Lynchburg History
Court Street and Monument Terrace
This area became known as Court House Hill when the first courthouse was built here in 1813. The district contains a variety of architectural styles and notable churches, as well as the city’s 1855 Old Court House, now the Lynchburg Museum. There are four active courts nearby: Federal, Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations.
The Confederate statue to your left was dedicated in 1900 and has a time capsule embedded in its base. Inside the capsule are Civil War-related artifacts, such as Confederate currency, photographs of local veterans, hair from Traveller (Gen. Robert E. Lee’s horse), and casualty lists.
Monument Terrace, the series of 132 steps and 10 landings before you, was completed in 1925 and links Court Street with Church Street. Monument Terrace was designed by Aubrey Chesterman as a memorial to Lynchburg’s World War I casualties; several other military service memorials have been placed here over the years. At the foot of the hill is the James River and the Langley Fountain, located where Lynch’s Ferry was established in 1757. Across the river is Madison Heights, in Amherst County.
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Lynchburg is a city rich in the history of Virginia and the nation. As with any city, some of our sites and buildings that reflect that history have changed over the centuries since Lynchburg’s origins in the 1750s. You can see for yourself the city’s historic places and how they have changed or remained intact. Just let the map guide you to the many historical markers that are located downtown. Enjoy learning about Lynchburg!
The Lynchburg History marker program is a partnership of the City of Lynchburg Museum System, Dept. of Communication & Marketing and Dept. of Parks & Recreation, discoverlynchburg, Lynchburg Historical Foundation, and Lynch’s Landing
Marker is at the intersection of Court Street and Ninth Street, on the right when traveling west on Court Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
