10 Fun facts about lynchburg

rey gonzalez

Lynchburg, Virginia is a small city located in Central Virginia. It is not the most well known cities in Virginia, but it is a great place to live with a rich sense of history and culture. Even if you are a local, you still may not know about these facts. Here are 10 fun facts about Lynchburg. 

1. The Lynchburg area is home to the longest waterfall east of the Mississippi; Crabtree Falls. 

2. Lynchburg has numerous celebrities who were either born or raised in Lynchburg. They include actress Connie Britton, actor Dylan Baker, American Poet Anne Spencer, and musician Phil Vassar. 

3. During the Civil War, Lynchburg was used as a supply and hospital center and was the second wealthiest city in the country.

4. If you love tomatoes you can thank Lynchburg. Local legend states that Thomas Jefferson proved that tomatoes were not just poisonous apples (which many believed) by eating one in a home in Lynchburg. The home was located in what is now Riverside Park.  

5.  Forest, VA, a suburb just outside of Lynchburg, was recently ranked as the #6 best place to raise a family in Virginia. Forest was once the home of our 3rd President, Thomas Jefferson. To learn more about his home in Forest, click here.

6. Lynchburg's famous landmark known as Point of Honor was home to Dr. George Cabell Sr. the doctor of famous patriot Patrick Henry who famously said "give me liberty or give me death."

7. After the fall of Richmond during the American Civil War, the Virginia State Government briefly relocated to Lynchburg. 

8. Lynchburg was founded in 1757 by John Lynch who started a ferry service across the James River. 

9. Lynchburg had the highest percentage of freed slaves in the South at the start of the Civil War. 

10. Lynchburg is known as The Hill City because it is surrounded by 7 hills. The original 7 hills are College Hill, Garland Hill, Daniel's Hill, Federal Hill, Diamond Hill, White Rock Hill, and Franklin Hill. 

So there you have it, 10 fun facts about Lynchburg, Virginia that you may not have known. We hope that you learned something new. If you are looking for fun activities in the Lynchburg area, click here for a full list. If you have any fun facts about Lynchburg, please share with us.

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