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Lynchburg is an
independent city
An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province).
Historical precursors
In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...
in the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in the United States. First settled in 1757 by
ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
owner
John Lynch, the city's population was 79,009 at the
2020 census. Located in the
foothills
Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topograp ...
of the
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
along the banks of the
James River
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...
, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or the "Hill City".
In the 1860s, Lynchburg was the only city in Virginia that was not recaptured by the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
before the end of the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
Lynchburg lies at the center of a wider
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
close to the geographic center of Virginia. It is the fifth-largest
MSA in Virginia, with a population of 261,593. It is the site of several institutions of higher education, including
Virginia University of Lynchburg
Virginia University of Lynchburg is a private historically black Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. The university is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools and offers instruction and degrees, pr ...
,
Randolph College
Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational.
The college offers 32 majors; 42 minors; ...
,
University of Lynchburg
The University of Lynchburg, formerly Lynchburg College, is a private university associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. T ...
,
Central Virginia Community College
Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) is a public community college in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is part of the Virginia Community College System
The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) oversees a network of 23 community colleges in Vi ...
and
Liberty University
Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Liberty i ...
. Nearby cities include
Roanoke,
Charlottesville
Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Cha ...
, and
Danville.
History
Monacan Indian Nation
The Monacan Indian Nation is one of eleven Native American tribes recognized since the late 20th century by the U.S. state of Virginia. In January 2018, the United States Congress passed an act to provide federal recognition as tribes to the Mo ...
and other
Siouan
Siouan or Siouan–Catawban is a language family of North America that is located primarily in the Great Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and southeastern North America with a few other languages in the east.
Name
Authors who call the entire ...
Tutelo
The Tutelo (also Totero, Totteroy, Tutera; Yesan in Tutelo) were Native Americans in the United States, Native American people living above the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, Fall Line in present-day Virginia and West Virginia. They spoke a Siouan d ...
-speaking tribes had lived in the area since at least 1270, driving the
Virginia Algonquians eastward to the coastal areas. Explorer
John Lederer
John Lederer was a 17th-century German physician and an explorer of the Appalachian Mountains. He and the members of his party became the first Europeans to crest the Blue Ridge Mountains (1669) and the first to see the Shenandoah Valley and the ...
visited one of the Siouan villages (
Saponi
The Saponi or Sappony are a Native American tribe historically based in the Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia.Raymond D. DeMaillie, "Tutelo and Neighboring Groups," pages 286–87. They spoke a Siouan language, related to the languages of ...
) in 1670, on the Staunton River at Otter Creek, southwest of the present-day city, as did the
Thomas Batts Thomas Batts was an early settler in Virginia and an explorer of western Virginia.
Early and family life
Thomas Batts (also Batte) was born in Yorkshire, England, 1661, and was a son of John Batte of Oakwell Hall and Martha Mallory, daughter of ...
and Robert Fallam expedition in 1671.
Siouan peoples occupied this area until about 1702; they had become weakened because of high mortality from infectious diseases. The
Seneca people
The Seneca () ( see, Onödowáʼga:, "Great Hill People") are a group of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous Iroquoian-speaking people who historically lived south of Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes in North America. Their n ...
, who were part of the ''
Haudenosaunee
The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian Peoples, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Indigenous confederations in North America, confederacy of First Nations in Canada, First Natio ...
'', or Iroquois Confederacy based in New York, defeated them. The Seneca had ranged south while seeking new hunting grounds through the
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...
to the West. At the Treaty of Albany in 1718, the
Iroquois Five Nations ceded control of their land east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, including Lynchburg, to the
Colony of Virginia
The Colony of Virginia, chartered in 1606 and settled in 1607, was the first enduring English colonial empire, English colony in North America, following failed attempts at settlement on Newfoundland (island), Newfoundland by Sir Humphrey GilbertG ...
; they confirmed this in 1721.
Founding and early growth
First settled by Anglo-Americans in 1757, Lynchburg was named for its founder,
John Lynch. When about 17 years old, Lynch started a ferry service at a
ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
across the
James River
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...
to carry traffic to and from
New London
New London may refer to:
Places United States
*New London, Alabama
*New London, Connecticut
*New London, Indiana
*New London, Iowa
*New London, Maryland
*New London, Minnesota
*New London, Missouri
*New London, New Hampshire, a New England town
** ...
, where his parents had settled. The "City of Seven Hills" quickly developed along the hills surrounding Lynch's Ferry.
In 1786, Virginia's General Assembly recognized Lynchburg, the settlement by Lynch's Ferry on the James River. The
James River Company had been incorporated the previous year (and President
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
was given stock, which he donated to charity) in order to "improve" the river down to
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
, which was growing and was named as the new Commonwealth's capital. Shallow-draft
James River bateau
The James River Bateau was a shallow draft river craft used during the period from 1775 to 1840 to transport tobacco and other cargo on the James River and its tributaries in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was flat bottomed and pointed at both ...
provided a relatively easy means of transportation through Lynchburg down to Richmond and eventually to the Atlantic Ocean. Rocks, downed trees, and flood debris were constant hazards, so their removal became expensive ongoing maintenance. Lynchburg became a tobacco trading, then commercial, and much later an industrial center.
Eventually the state built a canal and towpath along the river to make transportation by the waterway easier, and especially to provide a water route around the falls at Richmond, which prevented through navigation by boat. By 1812, U.S. Chief Justice
John Marshall
John Marshall (September 24, 1755July 6, 1835) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the fourth Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 until his death in 1835. He remains the longest-serving chief justice and fourth-longes ...
, who lived in Richmond, reported on the navigation difficulties and construction problems on the canal and towpath.
The General Assembly recognized the settlement's growth by incorporating Lynchburg as a town in 1805; it was not incorporated as a city until 1852. In between, Lynch built Lynchburg's first bridge across the James River, a toll structure that replaced his ferry in 1812. A toll turnpike to
Salem, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,346. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combin ...
was begun in 1817. Lynch died in 1820 and was buried beside his mother in the graveyard of the
South River Friends Meetinghouse. Quakers later abandoned the town because of their opposition to slaveholding. Presbyterians took over the meetinghouse and adapted it as a church. It is now preserved as a historic site.
To avoid the many visitors at
Monticello
Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...
,
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
in 1806 developed a plantation and house near Lynchburg, called
Poplar Forest
Poplar Forest is a plantation and plantation house in Forest, Bedford County, Virginia. Founding Father and third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson designed the plantation, and used the property as both a private retreat and a revenue-generating pl ...
. He often visited the town, noting, "Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to be useful to the town of Lynchburg. I consider it as the most interesting spot in the state." In 1810, Jefferson wrote, "Lynchburg is perhaps the most rising place in the U.S.... It ranks now next to Richmond in importance...."
Early Lynchburg residents were not known for their religious enthusiasm. The established Church of England supposedly built a log church in 1765. In 1804, evangelist
Lorenzo Dow
Lorenzo Dow (October 16, 1777February 2, 1834) was an eccentric itinerant American evangelist, said to have preached to more people than any other preacher of his era. He became an important figure and a popular writer. His autobiography at one ti ...
wrote: "...where I spoke in the open air in what I conceived to be the seat of Satan's Kingdom. Lynchburg was a deadly place for the worship of God'." That referred to the lack of churches, which was corrected the following year. Itinerant
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
Francis Asbury
Francis Asbury (August 20 or 21, 1745 – March 31, 1816) was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. During his 45 years in the colonies and the newly independent United States, he devoted his life to ...
visited the town; Methodists built its first church in 1805. Lynchburg hosted the last Virginia Methodist Conference that bishop Asbury attended (February 20, 1815). As Lynchburg grew, prostitution and other "rowdy" activities became part of the urban mix of the river town. They were often ignored, if not accepted, particularly in a downtown area referred to as the "Buzzard's Roost." Methodist preacher and later bishop
John Early became one of Lynchburg's civic leaders; unlike early Methodist preachers who had urged abolition of slavery during the
Great Awakening
Great Awakening refers to a number of periods of religious revival in American Christian history. Historians and theologians identify three, or sometimes four, waves of increased religious enthusiasm between the early 18th century and the late ...
; Early was of a later generation that had accommodated to this institution in the slave societies of the South.
On December 3, 1840, the
James River and Kanawha Canal
The James River and Kanawha Canal was a partially built canal in Virginia intended to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast. Ultimately its towpath became the roadbed for a ...
from Richmond reached Lynchburg. It was extended as far as
Buchanan, Virginia
Buchanan ( ) is a town in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,196 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was the western terminus of the James River and Kanawha Canal when cons ...
in 1851, but never reached a tributary of the Ohio River as originally planned. Lynchburg's population exceeded 6,000 by 1840, and a water works system was built. Floods in 1842 and 1847 wreaked havoc with the canal and towpath. Both were repaired. Town businessmen began to lobby for a railroad, but Virginia's General Assembly refused to fund such construction. In 1848 civic boosters began selling subscriptions for the
Lynchburg and Tennessee Railroad
The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was an historic track gauge, gauge railroad in the Southern United States, much of which is incorporated into the modern Norfolk Southern Railway. It played a strategic role in supplying the Confederate States o ...
.
By the 1850s, Lynchburg (along with
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...
) was among the richest towns per capita in the US. Tobacco (including the manufacture of plug tobacco in factories using rented slave labor), slave-trading, general commerce, and iron and steel manufacturing powered the economy.
Railroads had become the wave of the future. Construction on the new Lynchburg and Tennessee railroad had begun in 1850 and a locomotive tested the track in 1852. A locomotive called the "Lynchburg" blew up in
Forest, Virginia
Forest is a census-designated place (CDP) in eastern Bedford County, Virginia, United States. The population was 11,709 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Lynchburg Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Forest is located at (37.370723 ...
(near Poplar Forest) later that year, showing the new technology's dangers. By the Civil War, two more railroads had been built, including the
South Side Railroad from
Petersburg. It became known as the
Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad
Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad (AM&O) was formed in 1870 in Virginia from three east–west railroads which traversed across the southern portion of the state. Organized and led by former Confederate general William Mahone (1826-1895) ...
in 1870, then a line in the
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisio ...
, and last as part of the
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad in the United States formed in 1982 with the merger of Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. With headquarters in Atlanta, the company operates 19,420 route miles (31 ...
.
The
Orange and Alexandria Railroad
The Orange and Alexandria Railroad (O&A) was a railroad in Virginia, United States. Chartered in 1848, it eventually extended from Alexandria to Gordonsville, with another section from Charlottesville to Lynchburg. The road played a crucial rol ...
stopped in Lynchburg.
American Civil War
During the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, Lynchburg served as a
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
transportation hub and supply depot. It had 30 hospitals, often placed in churches, hotels, and private homes.
In June 1864,
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
forces of General
David Hunter
David Hunter (July 21, 1802 – February 2, 1886) was an American military officer. He served as a Union general during the American Civil War. He achieved notability for his unauthorized 1862 order (immediately rescinded) emancipating slaves ...
approached within as they drove south from the
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...
. Confederate troops under General
John McCausland
John McCausland, Jr. (September 13, 1836 – January 22, 1927) was a brigadier general in the Confederate army, famous for the ransom of Hagerstown, Maryland, and the razing of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War.
Early ...
harassed them. Meanwhile, the city's defenders hastily erected breastworks on Amherst Heights. Defenders were led by General
John C. Breckinridge
John Cabell Breckinridge (January 16, 1821 – May 17, 1875) was an American lawyer, politician, and soldier. He represented Kentucky in both houses of Congress and became the 14th and youngest-ever vice president of the United States. Serving ...
, who was an invalid from wounds received at the
Battle of Cold Harbor
The Battle of Cold Harbor was fought during the American Civil War near Mechanicsville, Virginia, from May 31 to June 12, 1864, with the most significant fighting occurring on June 3. It was one of the final battles of Union Lt. Gen. Ulysses S ...
. Union General
Philip Sheridan
General of the Army Philip Henry Sheridan (March 6, 1831 – August 5, 1888) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close as ...
appeared headed for Lynchburg on June 10, as he crossed the
Chickahominy River
The Chickahominy is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 river in the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. The river, which serves as the eastern bo ...
and cut the
Virginia Central Railroad
The Virginia Central Railroad was an early railroad in the U.S. state of Virginia that operated between 1850 and 1868 from Richmond westward for to Covington. Chartered in 1836 as the Louisa Railroad by the Virginia General Assembly, the railr ...
. However, Confederate cavalry under General
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton may refer to the following people:
People
*Wade Hampton I (1752–1835), American soldier in Revolutionary War and War of 1812 and U.S. congressman
*Wade Hampton II (1791–1858), American plantation owner and soldier in War of 1812
*W ...
, including the
2nd Virginia Cavalry
The 2nd Virginia Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia.
The unit was organized by Colonel Jubal E ...
from Lynchburg under General
Thomas T. Munford
Thomas Taylor Munford (March 29, 1831 – February 27, 1918) was an American farmer, iron, steel and mining company executive and Confederate colonel and acting brigadier general during the American Civil War.
Biography
Munford was born in R ...
, defeated his forces at the two-day
Battle of Trevillian Station
The Battle of Trevilian Station (also called Trevilians) was fought on June 11–12, 1864, in Union Army, Union Lieutenant General (United States), Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's Overland Campaign against Confederate States of America, Confeder ...
in Louisa County, and they withdrew. This permitted fast-marching troops under Confederate General
Jubal Early
Jubal Anderson Early (November 3, 1816 – March 2, 1894) was a Virginia lawyer and politician who became a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Trained at the United States Military Academy, Early resigned his U.S. Army commissio ...
to reach within four miles of Lynchburg on June 16 and tear up the tracks of the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad
The Orange and Alexandria Railroad (O&A) was a railroad in Virginia, United States. Chartered in 1848, it eventually extended from Alexandria to Gordonsville, with another section from Charlottesville to Lynchburg. The road played a crucial rol ...
to inhibit travel by Union reinforcements, while Confederate reinforcements straggled in from Charlottesville.
On June 18, 1864, in the
Battle of Lynchburg
The Battle of Lynchburg was fought on June 17–18, 1864, two miles outside Lynchburg, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. The Union Army of West Virginia, under Maj. Gen. David Hunter, attempted to capture the city but was repulsed by ...
, Early's combined forces, though outnumbered, repelled Union General Hunter's troops. Lynchburg's defenders had taken pains to create an impression that the Confederate forces within the city were much larger than they were in fact. For example, a train was continuously run up and down the tracks while drummers played and Lynchburg citizens cheered as if reinforcements were disembarking. Local prostitutes took part in the deception, misleading their Union clients about the large number of Confederate reinforcements.
Narcissa Owen (
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
), wife of the president of the
Lynchburg and Tennessee Railroad
The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad was an historic track gauge, gauge railroad in the Southern United States, much of which is incorporated into the modern Norfolk Southern Railway. It played a strategic role in supplying the Confederate States o ...
, later wrote about her similar deception of Union spies.
From April 6 to 10, 1865, Lynchburg served as the capital of Virginia after the Confederate government fled from Richmond. Governor
William Smith and the Commonwealth's executive and legislative branches escaped to Lynchburg as Richmond surrendered on April 3.
Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
at
Appomattox Courthouse, roughly east of Lynchburg, ending the Civil War. Lynchburg surrendered on April 12, to Union General
Ranald S. Mackenzie
Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, also called Bad Hand, (July 27, 1840 – January 19, 1889) was a career United States Army officer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was described by General Ulysses S. Grant as its ...
.
Ten days later, Confederate Brigadier General
James Dearing
James Dearing (April 25, 1840 – April 22, 1865) was a Confederate States Army officer during the American Civil War who served in the artillery and cavalry. Dearing entered West Point in 1858 and resigned on April 22, 1861, when Virginia sec ...
died. He was a native of nearby Campbell County and descendant of John Lynch; he had been wounded on April 6 at
High Bridge during that Appomattox campaign. Mackenzie had visited his wounded friend and former West Point classmate, easing the transition of power.
[Philip Lightfoot Scruggs, ''The History of Lynchburg Virginia 1786–1946'' (Lynchburg: J.P. Bell Co., Inc.), pp. 103–114]
Post-Civil War recovery
The railroads that had driven Lynchburg's economy were destroyed by the war's end. The residents of the city deeply resented occupying forces under General J. L. Gregg, and worked more readily with his affable successor General
N.M. Curtis
NM, nm, and variations may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Northwestern Mutual, financial services company in Wisconsin, United States
* Air Madrid (IATA airline designator NM), Spanish airline
* Mount Cook Airline (IATA airline desig ...
.
Thomas J. Kirkpatrick
Thomas Jellis Kirkpatrick (July 31, 1829 - October 17, 1897) was a Virginia lawyer, Confederate officer, and later Lynchburg's first public school superintendent, as well as its representative in the Virginia senate for one term (1871-1875).
Ea ...
became superintendent for the public education established under Virginia's Reconstruction-era legislature and Constitution of 1869, and built four new public schools. Previously, the only education for students from poor families was provided through
St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Floods in 1870 and 1877 destroyed the city's bridges (which were rebuilt) and the James River and Kanahwa Canal (which was not rebuilt). The towpath was used as the bed for laying the rails of the
Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
The Richmond and Alleghany Railroad was built along the James River along the route of the James River and Kanawha Canal from Richmond on the Fall Line at the head of navigation to a point west of Lynchburg near Buchanan, Virginia, and combined ...
, a project conceived five decades earlier.
The city limits expanded in 1874. In 1881 that railroad was completed to Lynchburg, and another railroad reached it through the
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge- ...
. Lynchburg had a telegraph, about 15,000 residents, and the beginnings of a streetcar system. Many citizens, believing their city crowded enough, did not join the boosters who wanted Lynchburg to become the junction of that valley line and what became the
Norfolk and Western Railroad
The Norfolk and Western Railway , commonly called the N&W, was a US class I railroad, formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It was headquartered in Roanoke, Virginia, for most of its existence. Its motto was "Precisio ...
, so the junction was moved to Big Lick. This later developed as the City of
Roanoke.
In the latter 19th century, Lynchburg embraced manufacturing (the city being sometimes referred to as the "Pittsburgh of the South"). On a per capita basis, it became one of the wealthiest cities in the United States. In 1880, Lynchburg resident
James Albert Bonsack
__NOTOC__
James Albert Bonsack (October 9, 1859,
. URL last accessed 2006-10-11. invented the first cigarette-rolling machine. Shortly thereafter Dr.
Charles Browne Fleet
Charles Browne Fleet (September 18, 1843 – May 12, 1916) was a pharmacist and inventor of the laxative and chapstick. His company, C.B. Fleet, was founded in Lynchburg, Virginia, and still operates producing laxatives, douches, micro-enemas, ...
, a physician and pharmacological tinkerer, introduced the first
micro-enema to be mass marketed over-the-counter. By the city's centennial in 1886, banking activity had increased sixfold over the 1860 level, which some attributed to slavery's demise. The Lynchburg Cotton Mill and Craddock-Terry Shoe Co. (which would become the largest shoe manufacturer in the South) were founded in 1888. The
Reusens hydroelectric dam began operating in 1903 and soon delivered more power.
In 1886, Virginia Baptists founded a training school, the Lynchburg Baptist Seminary. It began to offer a college-level program to African-American students in 1900. Now named the
Virginia University of Lynchburg
Virginia University of Lynchburg is a private historically black Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. The university is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools and offers instruction and degrees, pr ...
, it is the city's oldest institution of higher learning. Not far outside town,
Randolph-Macon Woman's College
Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational.
The college offers 32 majors; 42 minors; ...
and
Sweet Briar College were founded as women's colleges in 1893 and 1901, respectively. In 1903, the
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...
founded
Lynchburg Christian College (later
Lynchburg College
The University of Lynchburg, formerly Lynchburg College, is a private university associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. ...
) in what had been the Westover Hotel resort, which went bankrupt in the
Panic of 1901 The Panic of 1901 was the first stock market crash on the New York Stock Exchange, caused in part by struggles between E. H. Harriman, Jacob Schiff, and J. P. Morgan/ James J. Hill for the financial control of the Northern Pacific Railway. The stoc ...
. During the 2018-19 school year, the college's name was changed to the
University of Lynchburg
The University of Lynchburg, formerly Lynchburg College, is a private university associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. T ...
, reflecting its expansion of graduate-level programs and research. Lynchburg's first public library, Jones Memorial Library, opened in 1907.
![World War I Memorial, Lynchburg, VA IMG 4108](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/World_War_I_Memorial%2C_Lynchburg%2C_VA_IMG_4108.JPG)
During World War I, the city's factories supported the war effort, and the area also supplied troops. The city powered through the Roaring Twenties and survived the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. Its first radio station, WLVA, began in 1930, and its airport opened in 1931. In 1938, the former fairgrounds were redeveloped as side-by-side baseball and football stadiums.
World War II and after
Lynchburg's factories again worked 24 hours daily during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. In 1955, both
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
and
Babcock & Wilcox
Babcock & Wilcox is an American renewable, environmental and thermal energy technologies and service provider that is active and has operations in many international markets across the globe with its headquarters in Akron, Ohio, USA. Historicall ...
built high technology factories in the area.
Lynchburg lost its bid to gain access to an interstate highway. In the late 1950s, interested citizens, including Virginia Senator
Mosby G. Perrow, Jr., asked the federal government to change its long-planned route for the interstate highway, now known as I-64, between
Clifton Forge
Clifton Forge is a town in Alleghany County, Virginia, United States which is part of the greater Roanoke Region. The population was 3,555 at the 2020 census. The Jackson River flows through the town, which as a result was once known as Jac ...
and Richmond.
Since the 1940s, maps of the federal interstate highway system showed a proposed northern route, bypassing the manufacturing centers at Lynchburg and Roanoke. But federal officials assured Virginia that the state would decide the route. Although initially favoring that northern route, Virginia's State Highway Commission eventually supported a southern route from Richmond via US-360 and US-460, which connected Lynchburg and Roanoke via US-220 from Roanoke to Clifton Forge, then continued west following US-60 into West Virginia. However, in July 1961, Governor
J. Lindsay Almond
James Lindsay Almond Jr. (June 15, 1898 – April 14, 1986) was an American lawyer, state and federal judge and Democratic party politician. His political offices included as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 6th congre ...
and US Secretary of Commerce Luther Hodges announced that the route would not be changed. Lynchburg was left as the only city with a population in excess of 50,000 (at the time) that was not served by an interstate.
The
Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded
The Virginia State Colony for the Epileptics and Feeble Minded was a state run institution for those considered to be “Feeble-minded, Feeble minded” or those with severe mental impairment. The colony opened in 1910 near Lynchburg, Virginia in ...
(now known as the Central Virginia Training School), was established outside Lynchburg in
Madison Heights. For several decades throughout the mid-20th century, the state of Virginia authorized compulsory sterilization of the mentally retarded for the purpose of
eugenics
Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or ...
. The operations were carried out at the institution. An estimated 8,300 Virginians were relocated to Lynchburg and sterilized there, making the city a "dumping ground" of sorts for the feeble-minded, poor, blind, epileptic, and those otherwise seen as genetically "unfit".
Carrie Buck
Carrie Elizabeth Buck (July 3, 1906 – January 28, 1983) was the plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court case ''Buck v. Bell'', after having been ordered to undergo compulsory sterilization for purportedly being "feeble-minded" by her fost ...
challenged the state sterilization, but it was finally upheld by the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
in ''
Buck v. Bell
''Buck v. Bell'', 274 U.S. 200 (1927), is a decision of the United States Supreme Court, written by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., in which the Court ruled that a state statute permitting compulsory sterilization of the unfit, including th ...
''. She was classified as "feeble-minded" and sterilized while a patient at the Virginia State Colony.
Sterilizations were carried out for 35 years until 1972, when the operations were halted. Later in the late 1970s, the
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
filed a
class-action lawsuit
A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class action ...
against the state of Virginia on behalf of the sterilization victims. In the settlement, victims received formal apologies from the state and counseling if they chose, but the judiciary denied requests for the state to pay for reverse sterilization operations. In 1994, Buck's sterilization and litigation were featured as a television drama,
Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story'. The
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
address the issue in their song "Virginia State Epileptic Colony" on their 2009 album ''
Journal for Plague Lovers
''Journal for Plague Lovers'' is the ninth studio album by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers, released on 18 May 2009 by record label Columbia. Recorded between October 2008 and February 2009 and produced by Steve Albini and D ...
''.
Modern revitalization
Liberty University
Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Liberty i ...
, founded in 1971 as Lynchburg Baptist College and renamed in 1985, is one of the country's largest institutions of higher education and the largest employer in the Lynchburg region. The university states that it generates over $1 billion in
economic impact
An economic impact analysis (EIA) examines the effect of an event on the economy in a specified area, ranging from a single neighborhood to the entire globe. It usually measures changes in business revenue, business profits, personal wages, and ...
to the Lynchburg area annually.
Lynchburg has ten recognized historic districts, four of them in the downtown residential area. Since 1971, 40 buildings have been individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Lynchburg, Virginia, National Register of Historic Places.
Downtown Lynchburg has undergone significant revitalization, with hundreds of new loft apartments created through adaptive reuse of historic warehouses and mills. Since 2000, downtown has attracted private investments of more than $110 million, and business activity increased by 205% from 2004 to 2014.
In 2014, 75 new apartment units were added to downtown Lynchburg, with 155 further units under construction, increasing the number of housing units downtown by 48% from 2010 to 2014.
In 2015, the $5.8 million Lower Bluffwalk pedestrian street zone opened. Notable projects underway in downtown by the end of 2015 include the $25 million Virginian Hotel restoration project, a $16.6 million restoration of the Academy Center of the Arts, and $4.6 million expansion of Amazement Square Children's Museum.
Timeline
* 1786 – Lynchburg founded.
* 1791 – Tobacco warehouse built.
* 1798 –
South River Friends Meetinghouse built.
* 1805 – Town of Lynchburg incorporated.
* 1806
** Old City Cemetery (Lynchburg, Virginia), City Cemetery established.
** Construction of Thomas Jefferson's
Poplar Forest
Poplar Forest is a plantation and plantation house in Forest, Bedford County, Virginia. Founding Father and third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson designed the plantation, and used the property as both a private retreat and a revenue-generating pl ...
begins near Lynchburg.
* 1830
** Elijah Fletcher becomes mayor.
** 1830 United States Census#City rankings, Population: 4,630.
* 1840
**
James River and Kanawha Canal
The James River and Kanawha Canal was a partially built canal in Virginia intended to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast. Ultimately its towpath became the roadbed for a ...
to Richmond opens.
** 1840 United States Census#City rankings, Population: 6,395.
* 1850 – 1850 United States Census#City rankings, Population: 8,071.
* 1852
** Virginia & Tennessee Railroad begins operating.
** City of Lynchburg incorporated.
** ''Lynchburg Daily Virginian'' newspaper begins publication.
* 1855 – Lynchburg Courthouse built.
* 1856 – Methodist Protestant Lynchburg College established.
* 1864 – June 17–18:
Battle of Lynchburg
The Battle of Lynchburg was fought on June 17–18, 1864, two miles outside Lynchburg, Virginia, as part of the American Civil War. The Union Army of West Virginia, under Maj. Gen. David Hunter, attempted to capture the city but was repulsed by ...
fought near city during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
* 1866 – Southern Memorial Association founded.
* 1870 – September: Flood.
* 1879 – George D. Witt Shoe Corporation in business.
* 1880 –
James Albert Bonsack
__NOTOC__
James Albert Bonsack (October 9, 1859,
. URL last accessed 2006-10-11. invents cigarette rolling machine.
* 1886 – First Baptist Church (Lynchburg, Virginia), First Baptist Church built.
* 1888 – Virginia University of Lynchburg, Virginia Theological Seminary founded.
* 1893 – Randolph-Macon Woman's College opens.
* 1895 – St. Paul's Church (Lynchburg, Virginia), St. Paul's Church built.
* 1898 – "Confederate Infantryman" monument erected.
* 1900 – Population: 18,891.
* 1903 – Lynchburg College, Virginia Christian College founded.
* 1908 – Jones Memorial Library (Lynchburg, Virginia), Jones Memorial Library opens.
* 1912 – Equal Suffrage League formed.
* 1913 – Statue of John Warwick Daniel erected.
* 1920 – Little Theater established.
* 1928 – Monument Terrace built.
* 1930
** WLVA List of radio stations in Virginia, radio begins broadcasting.
[ ]
** Population: 40,661.
* 1932 – Civic Art League founded.
* 1940 – Calvin Falwell Field, City Stadium opens.
* 1953 – WLVA-TV (List of television stations in Virginia, television) begins broadcasting.
[ ]
* 1954 – Carter Glass Memorial Bridge opens.
* 1959 – Pittman Plaza shopping centre in business.
* 1966
** Lynchburg Public Library opens.
**
Central Virginia Community College
Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) is a public community college in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is part of the Virginia Community College System
The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) oversees a network of 23 community colleges in Vi ...
and Lynchburg Baseball Corporation established.
* 1971 – Liberty University, Lynchburg Baptist College (later Liberty University) founded.
* 1978 – Point of Honor house museum opens.
* 1980 – Population: 66,743.
* 1990 – President George H. W. Bush gives commencement speech at Liberty University.
* 1993 – Bob Goodlatte becomes U.S. representative for Virginia's 6th congressional district.
* 1995 – Lynchburg Hillcats baseball team active.
* 2000 – City website online (approximate date).
* 2010 – Population: 75,568.
* 2016 – Joan Foster becomes mayor.
* 2017 – President Donald Trump gives commencement speech at Liberty University.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (1.0%) is water.
Climate
Lynchburg has a four-season humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen ''Cfa''), with cool winters and hot, humid summers. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in January to in July.
[ Nights tend to be significantly cooler than days throughout much of the year due in part to the moderate elevation. In a typical year, there are 27.4 days with a high temperature or above, and 6.2 days with a high of or below.] Snowfall averages per season but this amount varies highly with each winter; the snowiest winter is 1995–96 with of snow, but the following winter recorded only trace amounts, the least on record.
Temperature extremes range from , recorded on July 10, 1936, down to , recorded on Winter 1985 cold wave, January 21, 1985 and February 5, 1996. However, several decades may pass between and readings, with the last such occurrences being July 8, 2012 and 2014–15 North American winter#Mid-February winter storm and cold wave, February 20, 2015, respectively.
Seven Hills
One of the most prominent nicknames of Lynchburg is the "City of Seven Hills." This is due to one prominent feature of its geography- the seven hills that are spread throughout the region. They are as follows: College Hill, Garland Hill, Daniel's Hill, Federal Hill, Diamond Hill, White Rock Hill, and Franklin Hill.
Adjacent counties
* Amherst County, Virginia – northeast
* Bedford County, Virginia – west, northwest
* Campbell County, Virginia – south, southeast
Demographics
2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
2010 Census
As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, there were 75,568 people, 25,477 households, and 31,992 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,321.5 people per square mile (510.2/km2). There were 27,640 housing units at an average density of 559.6 per square mile (216.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 63.0% White (U.S. Census), White, 29.3% African American (U.S. Census), African American, 0.2% Native American (U.S. Census), Native American, 2.5% Asian (U.S. Census), Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander (U.S. Census), Pacific Islander, 0.63% from Race (United States Census), other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic (U.S. Census), Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census), Latino of any race were 3.0% of the population.
There were 25,477 households, out of which 27.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples living together, 16.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 32.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.92.
The age distribution of the city had: 22.1% under the age of 18, 15.5% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,234, and the median income for a family was $40,844. Males had a median income of $31,390 versus $22,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,263. About 12.3% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
Lynchburg ranks below the 2006 median annual household income for the U.S. as a whole, which was $48,200, according to the US Census Bureau.
In 2009, almost 27% of Lynchburg children lived in poverty. The state average that year was 14 percent.
Economy
Of Virginia's larger metro areas, ''Forbes'' Magazine ranked Lynchburg the 5th best place in Virginia for business in 2006, with Virginia being the best state in the country for business. Lynchburg achieved the rank of 109th in the whole nation in the same survey.
Industries within the Lynchburg MSA include nuclear technology, pharmaceuticals, and material handling. A diversity of small businesses with the region has helped maintain a stable economy and minimized the downturns of the national economy.
Government
Lynchburg uses a council-manager system. The Lynchburg City Council is composed of seven members that each serve a four-year term. There are four wards that elect a member; the remaining three are elected in at-large elections in which the top three candidates obtain a seat. The City Council is also responsible for appointing a city manager, city attorney, and city clerk.
The current council members are:
*MaryJane Dolan (Mayor) (Ward I)
*Beau Wright (Vice Mayor) (at-large)
*Sterling Wilder (Ward II)
*Jeff Helgeson (Ward III)
*Chris Faraldi (Ward IV)
*Randy Nelson (at-large)
*Treney Tweedy (at-large)
* John Wiatt, 1806
* Roderick Taliaferro, 1807
* Samuel J. Harrison, 1808
* John Lynch, Jr., 1809
* M. Lambert, 1810
* John Schoolfield, 1811
* James Stewart, 1812
* Robert Morris, 1813
* Samuel J. Harrison, 1814
* James Stewart, 1815
* John M. Gordon, 1816
* Samuel J. Harrison, 1817
* William Morgan, 1818
* James Stewart, 1819
* John Thurman, 1820
* Micajah Davis, 1821
* John Hancock, 1822
* Thomas A. Holcombe, 1823
* Albon McDaniel, 1824
* John Victor, 1825
* Albon McDaniel, 1826
* Christopher Winfree, 1827
* Albon McDaniel, 1828
* Ammon Hancock, 1829
* Elijah Fletcher, 1830
* John R. D. Payne, 1831
* Elijah Fletcher, 1833
* John M. Warwick, 1833
* Henry M. Didlake, 1834
* Samuel J. Wiatt, 1835
* Pleasant Labby, 1836
* Ammon Hancock, 1837
* Martin W. Davenport, 1838
* John R. D. Payne, 1839
* Samuel Nowlin, 1840
* Ammon Hancock, 1841
* Henry M. Didlake, 1842
* Edwin Mathews, 1843
* David W. Burton, 1844
* M. Hart, 1845
* Henry M. Didlake, 1846
* Daniel J. Warwick, 1847
* Henry 0 Schoolfield, 1848
* Edwin Mathews, 1849
* Henry M. Didlake, 1850
* William D. Branch, 1851
* Albon McDaniel, 1869
* James M. Cobbs, 1870
* George H. Burch, 1872
* Samuel A. Bailey, 1876
* Samuel Griffin Wingfield, 1880
* A. H. Pettigrew, 1882
* Nathaniel Clayton Manson, Jr., 1884–1891
* Robert D. Yancey, circa 1900
* Royston Jester, Jr., circa 1918
* ?
* L. E. Litchford, circa 1937
* Clarence G. Burton, 1946–1948
* Jerome V. Morrison, circa 1952
* John L. Suttenfield, circa 1953–1956
* ?
* Elliott Shearer, circa 1982
* Jimmie Bryan, circa 1986
* ?
* M.W. "Teedy" Thornhill Jr., 1991–1992
* James S. Whitaker, 1994–1998
* Carl B. Hutcherson, Jr., circa 2002–2005
* Michael Gillette, circa 2015
* Joan Foster, 2016–2018
* Treney Tweedy, 2018–2020
* MaryJane Dolan, 2020–present
Education
Colleges and universities
Public schools
* Central Virginia Community College
Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) is a public community college in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is part of the Virginia Community College System
The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) oversees a network of 23 community colleges in Vi ...
Private schools
* Liberty University
Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Liberty i ...
* University of Lynchburg
The University of Lynchburg, formerly Lynchburg College, is a private university associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. T ...
* Randolph College
Randolph College is a private liberal arts and sciences college in Lynchburg, Virginia. Founded in 1891 as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, it was renamed on July 1, 2007, when it became coeducational.
The college offers 32 majors; 42 minors; ...
* Virginia University of Lynchburg
Virginia University of Lynchburg is a private historically black Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. The university is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools and offers instruction and degrees, pr ...
* American National University (one of several campuses)
* Sweet Briar College (located in nearby Sweet Briar, Virginia)
Primary and secondary schools
Public schools
The city is served by the Lynchburg City Public Schools. The school board is appointed by the Lynchburg City Council.
* E. C. Glass High School – 2111 Memorial Ave
* Heritage High School (Lynchburg, Virginia), Heritage High School – 3020 Wards Ferry Rd
* Linkhorne Middle School – 2525 Linkhorne Dr
* Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School – 1208 Polk St
* Sandusky Middle School – 805 Chinook Place
* William Marvin Bass Elementary School
* Bedford Hills Elementary School
* Dearington Elementary School for Innovation
* Heritage Elementary School
* Linkhorne Elementary School
* Paul M. Munro Elementary School
* Perrymont Elementary School
* Robert S. Payne Elementary School
* Sandusky Elementary School
* Sheffield Elementary School
* Thomas C. Miller Elementary School for Innovation
Lynchburg is also home to the Central Virginia Governor's School for Science and Technology located in Heritage High School (Lynchburg, Virginia), Heritage High School. This magnet school consists of juniors and seniors selected from each of the Lynchburg area high schools. As one of eighteen Governor's Schools (Virginia), Governor's Schools in Virginia, the Central Virginia Governor's School focuses on infusing technology into both the math and science curriculum.
Private schools
The city is also home to a number of religious and non-religious private schools, including Appomattox Christian Academy, Desmond T Doss Christian Academy, James River Day School, Liberty Christian Academy, New Covenant Classical Christian School, Temple Christian School, Virginia Episcopal School, and New Vistas School.
Health care
* Centra Lynchburg General Hospital – Lynchburg, VA
* Centra Virginia Baptist Hospital – Lynchburg, VA
* Community Health Center – Lynchburg, VA
Transportation
Local transit
The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company (GLTC) operates the local public transport bus service within the city. The GLTC additionally provides the shuttle bus service on the Liberty University campus.
The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company, GLTC selected a property directly across from Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station (Virginia), Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station as its top choice of sites upon which to build the new transfer center for their network of public buses. They were interested in facilitating Intermodal passenger transport, intermodal connections between GLTC buses and the intercity bus and rail services which operate from that location. The project was completed and opened to the public on June 16, 2014.
On August 23, 2017, the GLTC launched The Hopper, a free downtown circulator bus with a $479,348 grant from the Virginia Smart Scale program. On June 29, 2019, the GLTC ended service for The Hopper due to "consistently low ridership" and the expiration of a $117,820 state grant that covered operating costs.
Intercity transit
Intercity passenger rail and bus services are based out of Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station (Virginia), Kemper Street Station, a historic, three-story train station recently restored and converted by the city of Lynchburg to serve as an Intermodal passenger transport, intermodal hub for the community. The station is located at 825 Kemper Street.["Lynchburg, VA (LYH)"]
''Great American Stations''.
. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
Bus
Greyhound Lines located their bus terminal in the main floor of Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station (Virginia), Kemper Street Station following its 2002 restoration. Greyhound offers transport to other cities throughout Virginia, the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Rail
Amtrak's long distance ''Crescent (Amtrak), Crescent'' and a ''Northeast Regional'' connect Lynchburg with Boston, New York City, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Washington, Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham, Alabama, Birmingham, New Orleans and intermediate points.
In October 2009, Lynchburg became the southern terminus for a ''Northeast Regional'' that previously had overnighted in Washington. The forecast ridership was 51,000 for the 180-mile extension's first year, but the actual count was triple that estimate, and the train paid for itself without any subsidy. By FY 2015, the ''Regional'' had 190,000 riders. The Lynchburg station alone served a total of 85,000 riders in 2015. It is located in the track level ground floor of Lynchburg-Kemper Street Station (Virginia), Kemper Street Station.
Lynchburg has two major freight railroads. It is the crossroads of two Norfolk Southern lines. One is the former mainline of the Southern Railway (U.S.), Southern Railway, upon which Kemper Street Station is situated. NS has a classification yard located next to the shopping mall. Various yard jobs can be seen. Railfans who wish to visit the NS Lynchburg yard are advised to inquire with an NS official. CSX Transportation also has a line through the city and a small yard.
Air
Lynchburg Regional Airport is solely served by American Eagle (airline brand), American Eagle to Charlotte, North Carolina. American Eagle, a subsidiary of American Airlines, is the only current scheduled airline service provider, with seven daily arrivals and departures to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. In recent years air travel has increased, with 157,517 passengers flying in and out of the airport in 2012, representing 78% of the total aircraft load factor for that time period.
Highway
Primary roadways include U.S. Route 29 in Virginia, U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 501 in Virginia, U.S. Route 501, U.S. Route 221 in Virginia, U.S. Route 221, running north–south, and U.S. Highway 460 in Virginia, U.S. Highway 460 (Richmond Highway), running east–west. While Lynchburg is the largest city in Virginia not served by an interstate, parts of Route 29 have been upgraded to interstate standards and significant improvements have been made to Highway 460 in the immediate vicinity to Lynchburg and suburban areas.
Arts and culture
In a ''Forbes'' magazine survey, Lynchburg ranked 189 for cultural and leisure out of 200 cities surveyed.[Lynchburg News & Advance](_blank)
/ref>
* Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra: Created in 1983, throughout the years a variety of music has been presented, from the classical to the patriotic to the popular.
* Academy of Fine Arts. Greater Lynchburg’s center for arts, culture, and community building.
* Commerce Street Theater.
* Renaissance Theater. The longest-running community theater in the area, open for over 25 years.
* Lynchburg Art Club. Formed in March 1895.
* Opera on the James. opera performed by national and regional artists in a wide variety of venues since 2005 including classic grand operas, small scale lesser-known operas, contemporary works, family operas, concerts of diverse repertoire, lectures, school tours and free community outreach.
* The Maier Museum of Art. The museum is located on the campus of Randolph College and features works by American artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.
* Riverviews Artspace. A non-profit arts organization presenting contemporary art exhibitions, multi-disciplinary programs, and events.
Attractions and entertainment
The following attractions are located within the Lynchburg MSA:
* Amazement Square: Central Virginia's first multidisciplinary, hands-on children's museum.
* Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Appomattox Courthouse: The site of the Battle of Appomattox Court House, where the surrender of the Confederate States of America, Confederate Army under Robert E. Lee to Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
commander Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...
took place on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
* Crabtree Falls: The longest waterfall east of the Mississippi River, is located in Nelson County, Virginia. The trail leads hikers along a 1.7-mile hike with views of five cascades of Crabtree Falls. The land formerly in private ownership prior to the late 1970s is in the George Washington National Forest. Crabtree Falls sits near two undeveloped mountainous areas designated as Wilderness areas: The Priest & Three Ridges respectfully. Since 1982, thirty (30) people have fallen to their deaths due to navigating too far away from the trail. There are warning signs at the public trailhead because of this.
* James River Heritage Trail: Composed of two smaller trails, the Blackwater Creek Bikeway and RiverWalk.
* Trails of Blackwater Creek: a network of paved and unpaved trails weaving through the Blackwater Creek natural area.
* Miller-Claytor House: Pre-19th century townhouse where Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
allegedly proved to the owner of the house's garden that tomatoes were not poisonous by eating one of the fruit. Home was dismantled in 1936 and rebuilt at its Riverside Park location, where the garden was also restored.
* National D-Day Memorial: Located in Bedford, Virginia, it commemorates all those who served the United States during the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944 during World War II.
* Nature Zone: A division of Lynchburg Parks and Recreation.
* Old City Cemetery (Lynchburg, Virginia), Old City Cemetery Museums & Arboretum: The most visited historic site in the City of Lynchburg. Established in 1806, the Old City Cemetery is Lynchburg's only publicly owned burial ground and one of its oldest cemeteries. It is also home to the largest public collection of heirloom or "antique" roses in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
* The Old Court House: This Hill City landmark was built in 1855. Fashioned as a Greek temple high above the James River, it is now the home of Central Virginia's best collection of memorabilia, furnishings, costumes and industrial history.
* Peaks of Otter: Three mountain peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsylvania through Maryland, West Virgin ...
, overlooking the town of Bedford, Virginia and in prominent view throughout most of Lynchburg.
* Point of Honor: The Federal-era mansion of George Cabell (physician), Dr. George Cabell, Sr., friend and physician of the patriot Patrick Henry, and John S. Langhorne whose daughter Elizabeth Langhorne Lewis led the fight for women's suffrage. His granddaughters include Charles Dana Gibson, Mrs. Charles Dana Gibson, the original "Gibson Girl" and Nancy Astor, Viscountess Astor, Nancy Langhorne, Lady Astor, the first woman elected to the British Parliament.
* Poplar Forest
Poplar Forest is a plantation and plantation house in Forest, Bedford County, Virginia. Founding Father and third U.S. president Thomas Jefferson designed the plantation, and used the property as both a private retreat and a revenue-generating pl ...
: Thomas Jefferson's retreat home. Jefferson designed the octagonal house during his second term as president and sojourned here in his retirement to find rest and leisure and escape public life. Ongoing restoration and archaeology is taking place at the site. A future access road/parkway is planned between the property and the Wyndhurst community with an existing signalized intersection on Enterprise Drive.
* Smith Mountain Lake: The largest lake entirely within Virginia, located in Bedford County, Virginia and Franklin County, Virginia (part of the Lynchburg MSA), the man-made lake features about 20,000 surface acres and 500 miles of shoreline.
Sports and recreation
Lynchburg is home to sporting events and organizations including:
* Blackwater Rugby Club: a local Men's Division III rugby club, part of the Capitol Rugby Union of USA Rugby.
* 7 Hills Hash House Harriers: The local chapter of an international group of non-competitive running, social and drinking clubs.
* Hiking areas include the Appalachian Trail, Peaks of Otter, Apple Orchard Falls Trail, Blackwater Creek Natural Area, Liberty Mountain Trail System, Crabtree Falls, Holliday Lake, Mount Pleasant National Scenic Holliday Lake, and Otter Creek Trail.
* Liberty Flames: An NCAA Division I department of athletics competing in 20 sports. They are a member of the ASUN Conference.
* University of Lynchburg
The University of Lynchburg, formerly Lynchburg College, is a private university associated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and located in Lynchburg, Virginia. It has approximately 2,800 undergraduate and graduate students. T ...
: The Hornets are an NCAA Division III school competing in 13 sports, as a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).
* Lynchburg Hillcats: A Class Low-A professional baseball team in the Low-A East. They are affiliated with the Cleveland Guardians of the American League.
* Liberty Mountain SnowFlex Centre: A synthetic ski slope featuring Snowflex, located near Liberty University
Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Liberty i ...
. It includes beginner, intermediate and advanced slopes for year-round skiing, snowboarding, and innertubing. It is the first of its kind in the United States.
Neighborhoods
The first neighborhoods of Lynchburg developed upon seven hills adjacent to the original ferry landing. These neighborhoods include:
* Court House Hill (original hill)
* College Hill
* Daniel's Hill
* Diamond Hill Historic District, Diamond Hill (Grace Street, Washington Street)
* Federal Hill
* Franklin Hill
* Garland Hill
* White Rock Hill (Florida Avenue)
Other major neighborhoods, with more upside, include Tinbridge Hill, Boonsboro, Trents Ferry, Rivermont, Fairview Heights (Campbell Ave corridor), Jackson Heights, Federal Hill (Federal Street, Jackson Street, Harrison Street) Fort Hill, Forest Hill (Old Forest Rd. Area), Timberlake, Windsor Hills, Sandusky, Sheffield, Linkhorne, Cornerstone and Wyndhurst.
Notable people
* Daniel Weisiger Adams (1820–1872), noted lawyer and Confederate Army officer
* Lynn Bari, (1913-1989), American actress
* Beth Behrs (born 1985), actress
* Ota Benga (c. 1883–1916), Congolese native who was exhibited in human zoos
* James Albert Bonsack
__NOTOC__
James Albert Bonsack (October 9, 1859,
. URL last accessed 2006-10-11. (1859–1924), invented in 1880 the first cigarette-rolling machine
* Connie Britton (born 1967), actress
* Julie Story Byerley (born 1970), pediatrician and dean (education), vice dean for education for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
* George Cabell (physician), George Cabell, Sr. (1766–1823), physician
* Desmond Doss (1919–2006), Medal of Honor recipient for actions during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, dramatized in ''Hacksaw Ridge''
* Arthur Earley (1926–1981), Pennsylvania state representative
* Jubal Early (1816–1894), lawyer and Confederate general
* Jerry Falwell (1933–2007), pastor and founder of Moral Majority
**and his sons, Jerry Falwell Jr. (born 1962) and Jonathan Falwell (born 1966)
* Charles Browne Fleet
Charles Browne Fleet (September 18, 1843 – May 12, 1916) was a pharmacist and inventor of the laxative and chapstick. His company, C.B. Fleet, was founded in Lynchburg, Virginia, and still operates producing laxatives, douches, micro-enemas, ...
(1843–1916), pharmacist and inventor of the micro-enema
* Vinny Giles (born 1943), golfer, U.S. Amateur, British Amateur and Walker Cup champion
* Daniel Hudson (born 1987), MLB player for the Los Angeles Dodgers
* Brandon Inge (born 1977) MLB player, 2001–2013, 12 years for the Detroit Tigers, American League All Star 2009
* Rosa Kinckle Jones (1858–1932), African-American music teacher
* Sacha Killeya-Jones (born 1998), professional basketball player
* Luke Jordan (1892–1952), blues guitarist and vocalist
* Randy Lanier (born 1954), professional race-car driver and convicted drug trafficker
* Leland D. Melvin (born 1964), engineer and NASA astronaut; named in 2010 as NASA's associate administrator for education
* Matt Mills (racing driver), Matt Mills (born 1996), NASCAR driver for B. J. McLeod Motorsports
* Rosalie Slaughter Morton (1876–1968), physician and surgeon
* Lucius Shepard (1943-2014), science fiction and fantasy writer
* William Smith (1797–1887), U.S. congressman, twice governor of Virginia, Confederate major general
* Anne Spencer (1882–1975), Harlem Renaissance poet and civil rights activist who revived and hosted the Lynchburg chapter of the NAACP from her Anne Spencer House, home.
* Skeet Ulrich (born 1970), actor whose works include ''Scream,'' ''Riverdale'' and ''The Craft''
* Phil Vassar (born 1964), country singer
* Bransford Vawter (1815–1838), Virginia's first poet
* Charles Vess (born 1951), fantasy and comics artist
* Walter Browne Woodson (1881-1948), rear admiral, Judge Advocate General of the Navy
Media
Print
* ''The News & Advance'', Lynchburg's daily newspaper that serves the Central Virginia region, owned by Berkshire Hathaway.
* ''Lynchburg Living'', bi-monthly periodical
* ''The Lynchburg Guide'', quarterly resource directory
* ''The Burg'', weekly entertainment newspaper published by ''The News & Advance''
* ''Lynch's Ferry'', a biannual journal of local history
* ''Liberty Champion'', Liberty University student newspaper
* "The Bulletin", small monthly newspaper
Television
Lynchburg shares a television and radio market with Roanoke.
* WSET-TV, American Broadcasting Company, ABC affiliate based in Lynchburg
* WSLS-TV, NBC affiliate based in Roanoke
* WDBJ, CBS affiliate based in Roanoke
* WBRA-TV, PBS affiliate based in Roanoke
* WFXR, Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox affiliate based in Roanoke
* WWCW, The CW, CW affiliate based in Lynchburg, which was previously WJPR
* WPXR-TV, ION Television, ION affiliate based in Roanoke
* WZBJ, an MyNetworkTV affiliate (formerly UPN & Independent Station, independent) based in Roanoke, though licensed to Danville
* WZBJ-CD, satellite of WZBJ
Radio
* WJJX 102.7, Urban Contemporary based in Lynchburg
* WLNI 105.9, Talk Radio based in Lynchburg
* WIQO-FM 100.9, Part of the Virginia Talk Radio Network based in Forest
* WLEQ 106.9, BOB-FM, Good Times, Great Oldies, Home of Rock'n'Roll's Great Hits, Lynchburg
* WNRN (WNRS 89.9), Modern Rock based in Charlottesville
* WROV 96.3, Classic Rock based in Roanoke
* WKHF 93.7, Hot AC based in Lynchburg
* WRMV 94.5, Southern Gospel based in Madison Heights
* WRVL 88.3, The Journey, Top 40 CCM Christian Radio based in Lynchburg
* WRXT 90.3, Contemporary Christian Radio based in Lynchburg, part of the "Spirit FM" (WPAR) network of Contemporary Christian stations
* W227BG 93.3 ESPN Sports translator of 106.3 Gretna – Translator at Timberlake – Low power
* WSLC 94.9, Country based in Roanoke
* WSLQ 99.1, Adult Contemporary based in Roanoke
* WSNZ 102.7, Adult Contemporary based in Roanoke
* WHTU 103.9, Oldies based in Lynchburg
* WVBE 100.1, Urban Contemporary based in Lynchburg
* WVTF 89.1, Public Radio based in Blacksburg
* W208AP 89.5 Radio IQ – BBC News/NPR talk translator of 89.9 WWVT-FM Ferrum – Translator at Candlers Mountain – Low power
* WWEM 91.7, Classical Music simulcast of WWED-FM in Spotsylvania/Fredericksburg
* WWMC 90.9, Christian CHR/Rock radio based at Liberty University
* WWZW 96.7, Hot AC based in Buena Vista
* WXLK 92.3, Top-40 Radio based in Roanoke
* WYYD 107.9, Country based in Lynchburg
* WZZI/WZZU 101.5, Roanoke/ 97.9, Lynchburg, Classic/Modern Rock based in Lynchburg
* WAMV 1420, Southern Gospel based in Madison Heights
* WBRG 1050, Talk/ Sports based in Lynchburg also simulcast on 104.5
* WKPA 1390, Religious based in Lynchburg
* WLLL 930, Gospel Music based in Lynchburg
* WLVA 580, (silent), based in Lynchburg
* WVGM 1320, ESPN Sports based in Lynchburg
* WKDE-FM 105.5, Classic & Modern Country based in Altavista
* WGVY 1000 AM, Talk Radio based in Altavista
* WAWX 101.7 FM, Contemporary Christian Radio in Lynchburg, VA. AIR 1 RADIO. https://tunein.com/radio/Air1-Radio-1017-s29872/
Sister cities
* Glauchau, Saxony, Germany
* Rueil-Malmaison, Île-de-France, France
Politics
Lynchburg has traditionally been a conservative stronghold. This predates the influence of Liberty University
Liberty University (LU) is a private Baptist university in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Towns, Liberty i ...
; it was one of the first areas of the state where the old-line Byrd Organization, Byrd Democrats began splitting their tickets at the national level. However, conservative Democrats continued to hold most local offices well into the 1970s.
However, the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party has seen a gradual increase in popularity in the city since the 1990s, and Lynchburg's political atmosphere has become increasingly moderate. In the 2020 United States presidential election, a plurality of voters in Lynchburg voted for Democratic challenger Joe Biden over Republican incumbent Donald Trump. Biden was the first Democrat to carry Lynchburg since Harry S. Truman in 1948.
See also
* List of cities in Virginia
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Lynchburg, Virginia
Notes
References
Bibliography
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* James M. Elson. Lynchburg, Virginia: the First Two Hundred Years 1786–1986. Lynchburg: Warwick House Publishers, 2004.
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External links
;Government
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;Other
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Lynchburg History
old photos of Lynchburg
Lynchburg Online
''The News & Advance''
Lynchburg's daily newspaper
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Items related to Lynchburg, Virginia
various dates (via Digital Public Library of America)
Lynchburg Glass Company - glass insulators
{{Authority control
Lynchburg, Virginia,
1786 establishments in Virginia
Cities in Virginia
Populated places established in 1786
Populated places on the James River (Virginia)
Southwest Virginia
Western Virginia