Page 3 - Lynchburg Area Timeline 1700-2009

1700-1750
1700s- Early white settlers found Monacan Indian settlements near Lynch’s Ferry. The Monacans had moved down from Tobacco Row Mountain To a ford in the James River where buffalo had found the shallows, Near present-day Horseford Road. (225)
1712- In a speech, allegedly made by Willie Lynch on the banks of the James River, he tells how he controls his slaves in the West Indies. (141)
1742- Hat Creek Presbyterian Church is founded by John Irvin and other Campbell County settlers. (127)
1750-1770
1754- Bedford County is formed and named after the fourth Duke of Bedford, Then the Secretary of State in Great Britain. (127)
1757- John Lynch establishes a ferry along the James River at site of Present-day Lynchburg. The ferry operated until 1812. (1)
1761- Amherst County is formed, named for Lord Jeffrey Amherst (1)
1761- New London is established by an act of the General Assembly. William Callaway, the principal founder, later leads the local Militia in the Battle of King’s Mountain during Revolutionary War. (225)
1765- Anglican Church establishes a small chapel on Court Street. Church Burns in 1802. (40)
1770-1780
1770- The first of three Oxford Iron Works furnaces begins operations. Furnaces supplied pig iron and cannonballs during the Revolutionary War. (162)
1770s- Winton, the home of the mother of Patrick Henry, is built in Amherst County (127).
1773- Thomas Jefferson visits Poplar Forest for the first time. (127)
1774- Tomahawk Mill, also known as Graves Mill, is built by Christopher Johnson and Robert Clark. It remained in operation until 1962 when It was burnt to the foundation. (41, 117)
1791- Miller-Claytor House built by John Miller. (44)
1793- Union-Gazette, the first newspaper is founded. Name was changed
to Lynchburg Advertiser and Farmer’s Gazette in 1794. (47)
1794- First public meeting house, Mason’s Hall, built at Ninth and ChurchStreets. It serves as a lodge, courthouse, birthplace of several churches.(70)
1794- Patrick Henry purchases Red Hill estate from Richard Marot Booker. He lives there until his death in 1799 (175)
1795- New London Academy chartered by state. It entered Virginia’s Public school system in the 1880s and has operated as an elementary School since 1964 (127, 156)
1796- William Lewis builds a mansion house and plantation on the James River, six miles north of Lynchburg and names it Mt. Athos. (155)
1797- First hotel, the Hoyle’s, built at Ninth and Main. Later known as The Eagle Tavern (70)
1798- First Quaker Meeting house built. (70)
1799- Lynchburg Fire Company, the city’s first volunteer fire company, Organized. Wells were sunk and pumps erected on Main Street For the purpose of forming a bucket brigade. The first four fire plugs were installed in 1813. (41, 93)
1800-1810
1802- Robert Rives, an international merchant, builds the original manor House at Oak Ridge Estate. In 1901 Thomas Fortune Ryan adds Two wings and a third floor to the mansion. (158)
1806- Massie’s Mill is built by Major Thomas Massie. Its wheel Stopped during 1940s (151)
1805- Lynchburg is incorporated by an act of the General Assembly (42)
1805- (Jan. 10): First city police force established when city council was given the power to appoint a sergeant who was authorized to appoint constables and other necessary officers of court. (220)
1806- (April 6): John Wiatt becomes Lynchburg’s first mayor (43)
1806- (July 6): First grave opened on the “New Burial Land”, on land
donated by John Lynch for a cemetery. (40)
1806- Lynchburg establishes and artillery company for its defense. It later becomes the Lynchburg Rifles (42)
1806- Construction begins on Poplar Forest and is completed in 1812. (127)
1808- Lynchburg Press, a daily newspaper, is founded. (42)
1807- Sandusky House is built (70)
1809- John Lynch builds a covered wooden toll bridge to replace his ferry. The toll bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1870 (48)
1810-1820
1810- Lynchburg’s first city market is built with three stalls (40)
1812- Farmer’s Bank of Virginia with a branch in Lynchburg is created by
an act of the General Assembly (42)
1812- Frances Gray is appointed Lynchburg’s first police officer at an annual salary of $200. Officers inspected buildings and oversaw state maintenance (233)
1813- Courthouse built on land donated by John Lynch. General Assembly allowed Lynchburg to annex the land on which it was built since the land was outside the city limits (40, 221)
1815- Joseph Nichols Tavern built at Fifth and Madison streets (70)
1815- (Nov. 7): Andrew Jackson stops in Lynchburg on way home from the
Battle of New Orleans (1) 1815- Point of Honor constructed (40)
1815- First church bell to be heard in Lynchburg tolls from the Methodist Meeting House (42)
1815- First Baptist Church organized as Lynchburg Baptist Church (49)
1815- First Presbyterian Church, located on Main Street, established (52)
1816- Kentucky Hotel built at Fifth and Jackson streets. By 1816, sixteen
1780-1790
1780- Col. Charles Lynch and militia commanders held court for Tories at a Black walnut tree near present-day Altavista. It was to this tree that Tories were tied and flogged 39 times. Lynch’s name has been attached To later hangings, often with racial overtones, thus giving origin to the Term, “Lynch Law.” (140)
1781- Thomas Jefferson and his wife and children seek refuge at Poplar Forest following British invasion of Monticello. They stayed in an overseer’s hHouse. (127)
1781- Campbell County is formed from land originally in Bedford County. (127)
1781- Nelson County is formed from Amherst County, named in honor of Thomas Nelson Jr., then governor of state. (127)
1783- First community market is built in Lynchburg (2)
1786- (Nov. 14): Legislature grants John Lynch permission to establish a town called Lynchburg on 45 acres of land he inherited. Four streets are laid out in a grid- Lynch, Water, Second and Third Street plus four numbered alleys.
1787- (May 8): First meeting of the trustees, placed in charge of the town by the General Assembly. They met until 1817, their only legal authority being over the sale of unsold lots. (42)
1790-1800
1790- Third Street Methodist Meeting, the “mother church of Methodism” In Lynchburg is founded. It is later known as Third Street Station, Now Centenary United Methodist Church (127)
1791- Old Quaker Meeting House is built (41)
1791- John Lynch establishes the town of Madison (Heights) (38) 1791- First tobacco warehouse, Spring Hill, built in Lynchburg (40)
3