Kemper Street Industrial Historic District
Why it's listed
Kemper Street Industrial Historic District covers about seventeen acres of Lynchburg, Virginia, where a Norfolk Southern rail line divides two clusters of light industrial buildings. Most were built between 1916 and 1925 for clothing manufacturing, including the Jobbers Overall Company main plant, a three-story all-concrete building promoted as fireproof, and a brick Georgian Revival dormitory for its employees. Also here are the Jobbers suspender factory, the four-story Loft Building of 1925 designed by Johnson and Brannan, and the Blue Buckle Overall factory of 1936 with Art Deco details. The Loft Building was built speculatively by a local manufacturers' corporation and was meant to be rented to tenants. The district grew as Lynchburg's older industrial areas filled up, and it centered on clothing and shoe production. It was recognized for its role in the city's commercial, industrial and social history and for its examples of modern light industrial architecture. The period of significance runs from 1916 to 1958.
Significance in brief: The district is the core of an early twentieth-century clothing and shoe manufacturing area that grew as Lynchburg's downtown and lower basin industrial districts reached capacity. It shows the development of modern light industrial architecture, including fireproof concrete construction and a speculative loft building. Its land history involved the Lynchburg Industrial Development Corporation, which sold land to start-up businesses.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 08001054, listed November 14, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1300-1500 (odd) Kemper St., 1200-1300 (even) Campbell Ave., Lynchburg |
|---|---|
| County | Lynchburg |
| Listed | November 14, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08001054 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1916-1958 |
| Architect / builder | Stanhope S. Johnson, Johnson & Brannan, Pendleton S. Clark, Clark & Crowe |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival, 20th Century Industrial Vernacular, Art Deco |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry, Commerce, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current uses include industrial storage, specialty retail, and active rail; the Loft Building is vacant and the Blue Buckle factory is listed as work in progress. |
| Acreage | 16.9 |
| Coordinates | 37.40221, -79.15569 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 08001054.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q48839343
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.