanding cultural, educational, and recreation opportunities, Lynchburg operates 12 parks, 24 playgrounds, eight community centers, an Olympic-size pool, 34 tennis courts, and 26 baseball diamonds. Other opportunities include hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains or on the Appalachian Trail; swimming and boating on Smith Mountain Lake, one of the countryˇ¦s largest man-made bodies of water; skiing at nearby Wintergreen Resort; or taking in a minor-league baseball game at the city-managed stadium. 

Lynchburg has operated under a Council/Manager form of government since 1920. The City Council, comprised of seven members, is elected for four-year staggered terms of office. Lynchburg's City Council has created a vision to guide the community into the next millennium. Encouraging innovative approaches and focused, change-ready leadership, City Council's broad vision targets include stable, productive, inspired families; strategic economic development; an integrated education community; and a community environment second to none. 

The City Manager is responsible to the City Council for the effective operation of all government functions. Since the early 1990's, the City has been actively engaged in high-performance development, which has resulted in innovative community/city partnerships; customer service improvements; regional visioning; and the increased use of technology in service delivery. A direct outcome of this work has been the development of a results-oriented strategy for government that will translate the vision and goals of City Council into an internal strategic plan that provides focus and direction for the organization. 

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"FINE, FUNKY, LYNCHBURG, VA" 

By Pamela Redmond Satran
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, May 15, 2009 6:03 PM  

Finding a great undiscovered town is almost as rare these days as stumbling on an amazing restaurant that hasn't been Yelped or into a junk store whose owner has never heard of "Antiques Roadshow."  

That's part of what makes Lynchburg, Va., so wonderful. Few people go there expecting much. It's out of the way, seen as a poor relation to posh Charlottesville, an hour to the north, and genteel Lexington, an hour northwest. Its reputation as home of conservative Christian-oriented Liberty University and the late Jerry Falwell hardly bodes well for style, culture and night life.  

And even if you could get past all those mental roadblocks, recent highway projects make it all too easy to zoom along its outskirts, never seeing more than the septic-tank factory.  

But you'd be missing a lot. Lynchburg is the perfect place to while away a long weekend. It embodies just the right blend of fine and funky, all within a walkable historic downtown.  

I discovered Lynchburg half a dozen years ago, when I began going to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, 20 minutes north, to work on my novels. Lynchburg was the nearest big town, the place to go when you needed art supplies or a cappuccino.  

Lynchburg has a vibrant cultural scene and a distinctly bohemian air. More than an acceptable place to stop for a tuna sandwich, it's a destination packed with standout restaurants and shops that combine individual style with world-class quality and taste.  

One of my favorite restaurants on Earth is in Lynchburg: Bull Branch. It's a place where I've never failed to have an excellent meal and an excellent time. So dark that the translucent menus are designed to be read backlit by the tin lanterns on the tables, Bull Branch brews up ice-cold martinis and mouth-watering food that ranges from bourbon-marinated pork with sweet potato hash to vegetarian entrees as satisfying as a steak (or so my non-carnivore pals tell me). Like Lynchburg itself, it's that perfect blend of casual and sophisticated, elegant and honky-tonk.  

If you want to tip the scales toward elegant, the other great place to eat in town is Dish, which features tapas and a sophisticated wine list. I'm more of a beef and bourbon girl myself, but many of my VCCA friends prefer to pull a stool up to one of the tall tables at Dish when they need a night away from the poetry mines.  

First Fridays are a huge event in Lynchburg, when Riverviews Artspace on Ninth Street down by the river throws open its gallery doors to showcase the work of the artists who live and create in the converted factory building. The quality of the work may not compete with what you'd see at a Manhattan gallery, but the artists are a whole lot friendlier and, true to the town's form, there are a significant number of diamonds among the coal.  

The Saturday daytime sport in Lynchburg is poking through the antiques, junk and hardware stores that line Main Street. One of my favorites is Estate Specialists, a three-level mix of antiques, treasures and junk. At first glance, it all seems like junk, packed too tightly into the vast space. But take a closer look, and you may divine a down-cushioned sofa beside the plastic chairs, a gorgeous watercolor next to a Pepsi poster. Everything is reasonably priced: On my last visit, I bought eight sturdy yet attractive Duncan Phyfe-style dining room chairs for $500 and lusted after an oval end table with turned legs that was going for $150 and a little Victorian side chair with a gorgeous needlepoint seat in perfect shape for $135.  

Another favorite Main Street shop is the Farmers Seed & Supply, an old-fashioned purveyor of goods from earthenware bowls to daisy seeds. Beware, though, because it closes at 2 p.m. on Saturdays, as does the Community Market at 12th and Main, which hosts food and craft stands along with local farmers selling their wares.  

Plan on a late lunch at the White Hart Cafe at Inklings Bookshop, where you can get a bona fide soy latte and panini, and consume them while reading a book borrowed from the comfortable and sophisticated little bookstore's shelves. Yes, when you go into the backroom, where they keep the kids' books, you'll discover that it's really a Christian bookstore masquerading as a groovy hangout, but it has way better food and lots more soul than a Starbucks.  

The place to stay overnight in Lynchburg these days is the shoe factory that's been converted to the hipster Craddock Terry Hotel, complete with loft-style rooms and a brewery. For just a little more than a room at the Holiday Inn (there's one of those downtown, too), you can sleep in style, albeit to the tune of the Crescent barreling toward New Orleans on the tracks below.  

For more activity, there are those who swear by the Old City Cemetery, at 401 Taylor St., and the Academy of Fine Arts, which is at the end of the historic Main Street right across from the Holiday Inn Select. You can also visit the Legacy Museum of African American History or launch your canoe right from Seventh Street for a float down the James River.  

Me, I'm content to wander through the town's shops, many of which redefine the words "friendly" and "funky." Drawer pulls shaped like chestnuts? Black beeswax candles or perhaps a kneeler for your own private chapel? Lynchburg has them all . . . .and perfect martinis, too.
 

25 FUN FACTS ABOUT LYNCHBURG: 

1. Founding Father  

Lynchburg was named for its founder, John Lynch, who at the age of 17 started a ferry service across the James River in 1757. He was also responsible for Lynchburg's first bridge across the river, which replaced the ferry in 1812. 

2. 45 Acres 

In October 1786, the Virginia General Assembly granted John Lynch a charter for a town. The 45 acres granted for the town were his own land. Lynchburg was incorporated as a town in 1805 and as a city in 1852. 

3. Last Tribe 

The Monacan Indian tribe lived in the Lynchburg area until well into the 17th century. Their chief village, Rassawek, stood near where the James and Rivanna Rivers meet in Fluvanna County. They were driven westward or killed by the Powhatans and Iroquois. Descendants of the Monacan now live in the Bear Mountain area of Amherst County. 

4. Quaker Meeting House  

The Society of Friends, or Quakers, was the first religious group to settle in Lynchburg. Although Charles Lynch, Sr. was a Roman Catholic, his wife, Sarah and daughter were instrumental in founding the South River Meeting House of the Society of Friends, the city's first house of worship. Although there were many Quakers among early settlers in Lynchburg, the numbers decreased as agriculture and industry in the South became increasingly dependent upon slavery, which the Friends opposed. The Meeting House, located on Fort Avenue, was restored and is now part of Quaker Memorial Presbyterian Church.  

5. Miller-Claytor House 

Built in 1791 by John Miller, a tavern owner and later owned by Samuel Claytor, the Miller-Claytor House was the fourth house to be constructed in Lynchburg. It was moved from the corner of 8th Street and Church Street to Riverside Park and restored in 1936 as a Sesquicentennial project of the Lynchburg Historical Society. 

6. Seven Hills 

College Hill, Garland Hill, Daniel's Hill, Federal Hill, Diamond Hill, White Rock Hill, and Franklin Hill were the original "Seven Hills" of the City of Lynchburg.  

7. Miller Park 

Samuel Miller, born on June 30, 1792 in Albemarle County, made a fortune buying and selling stocks and bonds. Upon his death, he left money to establish the Miller Home for Girls in Lynchburg and the Miller Home for Boys in Albemarle County. He also left Miller Park to the City of Lynchburg for the benefit of all citizens. 

8. Point of Honor 

Built around 1815 by Dr. George Cabell, Sr., an eminent physician whose most famous patient was Patrick Henry. Point of Honor was the home of important Lynchburg area families, including the Daniels, Paynes, and Owens. Although not documented, it is possible that at some time Point of Honor may have been used as a dueling ground. However, since dueling was prohibited, it is speculated it occurred on the property in Campbell County to escape the Lynchburg magistrate.  

9. Nichols Tavern 

As early as 1815, the Federal style structure known today as the Joseph Nichols Tavern was a thriving "ordinary" or inn, near an extension of the Old Ferry Road, now the corner of Fifth and Madison Streets. It is probable that Thomas Jefferson lodged at the Tavern on his way from Monticello to Poplar Forest. In the 1840s the site became known as the Western Hotel and has since served as a hotel, a brothel and a rooming house. It was restored in 1975. 

10. Love Apple 

According to local legend, Thomas Jefferson, who was visiting the owners of the Miller-Claytor House on his way to his Poplar Forest home, took a bite of the "poisonous love apple." Supposedly, this was the first time anyone had eaten this fruit, which we now call the tomato, in Virginia.  

11. "First Citizen" 

Max Guggenheimer, Jr., born in Germany in 1856, was a leader in Lynchburg's business community. Guggenheimer joined his brother-in-law, Nathaniel Guggenheimer, in running the Guggenheimer store. Soon after his brother-in-law's death, Guggenheimer closed the retail business and began the first wholesale distributing house for shoes and boots in Lynchburg, called Witt and Watkins. Guggenheimer served as director of the Lynchburg National Bank and organized and served as the first president of the Lynchburg Cotton Mill. In the last quarter of the 19th century and the early 20th century, he enjoyed the prestige of being called "Lynchburg's First Citizen." 

12. Packet Boat 

Packet Boat "Marshall," located in Riverside Park, carried General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's body to Lexington after he was mistakenly killed by his own sentry. On May 10, 1863, the Orange and Alexandria Railroad brought Jackson's remains to Lynchburg and made the transfer to the packet boat with the appropriate ceremonies. 

13. Lynchburg as State Capitol 

From April 6 to 10, 1865, Lynchburg served as the capital of Virginia. Under Governor William Smith, the executive and legislative branches of the Commonwealth moved to Lynchburg for the few days between the fall of Richmond and the fall of the Confederacy. 

14. School Days 

On July 11, 1870, a system of public schools was established by law in Virginia. The Lynchburg public school system officially began September 22, 1870. Abram Frederick Biggers, great-grandson of John Lynch, was Lynchburg's first superintendent of schools. 

15. First on the Air 

In October 1868, Dr. Malcolm (Mahlon) Loomis, a part-time resident of Lynchburg, used a vertical antenna, a high-frequency detector and a sparkgap transmitter to successfully send electro-magnetic waves through the atmosphere, thus inventing radio, six years before the birth of the "father of radio," Guglielmo Marconi. Despite records that indicate Loomis invented the radio, he lacked the necessary funds to perfect his equipment and gain recognition for his invention. 

16. Famous Undertaker 

In 1881, Lynchburg native William D. Diuguid invented the church truck by putting wheels on a catafalque, which had long been used as a stationary resting place for caskets. The church truck is still used by funeral directors nationwide. W. D. Diuguid, Inc., was founded in 1817 and is the second oldest funeral home in continuing service in the United States. 

17. Centennial 

Lynchburg's Centennial celebration was held October 12 - 15, 1886, in conjunction with the Agricultural Fair. Festivities included a parade, fireworks, a band and horse races. John Warwick Daniel gave the opening address. On November 29, a centennial oak tree was planted in Miller Park. The tree is still standing today. In 1886 Lynchburg was the forth largest city in Virginia; there were 49 miles of street, five of which were paved. 

18. Famous Products 

In 1889, Dr. Charles Brown Fleet, a young pharmacist who moved to Lynchburg in 1869, invented and began selling his Fleet's Chap-Stick lip balm. In 1893, Fleet developed the formula for phospho-soda, the basic ingredient for the Fleet Enema. Organized as C.B. Fleet Co., Inc., in 1916, the company developed the first disposable, small volume enema in 1953 and the first disposable douche product, Summer's Eve, in 1973. 

19. Making the Grade 

Randolph-Macon Woman's College was the first women's college in the South to be accredited and to receive a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Founded in 1893 by Dr. William Waugh Smith, the college represented the South as one of the sixteen colleges for women in the United States classified "Division A" by the United States Bureau of Education in the early 1900s. It was ranked with Vassar and Smith.  

20. First Hospital 

In 1895, Dr. A. W. Terrell and Dr. Samuel Lile established the first hospital on record in Lynchburg -- St. Andrew's Home, a private hospital at 917 Court Street. Terrell was the physician for Randolph-Macon Woman's College for 49 years.  

21. If The Shoe Fits ... 

In 1888, John Craddock, A. P. Craddock, T.M. Terry and Max Guggenheimer formed Craddock-Terry and Company as a wholesale distributing house for "boots, shoes and rubbers." The firm later became The Craddock-Terry Shoe Corporation and in 1901 built the first shoe factory south of the Mason-Dixon Line. 

22. Iron Man 

In the late 1800's and early 1900's, H.E. McWane turned two companies, known as Lynchburg Foundry Company and Griffin Pipe Products, into prosperous enterprises whose principal activity was manufacturing cast-iron pipe and fittings. Lynchburg was the first southern city in which cast-iron pipe was made, and in 1936 pipe and fittings became one of Lynchburg's principal industries, employing some 600 persons in the city. Today, Griffin Pipe Products still manufactures cast-iron pipe for municipal water systems. 

23. Black Poet  

Anne Spencer, a black poet born February 8, 1882 in Henry County, is the only Virginian whose works are included in the Norton Anthology of Modern American and British Poetry. After settling in Lynchburg, she established Lynchburg's first lending library for blacks and helped found the local chapter of the NAACP. Frequent visitors to the Spencer home at 1313 Pierce Street included Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Langston Hughes, Dr. George Washington Carver, W.E.B. DuBois and Jackie Robinson.  

24. 139 Steps 

Extending from Church Street to Court Street with 139 steps, Monument Terrace was built in 1924 as a memorial to citizens who fought and died in American wars. At that time the original basin, located at the base of the monument steps, was replaced with a listing of Lynchburg's WWI dead and Charles Keck's representative of a doughboy, "The Listening Post." 

25. Lynchburg College 

Virginia Christian College, later renamed Lynchburg College, was the first college to offer coeducation facilities in Central Virginia. The College began its first session in 1903 with 155 pupils. Although founder Dr. Josephus Hopwood believed in coeducation, men and women were not allowed to sit together at either classes or meals, unless they were brothers and sisters. Virginia Christian College was changed to Lynchburg College in 1919. 

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