Courthouse Square remains a constant
HALEY PAYNE ROBERTS / MCO
While the Square has seen its fair share of change over the years, the Hardware Store has remained constant.
If you’re from around here, you know the workings of the Lynchburg Square well. The courthouse, its beacon, still stands proudly at the center; the Jack Daniel’s Hardware Store welcomes droves of tourists to don the Lynchburg spirit. While these are its claims to fame today, many remember that the Square served a different purpose decades ago – providing a trusty hangout for Lynchburg’s youth in the 1970s and 80s.
It was a simpler time. Instead of smartphones and streaming services, entertainment was manual. Summer evenings meant fishing in Mulberry Creek and games of tag football within the bounds of the Square. Rather than surfing the internet for the most popular costumes, Halloween consisted of highly anticipated water balloon fights around the courtyard.
When there was nothing else to do, you would sit on the benches in front of the V&J – now the Harley-Davidson Store – or in front of the Iron Kettle – now Cantrero Mexican Grill – and solve all of the day’s problems.
There was no cell phone in your back pocket. If you needed to call home, the payphone in front of the Hardware Store was your go-to. Everyone’s parents knew the phone’s number, too. There was no need for watches. The clock suspended at the top of Farmer’s Bank watched over you, letting you know when it was time to head home. Few didn’t know how long it took to get from their favorite bench to their front door before curfew.
Elections were held at the gazebo, and crowds gathered, anticipating the next wave of results. Stray pieces of paper and stenopads have been replaced by pictures of the ever-present whiteboard, updated periodically with results. Still, the tradition carries on every other August as the pinnacle of local politics.
Now, I sit within the courthouse walls daily, listening as the whispers of generations before me recount their glory days. I appreciate the history that has wrapped its loving arms around others like me. Lynchburg is known for its sameness, yet even it is not immune to the passage of time. Though nothing ever remains the same for too long, the Square is a reminder that the love and care of a community can build bridges to those before us and preserve the things we value most.
