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Lynchburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 65,269 - making it one of the ten largest cities in Virginia. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills". The 2,122 square mile Metropolitan Statistical Area of Lynchburg is the geographic center of Virginia and encompasses Amherst County, Appomattox County, Bedford County, Campbell County, City of Bedford, and City of Lynchburg. Appomattox, Natural Bridge (Virginia)and Smith Mountain Lake are nearby. Other nearby cities include Roanoke, Charlottesville and Danville, VA. Lynchburg is the home of Central Virginia Community College, Christ College, Liberty University, Lynchburg College, Randolph-Macon Woman's College, and Virginia University of Lynchburg. The Lynchburg MSA also includes Sweet Briar College. Lynchburg has a strong industrial base and is the regional center for commerce and retail. Industries include Nuclear Technology, Pharmaceuticals and Material Handling. A diversity of small businesses has helped maintain a stable economy and minimized the downturns of the national economy.
History First settled in 1757, Lynchburg was named for its founder, John Lynch, who at the age of 17 started a ferry service at a ford across the James River. He was also responsible for Lynchburg's first bridge across the river, which replaced the ferry in 1812. Thomas Jefferson maintained a home near Lynchburg, called Poplar Forest. Jefferson frequented Lynchburg and remarked "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." Lynchburg was established by charter in 1786 at the site of Lynch's Ferry on the James River. These new easy means of transportation routed traffic through Lynchburg, and allowed it to become the new center of commerce for tobacco trading. It was a center of commerce and manufacture in the 19th century. Chief industries were tobacco, iron and steel. Transportation facilities included the James River Bateau on the James River, and later, the James River and Kanawha Canal and, still later, four railroads, including the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad and the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad. In 1810, Jefferson wrote, "Lynchburg is perhaps the most rising place in the U.S.... It ranks now next to Richmond in importance..." In 1804, evanglist Lorenzo Dow wrote of Lynchburg "... 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." This was in reference to the lack of churches in Lynchburg. As the wealth of Lynchburg grew, prostitution and other "rowdy" activities became quite common and, in many cases, ignored, if not accepted, by the "powers that be" of the time. Much of this activity took place in an area of downtown referred to as the "Buzzard's Roost." During the American Civil War, Lynchburg, which served as a Confederate supply base, was approached within one mile by the Union forces of General David Hunter as he drove south from the Shenandoah Valley. Hunter was driven back by the forces of Confederate General Jubal Early on June 18, 1864, in the Battle of Lynchburg. In the latter 19th century, Lynchburg's economy evolved into manufacturing (sometimes referred to as the "Pittsburgh of the South") and, per capita, was one of the wealthist cities in the United States. In 1880, Lynchburg resident James Albert Bonsack invented the first cigarette rolling machine, and shortly thereafter Dr. Charles Browne Fleet, a physician and pharmacological tinkerer, introduced the first mass marketed over-the-counter enema, where the company he founded still manufactures laxative and bowel cleansing products, as noted on the company's website *. Dr. Fleet also invented ChapStick as a lip balm in Lynchburg in the early 1880s. In the early 20th century, the state of Virginia authorized compulsory sterilization of the mentally retarded for the purpose of eugenics which was carried out at the Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded located just outside of Lynchburg. Lynchburg was the home of Carter Glass, who sat for many years in Congress as a representative and Senator of the Democratic Party in the early 20th century, served as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under Woodrow Wilson, and co-sponsored a bill (the Glass-Steagall Act), which created FDIC insurance and, from 1932 until its repeal in 1999, prohibited U.S. commercial banks from affiliating with investment banks (securities firms). In the latter part of the 20th century, Lynchburg became known as the home of the televangelist Jerry Falwell, senior pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church and founder of the "Moral Majority" in the early 1980s. Soon after he established Liberty Baptist College, now known as Liberty University. It was also the birthplace of Charlie Thomas, an American rhythm and blues singer best known for his work with The Drifters, and Donna Andrews an American golfer who won six titles on the LPGA Tour between 1993 and 1998, including one major championship, the 1994 Nabisco Dinah Shore. There are numerous books on Lynchburg, including Darrell Laurant's "A City Unto Itself" and James Elson's "Lynchburg, Virginia: The First Two Hundred Years." Notable residents Country Singers Phil Vassar and Ricky Van Shelton, Comedian Anthony Clark, Illusionists Kevin and Cindy Spencer, actors Faith Prince and Dylan Baker, astronaut Leland D. Melvin, and controversial social commentator Travis L. Nuckles are from the Lynchburg area. Historical figures include Jubal Early. Lynchburg is also the home of poet Anne Spencer and the Reverend Jerry Falwell. Other notable residents include: Geography Lynchburg is located at (37.403672, -79.170205). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 128.9 km² (49.8 mi²). 127.9 km² (49.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (0.74%) is water. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 65,269 people, 25,477 households, and 15,591 families residing in the city. The population density was 510.2/km² (1,321.5/mi²). There were 27,640 housing units at an average density of 216.1/km² (559.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 66.63% White, 29.70% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.28% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.63% from other races, and 1.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.35% 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. In the city the population was spread out with 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. Communications Lynchburg's daily newspaper is The News & Advance, which serves the Central Virginia region and is owned by Media General. Transportation Amtrak's Crescent train connects Lynchburg with the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Amtrak station is situated at 825 Kemper Street. Lynchburg will be a primary hub of the TransDominion Express. Lynchburg Regional Airport provides service by US Airways Express to Charlotte, North Carolina, and Delta Connection to Atlanta, Georgia. Primary roadways include U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 501, U.S. Route 221, running north-south, and U.S. Highway 460, running east-west. Lynchburg is among the largest cities in the United States not served by an interstate, although much of Route 29 has been upgraded to interstate standard and significant improvements have been made to Highway 460. Arts & Culture Academy of Fine Arts: A nonprofit organization committed to promoting and presenting the visual and performing arts, while creating opportunities for arts education. Located in the old Academy theatre (circa 1905) Virginia School of the Arts: Founded in 1985, the Virginia School of the Arts has developed an international reputation for excellence by providing an outstanding pre-professional arts training program for students of high school age. Attractions & Entertainment Cattle Annie's Restaurant & Entertainment: A 1000+ capacity, multi-function venue providing a variety of entertainment and other events. Established in 1993, Cattle Annie's is perhaps best-known for hosting nationally recognized artists on a frequent basis. Local, regional and nationally touring rock, pop and country artists perform regularly as well. The facility hosts numerous community and private events and has a full-service restaurant and banquet services. Amazement Square: Central Virginia’s first multidisciplinary, hands-on children’s museum. Smith Mountain Lake: A public lake with a surface area of over 22,000 acres and a shoreline that exceeds 500 miles. Natural Bridge: Once owned by Thomas Jefferson, Natural Bridge is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The James River Heritage Trail: Composed of two smaller trails, the Blackwater Creek Bikeway and RiverWalk. The town hosts the Lynchburg Hillcats baseball club of the Carolina League. Business and Industry Lynchburg was founded on commerce and industry. It features a skilled labor force, low unemployment rate, affordable cost of living, and a stable economy. Area business include: | ||||||||
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