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Community Market Is Over 200 Years Old

By
Real Estate Agent with eXp Realty LLC 0225227139

Local farmers have been bringing their fresh grown produce up to the community market here on Saturday morning since 1783.

The location and hours have changed, but the vegetable selection and neighborhood camaraderie have remained constant.

Mae Evans Coleman remembers Friday nights in the late 20's, loading up her grandfaters's new Ford truck in preparation for the 4 a.m. ride to the market.  The children helped pick the vegetables the day before.  They also helped load the truck and weigh and sell produce.  The trip from hat Creek in Campbell County took her family about an hour.

 The merchandise consisted of whatever was in season.  There were all kinds of garden vegetables, butter, apple cider and hams, cured pork, pies and ice cream and other specialties.  

By 1920 the market had moved several times.  The first market was located in the center of town on Ninth Street between Main and Church.

Building the three-stall market cost $750 and in 1811, the stall rented for a total of $15 annually.  The market was considered too small to accommodate all the merchants and their produce so it was enlarged to house a fire engine and ladder and an adjacent shed was constructed to sell meat.

The original market was replaced in 1814 with an eight-stall market, also on Ninth Street.  Rental costs increased to $23 a year per stall, and two stalls were left vacant for use of people from the country.

Many of the stalls were rented permanently to butchers.  As the prime source of fresh meat for the community the market became a town gathering place.  Legal notices were posted not only at the courthouse, but also at the market.

The market was open every day except Sunday until either noon or 1 p.m., depending on the time of year. Virtually all types of produce were available except for a two year period starting in 1832.  Watermelons, muskmelons, cucumbers, green corn, and unripe fruit was banned from the market to protect the community from the ravages of cholera.

Government found its way to the market in 1839 when a market committee was established with common council members and a market superintendent.

But by 1855 the Ninth Street market had become an embarrassment.  According to reports, it was smelly, dark and inconveniently located.

After almost 20 years of planning, a new market was built in 1873 on Main Street, at 11th and 12th.  That was demolished in 1909 and replace with a market building and an auditorium on the second floor.

When that structure was sold in 1909, residents bought their vegetables elsewhere for eight years.  The current market was built under the Church Amory in 1932.

City staff welcomes public involvement in planning the future of the Lynchburg Community Market. Please offer comment by contacting the Department of Parks and Recreation at (434) 455-5858. Continue to check our website for updates and announcements.

As of May 1, 2007 all funding for capital improvements to the Community Market have been deferred.

Posted by

Nannette Turner Saunders, Associate Broker

Short Sales Coordinator

Keller Williams Realty

1709 Laskin Road

Virginia Beach Va

Comments (3)

Thesa Chambers
West + Main - Bend, OR
Principal Broker - Licensed in Oregon
what a great ride down the lane of history - I love history - thanks for sharing
Mar 29, 2008 06:02 AM
Stanton Homes
Stanton Homes - New Home Builder - Raleigh, NC
Design/Build Custom Home Builder in North Carolina
Nannette - Great historical background on the market!  So even the current market is nearly 80 years old - pretty impressive.  Does the market have a website?  I'd love to visit next time I vacation in Virginia (so much to see, so close to NC!) 
Mar 30, 2008 08:02 AM
Nannette Turner
eXp Realty LLC - Lynchburg, VA
Online Marketing Home Ownership Advocate Specialis
Thanks for stoppinby by Penny and Thesa  I love history
Apr 01, 2008 07:51 AM