Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/11/1984
The James River and Kanawha Canal was one of 19th-century America’s major transportation arteries. Lynchburg was the terminus of the “First Grand Division” which extended 146.5 miles from Richmond. Opened in 1840, this section was the only one of the three divisions ever completed. The canal enjoyed its greatest prosperity during the 1850s and spurred Lynchburg’s development as a leading commercial and industrial center. In 1880 the newly organized Richmond and Alleghany Railway Co. acquired the canal company’s property and laid tracks over much of the system. The canal’s Lynchburg remnants are important relics of a great engineering achievement.
[Thematic Nomination, VLR Listed Only]
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: January 25, 2022
