Central Business District in Lynchburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lynchburg History
Court Street and Monument Terrace
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.
(sidebar)
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
Erected 2011 by The Lynchburg History Marker Program.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, US Civil • War, World I. In addition, it is included in the Time Capsules series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1813.
Location. 37° 24.83′ N, 79° 8.64′ W. Marker is in Lynchburg, Virginia. It is in the Central Business District. Marker is at the intersection of Court Street and Ninth Street, on the right when traveling west on Court Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 901 Court Street, Lynchburg VA 24504, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lynchburg Confederate Soldiers Monument (here, next to this marker); Purple Heart Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Lynchburg (a few steps from this marker); Vietnam (within shouting distance of this marker); POW★MIA (within shouting distance of this marker); Mr. Elder’s Rose Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Korean War (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Lynchburg History (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lynchburg.
More about this marker. On the lower left are photos of "Monument Terrace site, ca. 1870" Courtesy Lynchburg Museum Systemand "Monument Terrace, ca. 1925" Courtesy LynchburgHistory.com
On the lower right is an image of "Court Street looking north from the museum" Courtesy Lynchburg Museum System
Also see . . .
1. Lynchburg Museum System. (Submitted on April 15, 2012.)
2. Lynchburg History. Historic photos & maps of Lynchburg, VA (Submitted on April 15, 2012.)
3. Court House Hill/Downtown Historic District. National Register of Historic Places (Submitted on November 9, 2021.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 15, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 681 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 15, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on March 21, 2021, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.