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women of the town. Scarcely
a person in the city was not influenced by the Army’s presence. In less than a year, out of the large number of converts made, a corps of thirty-five or forty soldiers had been built... Churches of the city found themselves profiting from the Army’s labors. The high and the lowly attended the meetings but the poor felt that the Army was theirs.
Toward its conclusion, the article stated the circumstances that had initially established
The Salvation Army’s success in Lynchburg and continue to make its work successful both locally and around the world: “The
public officials, the churches, the businessmen, the wealthy and the poor of Lynchburg had come to see that the Army had a great heart and two hands; one outstretched in appeal to the wealthy and the other in help to the poor.”
In 1923 the Lynchburg Corps dedicated “The Citadel” at the south corner of Church and Twelfth streets. The imposing
building, designed by Lynchburg architect Stanhope Johnson, still stands. On the cornerstone is
the inscription: “Dedicated to
the worship of God and service
of humanity 1923.” Commander Evangeline Booth, daughter of The Salvation Army’s founder, William Booth, personally signed its deed of trust; by 1945 the mortgage was paid off.
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the Corps’ statement, “No man need steal, starve or commit suicide; come to The Salvation Army” was sorely tested, when the Army fed and sheltered many of the unemployed in Lynchburg, and its emergency relief work throughout the nation increased. Picnics sponsored by the Army in Miller Park from the 1920s to the 1950s were well attended and included not only free food and a beverage but also a free streetcar ride. Needy members of the public were invited to pick up tickets for their families at
the Army’s Citadel headquarters. The Miller Park Zoo was also an
“No man need steal, starve or commit suicide; come to The Salvation Army.”
“The Citadel,” at the corner of Church and Twelfth streets served as The Salvation Army’s headquarters from 1923 until 1980.
A Salvation Army picnic at Miller Park taken in the 1930s.
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JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY JONES MEMORIAL LIBRARY