Lynchburg Historic District: personal recollection

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To desc=ibe to ycu all ~~e wc~de=f~l beau~ies of this place, the
magniiice~ce of i~~ public b~i:di~gs a:.d p:iva~e residence, the simplic~
i~y of i~s st:eets, and -::~e -~umbe::s ar.d varity o£ its places of amusement
wo1.1ld, I !~ar, r ec;,uir~ the pen of. ar.. ar-::ist and the genius of Milton.
Howeve= t~ese being neit~e: p:esent to u~de=take ~he task, I will give ycu
a faint idea of Lyr.chbu::g as it stands today.
AitfC t /1
\ve will be~:.~ at t~e =esic.;:lce of M:: "-\ M.;)o=e. It st~ds in the subu~bs
of the town and faces a la=ge farm. M::. Mo~=e is one of ~he most prominent
citizens of Lync~b~~g and highly ::espe~ted by a:l wco know him. Coming up
the street, we come next ~n the right to the reside~ce of Mr. James Waggone~
on the righ~ a beautiful cottage o~ .Ji'le _ .Go~hic s·:yle of architectu::e, !lnd·
that of Mr. Rir.~o::1d on the left. :.J'.o..:ih'Er.mond is a carpenter and, if you
expect to b~ild a house s~o~, you cculd net do bette= than employ him fo=
he ~e~e= fails · t~ give · satisfaction. Mr. McGrego::'s - residence is next on
the left. He is,by profession, a blacksmith. A~d there is no need of
pe=mitting yo:.:= 1-..o:see ·to go barefoot wten we t;;.·;e in our midst as good a.
blackami th as M=. McGrego=. In tr~e :1ex·:: lot, they a::e pla:1ning to build
the new C~=istian Ctu=~h, wcich will, I tcink, be a decided improvement to
the to~. ~e =eside~ce of Mr. R. A. Pa=kes comes next. He is a lawye=,
and if yo~ ha'le a laws~it, give him emplc;~e~t a~d I am sure he will serve
you :.:> t!le bcs·c of his ability, eve::. if yo~ wis~ :o prove either that your
::.e:.ghi.::-o:::- 1 3 cow belc;:;g~ ~o you, o~ :;:·:.= C0\"1 belc:1gs to j"'.)Ur neighbor. The
wo~de=fW: ;-a:a--::"! ::..::';.::s a ·:: Lyuc:.-.!;~:..-g s·.:_::,i)a~~ a:<y·thing cf the kbd eve= known J- .• ,.
befcze. T::~e G=a.n~ . Ce:rz=al. ow:1ed by !J: .- !:itJlir,o~ :; ~;ands p:~minentl y above all
the =est. Fa= away· f=om the city i::: eve=y di=ec-::ion, this massive pile of
bt.:ildi:1gs may ~e seen =ea=ing towa::.:ls t!le sky. T!:-.e size and ccmfo=:s of the
=cv~s, t~e exce~:e::.ce of ~~e table kep: ~he=e, the pzomptitude of the servants,
tne wit and gc.:>d h~o= of t~e p=cp=ie-::o=, -::he kin~~ea=ted:'less of his wife who
make~ eYe=yon.: abc;.:.t t.e= a.t =:ome, ar.d last, !:>:.;-:: ~~·.')t by any means least, the
beacty and i:1te:lige~ce of his lovely ri~ugtte::, may in fact account fo= the
reason 'i'lhy D=. S·-:>lmon's =~=-ms and tables a=e al\'lays filled. Dr. Solmon loves
good eating, geed livi~g, g~od ccm;any, ~r.d g~~d pGying boarders. So do not
b~ any mea:1~ fo=get t;~i,fl~ •;e him a call ~-~~e:1 yc -~ ;;.re _ i~ t~e Burg. M.r. Colsher
lJ.ves opposJ.te to D!".-~o-r. . .:;:: . a c~:::?er o:r :;:;:;..:.=. ~e:.:-t J.S someone whose name
I have forgotten. Next o.r. ·::.e ::-:.gh-: is tne _s~:::.e: .:y, a-:: p:::-esent occu;>ied by
Mr. C=oley. Mr. C=oley takes sp:.;::::.:Ed ;.:...:: .L:-e::; 2.:.:! •:J:=.~ld be pleased to have
you . give him a call if yc:.: a::e r.:;·; :.:gly e!:c·..:g:: -;.: ·n;;:tl( ::is apparatus.
Though s~meo::1e hc.3 said ~l:ey a::<: c~:::-tai:1:y -;.::-ooi. . ·~ ::::)~5 tl:e st=eet is the
Metropolitan cw~ed by :>!=s. McClel:z.::d. St.e .{e~;::;s ooc;..::ce=s a::-.c l:as everything
in pe::iec~ ~~yle. ~eat pleasar.t ro:~~, go~a ~~=-v~~~s, and o;:; t~e bill of
faz:e you may fine. a::y~hing i::1 the ,.,~::!d yo-..: · :ar.-:: -; ::., .:at. Ci!ll f::: anything
you w&~~, and y::::... ·.-; __ u be pleased with.:)t.:! a dcub: _ ~c:z~ .:~ t:.e =esidence and
sto:e cc:.:se cf :-i:: • .J. R. P.olt, one of t:.e mc3t c:~e::geti.:: and .::.:=ai~!lt forward
~en of Ly::1~~burg. In tt.e sto::~ , t.i~ gccds c~~-~~t fail-=~ ple~3~ '.:e most
fastidious ~c:..:~ .::, \·J:-:i.ie !:i~ p=i::~-5 G=i.r.g ::·.t..r. ,.;::_~:~.:..~~ t:-:.:: =e::.t::-: ci all. Op­posite
to C,i~ .:z · ~:.~ lc.=ge ::~·"' b~i::!:.::gs \'Jhich r..c· !'.:-.. ~ .. ~t-;.3-:; c~:::.;~letcd, one
:ccm of ~'l:.ic.~ ~~ r:. ·=',·j ~::c:..4p::.~c. by :. ~ ~ :·:eip~ n~.. :. ~ c= = ~ = :.~--; ~-:is g':J.;:;ds to the
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