Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 07/31/1980
NRHP Listing Date 10/30/1980
NRHP Reference Number 80004311
The Jones Memorial Library is Lynchburg’s finest example of the American Renaissance, an architectural and artistic movement that dominated American public and institutional buildings in the early 20th century. Designed by the local firm of Frye and Chesterman, the library was given by Mary Frances Watt Jones as a memorial to her husband, George Morgan Jones, a Lynchburg industrialist, merchant, and financier. Opened in 1908, the stately domed structure, with its monumental facade of Ionic columns, is an expression of the philanthropy and cultural development that followed Lynchburg’s growth at the end of the 19th century. The series of steps and terraces, constructed in 1924, was designed by Boston landscape architect Bremer Pond. The library’s collections have since been moved to another location and the building now serves as an educational center named the Patrick Henry Institute.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: September 22, 2021
