SURFACING; Riverside Lynchburg, Va., Builds on Its History

SURFACING; Riverside Lynchburg, Va., Builds on Its History

By COLLEEN KINDER

Published: April 3, 2011

CHAT with shopkeepers in Lynchburg, Va., and you’ll probably get an earful on the city’s history. Vendors all seem to know their building’s original function: a blacksmith shop, a Civil War hospital, tobacco storage. Developers in this town of about 75,000 have taken pains to preserve the historic feel of the downtown area, which, until a few years ago, was mired in decay. Now, loft apartments, art studios, restaurants and a tearoom fill the hulking warehouses and factories along the banks of the James River. But not everything on the riverfront has changed: during a recent visit, I could hear the whistle of a passing coal train over the clatter of brunch. COLLEEN KINDER

PHOTOS: OMNITERRUM: 1225 Main Street, (434) 847-4788 omniterrum.com. A casual collector of globes for years, Kim Soerensen now displays her stunning collection in this showroom — the only store in the United States entirely devoted to globes, she says. And if you’re just a browser, she’s happy to point out the world history evident on each antique orb.; CRADDOCK TERRY HOTEL: 1312 Commerce Street, (434) 455-1500 craddockterryhotel.com. In 2007, when Hal Craddock, great-grandson of the town shoe mogul, converted his family’s old shoe factory into a boutique hotel, he didn’t forget about footwear. A red pump adorns the facade, vintage lace-up boots decorate the lobby, and breakfast comes to your room in a converted shoeshine box. Rooms from $169.; THE WHITE HART CAFE: 1208 Main Street, (434) 455-1659 inklingswhitehart.com. This cafe — which looks like a saloon, doubles as a bookstore and fries its own apple pies ($3.50) — has become a gathering spot for Lynchburg youth. And unlike many local businesses, it stays open on Sundays.; JEFFERSON STREET BREWERY AND WATERSTONE PIZZA: 1309 Jefferson Street, (434) 455-1515 jeffersonstreetbrewery.com, waterstonepizza.com. This brewery, opened in 2008, has circumvented strict liquor laws by partnering with an adjacent wood-oven pizza parlor. At Waterstone Pizza, ales like an oatmeal stout from next door are served with thin-crust pizzas. Sample all five brews with a flight ($8.75). (PHOTOGRAPHS BY COLLEEN KINDER FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES)
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