Court House Hill-Downtown

Downtown Lynchburg's Court House Hill district covers 25 blocks on a promontory above the James River's Lower Basin. It spans 47 acres and includes commercial, residential, religious and governmental buildings. The upper section, Courthouse Hill, takes its name from the 1851 Greek Revival courthouse overlooking Monument Terrace. Below it, Church and Main Streets hold commercial buildings, civic buildings and banks. About 70 percent of the district's buildings date from the period between 1865 and 1914, when the city grew rapidly. Notable examples include the 1909-10 City Auditorium and Market, the 1931-32 Armory, the 1883-85 Clay Street Reservoir, a ten-story bank tower finished in 1914, and several Gothic and Romanesque Revival churches. Local architects such as August Forsberg and Edward Frye shaped much of the streetscape. Of the resources counted, 88 percent are historic, and most upper facades remain intact even where storefronts have changed. The district was listed for its role in the city's development and its architecture.