The Museum is housed in Lynchburg’s second court house, completed in the Greek Revival style in 1855. William Ellison, the designer of the building, borrowed heavily from builders' handbooks of the day which provided detailing from classical structures such as the Parthenon. The fluted Doric columns, pedimented portico, and commanding presence on the hill overlooking the James River evoke the classical concepts of the day.
From 1855 onward, the Old Court House was used for a variety of courts: Hustings, Mayors, Circuit, District, Federal, and Juvenile Courts among them. During the Civil War, it was used by the Confederate government for the Quartermaster’s Department, Soldiers’ Aid Society, and the Soldiers’ Library.
During Reconstruction, the Old Court House was used as headquarters for Federal officers and as a Provost Marshall’s office. Returned to its judicial use in the late 1860s, the building contained court activities until about 1970. At that time, the building was in very poor condition and its future uncertain.
As part of America’s Bicentennial in 1976, Lynchburg City Council voted to restore the Old Court House as the City’s bicentennial project and to adaptively reuse the building as a history museum. The museum opened in 1979 and featured a restored Hustings Court and exhibits on the development of the City.
A new chapter in the history of the building began to unfold in the summer of 2000, as a crisis precipitated yet another renovation. A second floor ceiling collapsed in July, leading to an extensive study of the structural condition of the building. The study found that the building had serious structural issues and the City invested almost $2 million in renovations.
Once the renovations were completed in 2005, a master plan for exhibits was developed and implemented. The Lynchburg Museum reopened in February 2008 in this historic 1855 Court House building
There are five galleries on the main level and displays on the ground and second floors. Visitors enter into the Main Courtroom Gallery to see a huge color mural (33 feet by 8 feet) of the Edward Beyer painting of Lynchburg done in 1855, the same year the Court House was completed. Capturing the City from Madison Heights looking across the James River, the Beyer image provides a monumental and detailed view of Lynchburg on the eve of the Civil War.
Grouped with the mural are a variety of objects: a tall case clock from the 1840s, a suit worn by Confederate General Jubal Early, an elaborate gilt harp brought to Lynchburg in the 1850s, a Harley Davidson motorcycle once used by the Lynchburg Police Department, a soapbox derby racer, and much more! Three media programs focus on the people, historic images of Lynchburg, and historic maps.
Other galleries on this level include:
Gallery I
Art and Artisans: Included in this gallery are works of art by Bernhard Gutmann, Flavius Fisher, and Georgia Morgan, all of whom had connections to Lynchburg. Also featured are a signed and dated sideboard made in Lynchburg by Thomas Crandall, an armoire by Sampson Diuguid, and chairs created by local cabinetmakers. Lynchburg had a number of silversmiths in the 19th century and items by Silverthorn, Williams and Victor, and Truslow are among those displayed. The Levi and S.O. Fisher family of gunsmiths are also represented. Levi Fisher came to Lynchburg from the Shenandoah Valley in 1828 and his family made and repaired firearms until 1969
Gallery 2
Piedmont Pride: A gallery on the military service of the men and women of Central Virginia from the Revolutionary War through today. Featured artifacts include the First National Confederate flag of the 11th Virginia Infantry. This unit was made up mainly of men from Lynchburg and the surrounding area; the 11th Virginia was involved in many battles including First and Second Manassas and Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg. Other items include a Red Cross nurse's uniform from World War I, memorabilia and uniforms from World War II, and a variety of materials showing how wars have affected local life on the Home Front.
Gallery 3
Lynchburg Life: a look at entertainment, sports, music, businesses, and costumes linked to the Hill City. This gallery features recreation, education, and "all things Lynchburg" and covers notable local musicians such as Cile Turner, "Screechy" Carwile, and blues pioneer Luke Jordan. Sports figures such as "Bullet Bill" Dudley, NFL Hall of Famer and Earl Brooks, early Nascar driver, are included along with a large number of items relating to Lynchburg business--crocks, tobacco products, pharmaceuticals, banks, shoe manufacturing, and foundries. Pioneer aviators Vincent "Squeek" Burnett, Chauncey Spencer and Woody Edmondson are also highlighted.
Gallery 4
An Ornament on the Hill: covers the history of our largest artifact, the Old Court House, since it was completed in 1855 including architecture, courts, and its brief service as the Capitol of Virginia in 1865. The Greek Revival Court House remains a commanding presence overlooking Downtown Lynchburg from atop Monument Terrace. This gallery looks at the varied uses the building has seen in its 150+ year history and shows off original architectural elements such as a wooden gargoyle carved in 1855 and samples of the ornate plaster work found throughout the building.
Second Floor: The Gifford Gallery is a multipurpose space that includes an exhibit of antique toys, model railroad exhibit, historic images of Lynchburg people and places, and room for educational programs. In the future, traveling exhibits will also be displayed here.
Ground Level: This floor houses visitor amenities, a display on Lynchburg’s Civil War past, and an area where “New Acquisitions and Old Friends” can be viewed.
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