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The history of the Lynch family and the
South River Meeting House are entwined. John Lynch established a ferry
service across the James River in 1757 near what is now Lynchburg. After the
ferry prospered he divided 45 acres on the hills above the ferry house into town
streets and lots. In 1786 Lynch obtained a charter that authorized the
establishment of the town of Lynchburg and he sold the lots. He earmarked some
of the land for community purposes. Two acres were set aside for a burial
ground and a large hillside tract for the courthouse which cost the city only
one dollar. At the time that John Lynch first settled in the area his mother,
Sarah, had given two acres for the first Quaker meeting-house. In 1791 John
provided ten acres for the third meeting-house, school and cemetery.
The stone meeting house, begun in 1791 and
completed in 1798, is what you see today. The earlier log structures were
destroyed by fire. This is an economical and ecumenical house of worship. It
passed from the Quakers to the Methodists and then to the Presbyterians.
Appearances changed with denominations, but the meeting-house has been restored
to the way it looked in the 1790s.
Despite their generosity to their fellow
Quakers, the founding family was not exempted from the strict discipline of
their group. John Lynch's mother was "read out of meeting" because she married
a non-Quaker. She was eventually reinstated in the fellowship, but two of her
children were also "read out:" her oldest son, Charles, because he took an oath
as a member of the House of Burgesses and John Lynch because he "too unguardedly
gave way to a spirit of resentment."
It is interesting to learn that the term
"Lynch Law" is derived from Charles Lynch's bank of determined patriots who took
the law into their own hands. Lynch organized and led a group of Virginians who
protected their community from the lawless Tories. Malcontents who were
captured were tried by the patriots and flogged; the sentence was never death.
Although it was called Lynch Law, at the time it did not carry the connotation
it does today. Colonel Charles Lynch was even commended for his service by the
Virginia legislature, which at the same time exonerated him for all charges of
acting outside the legal system.
Tours of this old meeting-house are
conducted by volunteers wearing traditional Quaker garb. You'll see that this
old church is divided into two distinct meeting-rooms to separate the sexes
during the service. Each side conducted its own meeting and men and women could
be "read out" by their own meeting. You'll learn how a Quaker meeting was
conducted and what is was like to be a Quaker in Lynchburg in the 18th and early
19th century.
Just outside the meeting-house is the
church burial ground. The Quakers did not hold burial services. You'll observe
that there are no tombstones; the graves are marked with simple field stones.
John Lynch, who died on Halloween in 1820, does, however, have a marker on his
grave. It was placed there by the city of Lynchburg.
You can arrange to visit the South River
Meeting House from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. daily. At least three days prior
notice is needed for a costumed guide; call (804) 239-2548.
While you're in Lynchburg you may want to
visit the Thomas Road Baptist Church where Pastor Jerry Falwell has seen his
congregation grow from 31 members to 21,000. He built Liberty College on 4,000
acres overlooking Lynchburg. In 1971 Lynchburg Baptist College had 100 students;
it expects to have 50,000 by the year 2000.
Directions: From I-95 in the Richmond area
take Route 360 southwest to Burkeville, then take Route 460 west to Lynchburg.
From Route 460 take Candlers Mountain Road, Route 128, west. At Wards Road and
Candlers Mountain Road intersection continue straight ahead; the road becomes
Sheffield Drive. Turn right onto Fenwick Drive from Sheffield Drive and right
again on Fort Avenue. The South River Meeting House is at 5810 Fort Avenue.
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