While doing some casual Internet surfing a few months ago to see what towns might have public stairways, I ran across a PDF document (Click Here) prepared by the City of Lynchburg, Virginia. It was a planning document regarding the development of a network of pedestrian walkways in downtown Lynchburg.

The document mentioned that new and existing stairways could be incorporated in the proposed walkways. The document went on to say that Lynchburg could be known as the “City of Stairs”. That was enough for me to put Lynchburg in my mental filing cabinet as a place to check out when the opportunity arose.

A little over a week ago I was in Virginia, and my dog Petey and I took advantage of the time to visit Lynchburg to see what we could see. Although I had printed off the planning document, I had not really studied it as I had no reference as to what was where. We were going to let what we saw guide us on where we went.

While in Lynchburg, we learned that it is more than the home of Jerry Falwell. Lynchburg is an older city of around 75,000 people on the James River not too far from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Because of the river, a canal along the river to improve navigation, and a network of connecting railroads it became an important manufacturing center in the South. It was an important supply point for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Lynchburg was where Robert E. Lee and his army were headed after the collapse of Richmond and Petersburg in April 1865. Lee hoped he could resupply his army in Lynchburg and continue the war. When Grant’s forces cut off Lee’s escape route, Lee was forced to surrender at Appomattox Court House less than twenty miles east of Lynchburg. For all practical purposes the Civil War was over.

My first impression of Lynchburg was its highways. They all seemed to be built up to near expressway standards. The town seemed to be spread out without too much to see from the road. I finally reached an exit for the historic city center and found a completely different story. There we found a compact city of diverse architecture and much to see.

With Lynchburg’s proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains and its position along the river, it’s hilly. The central area of Lynchburg is built on a series of terraces starting at the riverside. The combination of hills, terraces, and development before automobiles became commonplace are a perfect recipe for public stairways. And Lynchburg has them.

Our stairway wandering adventure started when we turned off of Main Street onto Ninth Street and saw a set of steps immediately in front of us leading to the old Court House that was built before the Civil War. We parked the car and started walking.

The Court House Stairs are a memorial to Lynchburg citizens who lost their life in war. Each landing honors a different war. Continue Reading →