How scooters have brought a unique group together in Lynchburg

Photos by Ashlee Glenn

What’s superior? Vespas or Lambrettas?
While that’s a conversation that could cause some bad blood in the scooter community, both types are welcome in the Vespa and Lambretta Club of Lynchburg. Though scooters may seem like a niche hobby, the group has drawn a diverse crowd from all over the city. It all began about seven years ago after founding member and former California resident Patrick Hubble created a page on Facebook.

“My wife, Bridget, and I were into the scooter scene in the ’80s,” Hubble said. “They were a large part of the ska and mod culture. I had no idea what to expect when creating the group.

I thought it sounded much better than just asking people to be my friend.”

To Hubble’s surprise, there was a whole subculture in Lynchburg waiting to be found as other enthusiasts like himself were excited to take part.

“Our ages in the group range from 21 to 75,” Hubble said. “We have people who grew up with scooters in Europe and then people like us who just love the appeal.”

Hubble explained the difference between Vespas and Lambrettas, comparing it to the Chevy vs. Ford debate. Both have a cult following.

The first Vespas, which means “wasp” in Italian, were manufactured in 1946. While a lot in the world has changed since then, the original design of the scooter has not for the most part. The scooter still retains its classic shape, curves, and “almost-futuristic” design, as Hubble describes it. Even if the name doesn’t ring a bell to you, chances are you’ve seen a Vespa before either in a movie such as The Talented Mr. Ripley and American Graffiti or even in a photograph of the European countryside.

“Italy knocked it out of the park when designing the Vespa,” Hubble said.

Lambrettas were also manufactured in Italy, specifically in Milan, and named after the river that flowed near the factory. But in the 1960s when cars became more affordable across Europe, the need for a compact scooter declined and the factory eventually closed in 1972. The factory parts were purchased by the Indian government and began being manufactured there as India had a demand for affordable transportation. The Lambretta recently made a comeback with a new model in 2017.

When it comes to scooter preferences, the Lynchburg group is a mixed bag. While Vespa is the scooter of choice, there are about three to four Lambrettas in the group, according to Hubble.

Both options are considered an easy, and fun, way to get around town.

“You can easily go 45 to 50 miles per hour on one. It’s perfect to drive around town and you can even get on the Expressway when you’re in a pack,” he said. “It probably seems a little bizarre to see a bunch of us driving around, but we get a lot of smiles and waves. It seems to make people happy when they see us.”

The group also likes to meet at a local restaurant or bar where they chat about where they’ve found parts for their scooters, especially the vintage models. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they started meeting in large parking lots, so they have plenty of space to social distance.

But, most importantly, they ride. Sometimes it’s around town, or sometimes it’s an adventure.

“It’s a great way to see parts of Lynchburg you’ve never seen before,” Hubble said.

When Riverviews Artspace Executive Director Kim Soerensen began working downtown about three years ago, she looked into buying a Vespa for the commute. She grew up in Germany, where it was common for teenagers to drive Vespas, including herself.

“It’s the most economical thing because most of us couldn’t get our license before we turned 18,” Soerensen said. “I don’t live far from downtown so [I thought], why not? Maybe part of me was a little nostalgic for my youth.”

Soerensen chose a modern bright yellow Vespa, which she calls “perfect.” She even works to match her outfits to her scooter sometimes.

“I think I look like someone from Austin Powers,” she laughed.

Soerensen had no idea about the local club until she saw a post from Hubble on social media and decided to get involved.

“When we’re not riding, it’s very nerdy scooter talk,” Soerensen joked. “We talk about ’80s mod, scooter problems, but it’s very equal between the men and the women. Everyone brings something diverse to the group. A few of us are from Europe so there’s a lot of European influence, but we’re well-traveled and I think that’s what brings us together. It’s quite a group. [We have a] high school nurse, an undertaker, an arts director, a nuclear physicist.”

Peter Kerschbamer, like Soerensen, has European roots. Growing up in Northern Italy, Kerschbamer knew his way around a Vespa. But it had been years since he’d ridden one.
“I saw a Vespa on eBay and I had this nostalgia for it,” Kerschbamer said. “Now we have five of them. Even my wife and my daughter ride now.”

And according to Kerschbamer, riding a Vespa is like riding a bike.

“You don’t forget it,” he said. “You pick it right back up.”

While others found the scooter club on social media, Kerschbamer said he met Hubble while riding down Fort Avenue on his Vespa.

“We saw one another, and we waved,” he said. “I thought, ‘That’s neat that there’s someone else with a Vespa in Lynchburg.’ He ended up turning around and chasing me down. Then we started riding together.”

For Kerschbamer, the club is a great social circle. It’s a chance to have comradery, and it’s also a great conversation starter.

“People definitely notice a group of scooters outside of a restaurant,” he said. “People always come up to us and we tell them stories.”

Investing in a Vespa is hard work though, Kerschbamer explained, especially if you lean more into the vintage side of things.

“Something like a motorcycle is easier to buy,” he said. “But the appeal about a vintage scooter is that it’s about the personality and the style. Sometimes you go all over to find a certain part, but growing up, we’d work on our scooters together because everyone who had them was asking if you have this part or this part. Now more than 30 years later, that’s what I’m still doing. I love it.

I love seeing how it works.”

For Soerensen, the investment is worth it because riding her Vespa takes her back to being 15 years old again.

“It’s fun to feel the wind whip beneath you as you ride, kicking up dirt and gravel. You can’t help but smile,” she said. “In a weird way, you almost feel closer to nature and stylish as you ride. We all get to show our personalities when we ride.”

OLD CITY CEMETERY MARKS 25 YEARS OF ITS BELOVED FESTIVAL

With over 700 roses for sale, the Old City Cemetery Antique Rose Festival (April 25 – May 31) is currently the largest public rose sale in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The founding of the festival can be traced back to 1985 and the late Lynchburg resident Carl Cato, who founded the Heritage Rose Group in 1975 and had become quite noteworthy in rose circles. Jane White, the driving force behind the revitalization of Old City Cemetery, met Cato and knew he was just the man who could help her breathe life back into Lynchburg’s “grave garden.”

They started with “The Old Brick Wall”—the 800-foot remains of the cemetery’s 1860s brick boundary wall—where Cato suggested they tell the story of the history of roses in chronological order. Cato got busy formulating his planting plan. His original antique rose collection was planted in 1986 along the old brick wall. The first 60 varieties planted represented rose history from before 1581 through the 19th century.

Meanwhile, Jane White had other dreams—and her wheels really started turning after a trip with a couple of friends to the William Paca House and Garden in Annapolis, Maryland. “They were having the loveliest perennial plant sale where they served rose petal punch and rose petal tea sandwiches. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!” White recalls. On the drive home, the trio was convinced they could do something similar with much success at Old City Cemetery. They shared the idea with Cato, who suggested they make it a “rose cutting” sale—and, so they did.

In the very early days, the roses were all ordered in and they weren’t more than two inches tall. “To look at them you’d wonder if they would survive,” she said. “We had to fluff them up to make them look like anything.”

There were other challenges as well—from the logistics of setting up the sale to organizing the large number of volunteers. “[One of the volunteers] was good at putting up clotheslines and thought that would be a good way to hang up the signs that describe the roses we were selling. With a little practice, we came up with what I think is a pretty good system,” White said.

The festival occurs during the height of bloom yet still in time for roses to be planted before the really hot summer temperatures set in. The roses are started locally at Irvington Spring Farm so they are acclimatized and are more established. The majority of roses for sale today have been started from cuttings from the roses on the grounds. “They look so much better now than they ever did,” White said.

During the month of the sale, people travel from far and wide to shop for roses. Often, rose collectors will have their list in hand as so many of these roses are rare and not available on the market. On opening day, you’ll find a line that extends several blocks as these collectors try to find what they are looking for.

Volunteer rose enthusiasts are on hand to help people make their selections. Carolyn Bell has been a faithful “rose educator” during 15 of the 25 festivals. “I thoroughly enjoy the pleasure of taking a customer from a vague, uncertain starting point, where all they can think of saying is they want ‘something that smells good’ or ‘something they can’t kill’ to finding a rose or roses they’re excited to take home,” Bell explained.

Bruce Christian, former executive director and rose devotee, agrees. “It’s fun to match a person to a species based on maybe three or four wants that person has,” he explained. “Besides, I cannot count the number of people who come looking for something in particular and leave thrilled to have something they might never have considered.”

There is no stereotypical rose admirer. Their reasons for coming to the festival are so different—from young couples looking for something pretty at their new home to those looking for a rose whose color and fragrance reminds them of their mother or grandmother. Bell recalls, “a burly Marine, wearing a baseball cap and a tank top, covered in tattoos, who obviously loved roses and knew a lot about growing them.” At another sale, she recalled speaking to a woman who was choosing a rose to plant at the gravestone of her brother, a service member who had recently died in action.

Now, 25 years later, Old City Cemetery is diversifying offerings available at the sale. Additional roses have been ordered from various sources around the United States. They are selected based on their American Rose Society designation for disease resistance, hardiness and beauty as well as the function they play in the landscape. There are roses that will grow well in pots as well as climbers that will cover a wall.

The sale helps to raise funds for the care of the roses grown on the property. “What Old City Cemetery does a great job of doing is telling the stories of these antique roses and providing a source for them,” said Christian. “I find the tours open people’s eyes to both history and the chance to see and smell up close, putting a face, scent, and touch to ‘the exotic’.”

The cemetery operates under the belief that the more people know about and appreciate these old garden roses the better their chance of long-term survival. “Giving the tours of the roses during the festival adds so much to the people’s experience. Carl Cato’s goal in life was to save these old roses,” White said. “By getting them into the hands of the people we are not only preserving the rose for us, but we’re saving them so they are not lost and forgotten way into the future.”

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Why Roses?

Traditionally, roses and cemeteries go hand in hand. Cemeteries are a natural place to find many old rose varieties due to the tradition of families bringing a “slip” from a rose at their home and planting them in the family’s burial plot.

Roses have been used in art as symbols of the resurrection for centuries. During both the pre-Victorian and the Victorian eras, roses were carved as symbols on tombstones that told people passing by about who was “sleeping” there. For example, an unopened rosebud was used on an infant or a very young child’s stone to symbolize the start of life that was cut short. A fully open bloom with a severed stem signifies an adult whose death was sudden and unexpected.

When you come to see the blooming roses during the Rose Festival, you can find some of these stone carvings for yourself.

Kapap Krav Maga Expert at FEKS Martial Arts

Lynchburg Living: David, we hear you had a surprise visitor recently! Tell us about your award.

David Rubinberg: Israeli Defense Forces Major Avi Nardia flew in to present the highest award one can earn in the Israeli Martial Arts—the blue and white belt. It is a lifetime achievement award that represents being a leading expert and senior counsel to all Israeli Martial Arts students worldwide. It came along with the rank of 8th degree black belt. I will also serve as the Head State of VA representative for FIMA (Federation of Israeli Martial Arts)—a gathering of the only top Israeli Martial Artists in the world. You must be invited into this group.

LL: How rare is this?

DR: Blue and white belts are extremely rare and are not presented to people that have not had at least 50 years of Israeli Martial Arts experience behind them. I am currently the only 8th degree black belt in the world in Kapap Krav Maga, which is studied in over 60 countries and has well over half a million students.

LL: Wow! That’s quite an accomplishment and certainly puts Lynchburg on the map. For those that aren’t familiar, what is Kapap Krav Maga?

DR: The Kapap or “face-to-face combat” system was developed in the late 1930s within the Jewish Aliyah camps as part of preparatory training before their arrival in Mandatory Palestine. The main focus was to upgrade physical endurance, elevate and strengthen the spirit, and develop a defensive and offensive skill set. The term Krav Maga or “close combat” started when the state of Israel was given back to the Jewish people in 1948. This was and still is the fighting form of the Israeli Defense Forces.

LL: How long have you been a martial arts instructor?

DR: I was 10 years old when I started my martial arts training in 1958 at Stewart Air Force Base. I continued my studies in Judo and Karate at community college. Then, upon coming to Lynchburg in 1967, I attended Slaughter’s School of Karate.

I began teaching my first class at Lynchburg College in 1967.

So, I have been an instructor for 52 years. My Krav Maga training began in 1957, as part of a family focus.

LL: How has your family played a role in your passion for martial arts?

DR: My grandfather came to this country alone in the early 1900s. He worked and saved enough money to bring my grandmother and father to New York. He then continued to work and save enough to bring members of the family over one at a time. My father is an only child. With the decimation of the remaining family in Europe from the Holocaust, what family we had left in New York, and what family escaped to Israel, our family here was very close. The talk was always centered around the possibility of all of us moving to Israel. Krav Maga training was an important part of that dream. Please understand, members of my family were in the concentration camps of Germany and would cover the stamped numbers on their arms with clothing. The training, the thought of “never again” was and still is very real for us.

Local church works to preserve historical Lynchburg churches through merger

Nestled among gas stations, empty buildings, and single-family homes, Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church has remained an impressive figure in the neighborhood for more than 100 years. While the church building itself may not have changed much over the past century, its residents have.

For over the past three years, Gospel Community Church has been part of the Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church story once the previously nomadic church found a home beneath historic stained glass windows and pews.

Since its founding in 2009, Gospel Community Church has always met in unexpected places, according to GCC Teaching Pastor Andrew Moroz.

“There was a convention center, a school, and a night club,” Moroz said, referencing the former Phase 2 building on Odd Fellows Road. “On some Sundays, we’d be getting to the club to set up as concerts were ending and bartenders were heading home for the night. There was definitely some overlap between the events.”

Set-up crews would arrive as early as 6 a.m. on Sundays to transform the club into a church. Once services were over, they’d pack everything up, staying well into the afternoon.

“I think it was off-putting to people at times,” Moroz said of the haphazard set-up and non-conventional meeting space.

Despite the unusual arrangement, Moroz said they didn’t feel an urgency to find a new space as their congregation flourished. But as their church body continued to grow, and quickly, they realized that finding a permanent space had to be a priority.

In 2017, they began sensing that God would lead them to a new home. The leadership of GCC began working with a realtor and touring properties around the area, even toying with the idea of building their own space. Nothing seemed to be the right fit.

“The cost of building a new building—and the type of building which would satisfy all of our needs—was astronomical,” Moroz said. “We seriously explored the option of converting other non-conventional spaces into a church building such as shopping centers or warehouses.”

Meanwhile, across town on Rivermont Avenue, another congregation was trying to figure out how to keep their doors open.

Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church first began on Cabell Street in 1896. Founded by the Young Men’s Missionary Society of the First Baptist Church, the group worked for 10 years to build their home on Cabell Street after they, like GCC, were mobile as well—holding Sunday School in the old Danielstown Schoolhouse and tent meetings around the Rivermont area.

The church called Cabell Street home for nearly 15 years, until they realized they had outgrown their space. They moved to Rivermont Avenue in 1911 and officially changed their name to reflect their new home.

Over the years, the congregation was passionate about ministering to the local neighborhood. But as decades went by, their numbers dwindled, and they needed a plan on how to breathe new life into their beloved church.

For Scot Podosek, RABC was more than just a church—it was home.

“We had been there for the past 25 years,” Podosek said. “It was just this amazing place and we were there any time the doors were open.”

The RABC leadership formed a work group, which included Podosek, to research their options.

Then, on a return flight to Lynchburg, a chance encounter between GCC Worship Pastor Brian Friberg and Podosek led both churches down a new path. The two struck up a conversation that eventually led to what each of the two churches was trying to accomplish.

“[Pososek said], ‘Isn’t it funny how churches like yours occupy schools or nightclubs and then you have churches like ours that are in need of a congregation? …We really want to breathe life into these buildings,’” Friberg said in a video about the merger.

Podosek and Friberg came back to Lynchburg and scheduled a meeting. After that first in-person chat with one another, it was clear that there was the real possibility of a solution.

“That first meeting was enlightening,” Podosek said. “These folks wanted to invest in what we were doing [in Rivermont]. A church is more than just a building. It’s about the people. But this building was special, and we were thrilled to see it being used to its highest potential.”

Moroz admits being impressed by not only the leaders he encountered, but also the historic beauty of the Rivermont church building.

“You walk up and there’s a balcony that overlooks the sanctuary,” Moroz explained. “It just took our breath away. Here was a space that had been a comfort and a haven to the Lynchburg community for decades.”

Becoming Gospel Community Church Rivermont and merging two churches under one roof was a challenge. Both had their own philosophy, culture, and demographic. But despite the changes, both congregations always came back to the fact that RABC and GCC shared a common goal of loving God and loving people, as well as a deep desire to impact the city.

From there, the church transformed into something new as they began a new era in the fall of 2017.

“You go in on a Sunday and you still see people who have called [RABC] home for the past 50 to 60 years,” Podosek said. “You have people who grew up here and then people who are entering Lynchburg for the first time.”

It didn’t stop there. During their search for a building, GCC had connected with College Hill Baptist Church, only a few miles away on Floyd Street.

Like RABC, College Hill had also made its mark on the Lynchburg community for decades—since 1876. There, a small team of 20 people were working diligently to save their church.

“Caring for a historical building is no easy task,” Moroz said. “Here were 20 people who were using their own resources to upkeep the building. …The CHBC congregation needed help with their worship services and core ministries. The pastors of Gospel Community stepped in to help,” Moroz said. “Ministering to the congregation eventually led to the conversation of a formal merger.”

Over this past summer, GCC officially merged with College Hill—which is located across the street from R.S. Payne Elementary School and only a few blocks from Dunbar Middle School.

“There is an incredibly high concentration of kids and teenagers in this part of the city. That’s an incredible opportunity for us to come alongside them and their families and to provide support and biblical encouragement,” said GCC Communications Director Jennifer Redmond.

It’s also, like Rivermont Avenue Baptist Church, adjacent to the thriving Downtown Lynchburg area—as well as the 5th Street and Bedford Avenue corridors.

“It’s been exciting to be in that sector and building relationships with businesses, families, and neighbors,” Redmond said. “We have also worked diligently to connect with our immediate neighbors and some of the existing ministries that were already established in the Rivermont neighborhood.”

Moroz said they are also working to establish the church as a meeting space for local nonprofits, groups, and ministries.

“We want to take that money and pour it right back into preserving these buildings,” he said, adding that they are working to transform and renew the buildings to work for modern needs, such as handicap accessibility. “It’s about sustainability. I truly believe that people want to see a healthy, thriving church in a neighborhood.”

According to Moroz, a healthy church doesn’t just mean having a building full of people. A healthy church has a congregation that is always focused on the greater good.

Because of the merger, GCC was able to continue a RABC ministry called the Connecting Point, which provides food for those in need and houses a summer learning program for school-age youth. The main church building also continues to house the Rivermont Early Learning Center.

In both neighborhoods, GCC has hosted events such as block parties to engage their neighbors and let them know that they are available to them—now, and hopefully well into the future as well.

“[RABC] has always been part of Rivermont,” Podosek said. “Now it gets to stay that way.”

Inspiring stories prove any furry friend can have a fresh start with the right family

A pet brings tremendous joy into our lives. Ask any pet owner to share a story about their cat, dog or other animal and their face lights up.
Acquiring a new pet can be an adventure, but there is something special about adopting a pet from a local shelter. Shelter pets who need new homes are there for many reasons—from their past owners’ financial hardship to abuse and neglect cases. Pet adoption is important because it saves an animal from being euthanized, and makes room in the shelter for another pet who needs a new home. But most importantly, it gives that animal a second chance.

The stories behind pet adoption are inspiring, endearing and heartwarming. We asked the Lynchburg Humane Society to share some of their memorable recent matches to hopefully inspire you to open your heart, and your home, to a four-legged family member.

A lifetime shelter dog finds his soul mate
Barney was a veteran at the Lynchburg Center for Pets—he spent three years waiting for the right person to take him home. But Barney didn’t just end up in Stuart Smith’s home, he fell right into his heart.

Stuart had just moved back to the Lynchburg area from Charlotte. He needed a fresh start, a new beginning and a new lease on life. He also needed a companion to help him on this journey.

A chance encounter with Barney and his foster parent at the restaurant where Stuart worked is where their story began. As soon as Stuart laid eyes on Barney, he had to say hello. “Then I got to talking with his human and [found out] he was fostering the sweet guy, and he was up for adoption. With that comment, Barney started leaning his whole weight on me like he felt safe, and he melted my heart,” he says.

Stuart took Barney home that day.

But it wasn’t an easy adjustment. Barney had been a shelter dog since he was a puppy and needed to learn how to be a regular dog. He was a bit timid at first and Stuart says his behavior was erratic. He chewed up a lot of things and needed to learn boundaries. But after a few weeks of training, Barney made progress. “With the structure and discipline he’s gotten over the last year, we’ve developed good routines to keep both of us active and healthy,” says Stuart.

Today Barney is a happy dog who loves car rides and being the center of attention. He has changed Stuart’s life forever. “He reminds me constantly that if we stick out the hard times, like his three years of waiting for the right home, good times are going to come.”

From fat to famous
The Sterne family has a lot of experience with pet adoptions. They already had a dog and three cats, all from the Lynchburg Center for Pets, so it was no surprise when 17-year old Madalyn wanted another animal. She fell in love with a giant cat she found online—the only problem was that cat was in Chicago, and her mother Wendy thought it was a bit far to travel.

As luck would have it, waiting for them right here in Lynchburg was Venti. Venti came to the Lynchburg Center for Pets after his owner passed away. He was an enormous 32 pounds—they decided to rename him Leo. “It took Leo no time at all to get used to us,” Wendy says. “At first, he stayed in my daughter’s room, but soon he ventured out and now he follows Madalyn around everywhere.”

Leo also claimed his spot on the family ottoman and displayed his true personality—loveable, friendly, playful and chatty. He loves to chase his favorite toy, a ball on a string; if you talk to him, the family says he will talk back.

The Sterne family decided to make him famous! LeotheLionCat32 on Instagram has more than 10,000 followers. They also have paid special attention to his health—Leo has lost more than four pounds so far on his new diet.

The best date ever
Clifford Stumme was ready for a dog, so he convinced his wife to accompany him to the Lynchburg Humane Society for a date night, which led them to Galaxy.

Since Galaxy was rambunctious and wary of new people, the staff kept her in the back of the shelter so they could keep a closer eye on her and earn her trust. Clifford had a special feeling about this dog and wanted to foster her for a few days to see how it went.

On the car ride home, timid Galaxy rode in the backseat. Once home, she destroyed all of her toys and would not even come near Cliff. But on the third day at their home, she snuggled right up to her new owner and they became fast friends.

Recognizing that Galaxy was smart and active, the Stummes tried out different activities to help her thrive. Clifford soon discovered that frisbee is Galaxy’s love language. She loves to fetch, she loves to run and, since she is part Australian cattle dog, she loves to herd. One of her favorite toys is a large ball that she pushes around the yard. “Each animal is different and each requires some figuring out how to make the relationship work,” he says. “Galaxy takes time to warm up to strangers and would be a good guard dog. But if you give her time to get comfortable, she is a great dog.”

Their adoption went so well the Stummes had another date night at the Lynchburg Center for Pets, ultimately bringing home Strudel, a seven-month-old beagle. They report that brother and sister are adapting well to each other.

Dog hits the foster family jackpot
Jackie Mosley is the epitome of a rescuer—adopting pets from multiple shelters in the area and opening her home to the neediest of pups through fostering.

Cash, a 10-year-old black and tan dog with intervertebral disc disease, caught her eye at the Lynchburg Center for Pets. He came to Lynchburg from another shelter in Virginia that was unable to find him a home. Cash needed special attention because he uses a wheelchair to help him get around due to paralysis of his back legs.

Cash hit the jackpot with the Mosley family because they immediately began working on his back legs to increase their muscle mass. A sling helped hold him up so he could work on supporting himself and adjusting his foot placement. “After just a few weeks of working with Cash he is able to fubble around which has turned into a shaky walk. Each week he becomes stronger, and he is truly walking on his own now!” Jackie says.

The Mosley family is playing an important role for Cash by fostering him—it gets him out of the shelter and provides the one-on-one attention he needs.

For those who aren’t in a position to permanently adopt a pet, Jackie strongly encourages fostering because it is just as inspiring. “Each foster makes a real difference in the life of any animal they step up for,” she says. “As fosters we learn compassion, empathy, patience and love. The ones we take in learn to trust and become ready for forever homes.”

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Interested in Adopting? Here’s What to Expect!
When visiting the Center for Pets, make sure you bring a photo I.D.

If you meet a pet you are interested in, shelter employees will talk with you to see if it is a good match.

All adoption prices include spay/neuter, an engraved I.D. tag, initial vaccines, a free vet visit, and 10% off at the Center for Pets retail shop on the day of adoption. The Center for Pets can also place animals on “hold” with a fee.

Find prices for each available dog or cat, and much more information, at lynchburghumane.org.

Named Outstanding Veteran Volunteer by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution

Involvement:

• President of local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter
• Co-founder of weekly veteran gatherings at Monument Terrace
• Member of Lynchburg Area Veterans Council
• Master Gardener who donates produce to Cancer Center & much more

We hear you are the first person from Virginia to receive this award. That’s a big deal! What was the awards ceremony like in June?
It was very formal—lots of pomp and circumstance. They put me up in a 5-star hotel in Washington and I had a page who escorted me to their Continental Congress. There were photographers everywhere and about 3,700 hundred people in the audience. Usually when I get nervous I speak really fast, but for some reason that day I was calm when I accepted the award.

Why do you think you kept your cool? I was drafted right after high school and was quickly put in charge of the demilitarized zone in Vietnam. I was 19 years old and had to give briefings about every day. One time I had to go downtown to the headquarters and give a briefing to mostly high ranking officials. That was much more overwhelming!

When did you start to get involved with the local veteran community? In 1997, we had our first Vietnam veterans reunion at Monument Terrace. I didn’t even know there was a monument with names from those in Lynchburg who were killed.

I saw some names I recognized. A few years later I joined the local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter.

When did things really kick into high gear? After I retired from a 41-year career at B&W in 2009, I became president of our local VVA chapter. I’ve really worked hard to build the membership up, and it’s now the second largest chapter in the state. I also helped form the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council, which helps provide support to local veterans and their families—from transportation to housing. We’ve just successfully moved a second homeless vet off the streets and into our new house on Garfield Street. I average 950 volunteer hours a year and 8500 miles on the road. I tell people my truck is my office!

You could be enjoying retirement. Why do you do this? My wife says I need to go back to work so I have more free time! I am a workaholic. I’ve got to be doing something all the time. I don’t do this for the recognition… I do it because it comes from the heart. I see a need and I come out and get it done.

A personal look at Lynchburg’s renowned architect

Until Carolyn Gills Frazier started researching Stanhope, Chronologically, published by Blackwell Press in 2018, even those who were closest to the late-architect Stanhope Johnson didn’t know the extent to which he had, almost literally, designed Lynchburg.

“He never said anything about his projects,” Johnson’s niece, Anne Bond-Gentry, said. “We knew a few things he’d done in the city, but I had no idea of the volume of the stuff he’d done here until Carolyn started working on the book. I was blown away.”

Over a career that spanned seven decades, from 1898 to 1966, Johnson lent his talents to somewhere between 700 and 800 building projects, more than half in Lynchburg.

He designed department stores and supermarkets, factories and hospitals, schools and churches, hotels and vacation cabins, and apartment buildings and houses in nearly every architectural style. He even designed tombstones, including his own.

Frazier’s “Lynchburg Directory” of Johnson’s work includes about 100 projects on Rivermont Avenue alone. “I [knew] that he worked on the hospital and Randolph-Macon [Woman’s College] but all of Rivermont Avenue?” Bond-Gentry’s sister, Nancy Brothers, said.

Growing up in Lynchburg, Bond-Gentry and Brothers, along with their sister Helen Reveley and brother Everett Bond Jr., spent a lot of time at Brookside, the Link Road home of Stanhope and Elizabeth Johnson. Elizabeth was the older sister of their dad, Everett Bond Sr.

“We would go there for ‘Camp Brookside’ every summer for a week or two weeks, and on weekends, and do all kinds of things,” Brothers said.

The Johnsons didn’t have children of their own, so the Bonds were surrogates. “They were like grandparents to us,” Brothers said. “She was older than my dad, about 15 years, and he was older than she.”

Their uncle, they called “Stan.” Elizabeth was “Bibber.” Brothers said she and her siblings were the “only ones in the world” who called the renowned architect “Stan.” As for how “Bibber” came about, it was a family thing.

“Bibber and Stan were our names for them, but they were Elizabeth and Stanhope to the world,” Brothers said. “He called her Elizabeth; we called her Bibber. It was just our kids’ name and it stuck.”

Johnson and his wife moved into Brookside in 1926. He had purchased the circa-1823 cottage in 1913, eight years before he married the former Annie Elizabeth Bond, a Randolph-Macon Woman’s College graduate from Brownsville, Tennessee.

At Brookside, there was a creek for fishing and a barn for farm animals—cows, a horse and a donkey. Elizabeth raised fox terriers, so there were often puppies to play with. “It was always a happy place,” Brothers said.

In the basement creamery, the Bond children helped Elizabeth make butter balls, a staple on well-appointed tables. Elizabeth also sold her butter balls locally. “We all participated,” Brothers said. “That was the way they served butter. Everything was butter balls.”

The Johnsons shared an interest in horticulture. Elizabeth, the more outgoing of the two, entered flower shows and spoke at garden clubs across Central Virginia. At Christmastime, she made her own boxwood wreaths and flower arrangements.

“[They had] wonderful gardens, vegetable and flower,” Reveley said. “It was really like a working farm.”

A photo, taken in the 1950s and published in Frazier’s book, shows Johnson and his wife in the rose garden, she in a pale gray suit and he in riding breeches, boots, shirt and tie and a straw fedora. According to his nieces, it was Johnson’s usual practice to go ride his horse, Commander, in the evenings after work. “He was a great horseman,” Reveley said.

Dinners at Brookside were formal. Meals, prepared by a cook who lived with her family on the property, were served on English Royal Crown Derby china.

Local architect Robert H. Garbee dined at Brookside once, in 1956. At the time, he was 26 years old and working for the firm of Pendleton S. Clark. The invitation came after a slide presentation he did for the Lynchburg and Hill City garden clubs about the gardens of Europe.

Afterward, Garbee was approached by Mrs. Stanhope Johnson. “[She] came over to me and said, ‘Mr. Garbee, if I had any idea this would be such an excellent program, I would have insisted Stanhope come with me.’”

Flattered, Garbee said he’d be happy to show Johnson the slides. A dinner invitation followed. “It was an extraordinary dinner,” Garbee said. “The first course was a slice of Crenshaw melon the color of which matched exactly the colors in the plate. … It was a very elegant dinner.”

Johnson’s public persona, like his dinner table, was formal. Brothers went so far as to say, “I think he was so formal that people were probably afraid of him,” but the Bond sisters saw another side of the architect at Brookside.

Brothers recalled his sense of humor. “He would tease me unmercifully,” she said. “I got a Christmas doll and he named her Sarah Kate. I thought that was the worst name. He hid Sarah Kate from me Christmas morning and my mother had to call him because I was just in tears. …

“He would kind of push our buttons a lot, but we always knew it was in good fun. And he was eager for us to learn new things and he was just very special.”

Reveley said her uncle would pay her as much as a quarter at the dinner table to eat with her right hand. “I was left-handed and it drove him crazy,” she said.

Bond-Gentry recalled sitting bareback atop Commander as a young child. “I thought it was amazing,” she said.

And then there was the time Johnson came home with a Shetland pony in the back seat of his car. “I was about six years old and they brought it home in Stanhope’s car,” Bond-Gentry said, referring to her father and Johnson. “In the old days, in the 50s, cars were big. They put it in the back seat.”

At the holidays, Johnson took his nieces and nephew to the Christmas party the Rotary Club threw for the children of its members. “He was gentle in that way, but again he had a very formal side to him,” Brothers said. “You wouldn’t say that he was cold, but he was formal. He was very particular about things and had his regular routine.”

One of these things was bed time—his own if no one else’s. “He had this thing where he would say, at about nine o’clock, [that] it was unbuttoning time, time to go to bed,” Bond-Gentry said. “He’d go into a room and say that and then he was going to bed. If everyone was still there, he’d say, ‘It’s unbuttoning time’ and he was gone.”

Reveley described her uncle as “fun to be around” and “always pleasant.” She also said he was humble, especially considering the architectural legacy he left Lynchburg. “[People] don’t realize how incredibly modest he was about all of it,” she said.

“He had an incredible practice, but never boasted or talked about anything in particular. He was just this kind of incredible Renaissance person: a great horticulturalist, horseman, architect. He was just really fascinating to be around.”

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Read All About It

Stanhope, Chronologically—written by Carolyn Gills Frazier—is available at Givens Books, the Farm Basket and Blackwell Press (new studio space is located on the lower level of 311 Rivermont Ave.) The book has a directory of Lynchburg commissions by address.

Carolyn would love to hear from readers on her website: stanhopejohnsonarchitect.com.

Father’s Café and Bakery Joins the Community Market Family

For Father’s Café and Bakery, May 18 was like a family reunion.

After a five-year hiatus, owner Ken Reed and his team re-opened their ovens in a new location inside the Lynchburg Community Market. The bakery serves fresh and handmade breads, muffins, pastries and gourmet donuts.

“Welcome to our little hole in the wall,” said Reed.

After Reed moved from the Catskills in upstate New York to Lynchburg in 2004, he opened his first Lynchburg bakery, Father’s Table, in Forest. On March 29, 2014, Reed closed that shop and pursued a career at Runk & Pratt.

When the well-known Lorraine Bakery closed in the Lynchburg Community Market late last year, Reed looked into the space. The previous manager of the market was a former customer of Father’s Table and encouraged Reed to recharge his former passions.

Reed described the celebration of his bakery’s rebrand and re-opening as “humbling.”

“I think we will do okay here, it’s a good location. The people at the market are wonderful,” said Reed.

For hours on that first opening day, hungry customers waited in line for baked goods like ciabatta bread, cinnamon rolls, muffins, crusty French bread, danishes and other Reed-designed creations.

“The reception of the vendors and the shoppers has been overwhelmingly positive. I really felt welcomed last weekend,” said Reed.

Through laughs, the 63-year-old said the experience almost made him emotional.

“A lot of our old customers have come and are so happy that we are in business again. … It’s like I had unfinished business,” said Reed.

Hannah Frazier is the manager at Father’s Café and Bakery and previously worked at Lorraine Bakery as a crepe maker. When she knew her time there was coming to a close, she approached Reed and asked to be a part of his work family.

“[Reed] is so great, he is so nice and he is so respectful. It’s really hard to keep him from giving everything away,” said Frazier.

One example of his generosity and connection with the community—Reed added challah (a special bread in the Jewish community) to the menu per request of a local rabbi so that those local congregations can properly observe the Sabbath. Reed also works hard to ensure his breads are primarily GMO-free—they also use cage-free eggs.

Frazier described their home in the community market as having “a special atmosphere” and said there’s not another place in Lynchburg like it. With over 45 diverse vendors, the market has been a fixture in the city for generations.

“Where else are you going to go in Lynchburg where there are all these farmers and all these artisans?” said Frazier.

Reed started baking when he was 15 years old. He studied at culinary school in New York and later baked for a Bible college and Christian conference center in upstate New York. When he’s not baking, he’s outside in his garden or fishing. He practiced taxidermy for 20 years and enjoys working with his hands.

“But—baking is my passion,” said Reed.

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By Lillian Abbatacola
Photos by Ashlee Glen

Unearthing stories and secrets at New London’s “Magnificent House”

In the decades before the American Revolution, New London, Virginia, was what 19th-century historian Henry Howe described as “a place of considerable importance.”

Then the county seat of Bedford County, New London boasted 70 to 80 homes, an arsenal and a magazine. There also was a court house, pictured in Howe’s book, Historical Collections of Virginia, as a rectangular wooden structure surrounded by a simple fence.

Across the road from the court house, on the present-day corner of Alum Springs and Town Fork roads, was Mead’s Tavern. It was built in 1763 for Col.

William Mead, a French and Indian War veteran, and his business partner Benjamin Howard.

Mead, who lived on a nearby plantation called Royal Forest, owned the tavern for 20 to 25 years, but never personally operated it. He and his family later moved to Georgia, where he died in 1805. The tavern that bears his name still stands, although it has traded hands and uses numerous times since then.

“[It’s] a remarkable survival from the colonial backcountry,” Dan Pezzoni, an architectural historian who’s been studying the tavern, said. “Historical, architectural and archaeological analysis is revealing and has the potential to reveal a wealth of information about everyday life in 18th-century New London, one of western Virginia’s most important colonial and early national communities.”

In the mid-18th century, the two-story, Georgian tavern would have been an unusual sight in what was then wilderness. “We take two-story buildings for granted today, but in the colonial backcountry, they were a rarity,” Pezzoni said.

“Even in Williamsburg, the colonial capital, many taverns were only a story and a half. William Mead’s business partner …
wasn’t exaggerating when he described the tavern as ‘a very Magnificent [sic] house.’”

The Mead’s Tavern research is sponsored by Liberty University. Liberty bought the tavern in 2015 and later purchased the Alum Springs Hotel, a 19th-century resort named for the nearby alum springs. The hotel, which sits a stone’s throw from the tavern, is thought to be on the site of the aforementioned arsenal.

Keith Adams, director of Hurt & Proffitt’s Archaeology and Material Conservation Labs, also is working on the project. He said the tavern could be the “oldest, still-standing structure in the region” and with its close proximity to the court house it “saw many events and people over the years.”

Numerous historic figures made appearances in New London, which sat along a popular route between the East Coast and the frontier. Various accounts provide a “who’s who” list of early visitors, among them Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Daniel Boone and George Rogers Clark.

Gen. Andrew Jackson, eventual seventh president, passed through in 1816, fresh off his victory at the Battle of New Orleans. According to “The Papers of Andrew Jackson: 1816-1820,” he and his family were en route from Washington, D.C., to their home in Nashville, Tennessee.

While at a tavern in New London—which tavern isn’t stated—Jackson was allegedly challenged to a duel by a local youth. A passage from “New London Today and Yesterday,” by local historian and educator Daisy I. Read, tells the story this way: Jackson was drinking hard cider with Col. Alexander Austin, a friend in New London, when they were approached by “Long Bill” Callaway who, as Read puts it, “had already had more than his share of cider.”

Callaway started an argument with “Old Hickory” and “made a remark to which the general took exception and was immediately challenged to a duel,” Read writes. “Knowing Jackson to be a sure shot, entirely sobered by this time, the young man spent a sleepless night; and it was only through the intervention of the youth’s father the facts were made known, the proper apologies were made by young Callaway and the duel called off. But there was a scared young Callaway!”

Donna Donald, history professor at Liberty and secretary for the Friends of New London, a nonprofit that works to preserve the town’s historic structures and share its history, didn’t dispute the entertainment value of the story. She did, however, question its veracity.

“The Andrew Jackson story might be just that,’ she said.

While Donald and others might question the stories that were passed down, there’s no denying the evidence left behind at the tavern. Artifacts discovered thus far have included, among other things, smoking pipes, ceramics, glassware, buttons, pins, thimbles, keys and gaming pieces.

Many items were found at the site of the tavern’s original front porch. Randy Lichtenberger, an archaeologist with Hurt & Proffitt, said a “dense deposit of artifacts”—he called it a “midden”—was found there beneath six inches of dirt.

Asked about the most exciting discoveries they’d made at Mead’s Tavern, his colleague Adams said, “I know most people think of objects as exciting, but as far as excitement, the idea of discovery, no matter what is being uncovered, is exciting to me.

“Finding archaeological evidence for the early 18th-century porch, after many weeks of carefully removing all the layers of 21st-, 20th- and late-19th-century debris that accumulated over roughly 250 years—that’s exciting.”

Adams added that the “historical sequence of porch configurations being revealed through the porch project will add greatly to our knowledge of the evolution of the structure as it changed over time to fit each new use.”

The focus of Liberty’s investment in New London is providing educational opportunities for its students. “President [Jerry] Falwell is really interested in history and he wants to have hands-on experience for our students,” Roger Schultz, dean of Liberty’s College of Arts and Sciences, said. “He seemed passionate about the potential for our history students.”

Students have assisted the architects and archaeologists at Mead’s Tavern as part of classes in public history, historic preservation and digital history.

Rachel Gilbert, who graduated from Liberty in May with a Master of Arts in Teaching degree, worked on the project for Introduction to Public History, a class she took for her undergraduate degree in Secondary Education-Social Studies.

In addition to compiling a “Chronology of New London” for the Friends of New London website, Gilbert worked as a tour guide for New London Day,
a fall festival that celebrates the history of New London. Last year’s event drew about 1,200 people. (See sidebar below for event information.)

“We gave tours of Mead’s Tavern all day, describing the historic uses of the building over its 250 years and how we know some of those things, based on records, archaeological finds and structural clues,” she said. “We had an amazing turnout.”

Schultz recalled one instance where a student found a piece of flintlock rifle.

“He was grinning ear to ear,” Schultz said. “He lit up; he was so excited.

The archaeologists working with us, they really enjoy working with the students. … It’s so interesting. The students just love it, especially when you have specialists who are so knowledgeable about what they’re doing.”

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Photos By Ashlee Glen

New Leadership Recharges CVCC’s Culinary Program

Photos by Ashlee glen

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Central Virginia Community College’s Culinary Arts program is not only teaching students how to be chefs, but it’s also landing them jobs in the real world—thanks to Mena Hughes, the program’s new director. Hughes, who has been teaching at CVCC for the past nine years, has certainly breathed new life into the program since taking over in August 2018, working hard to connect students with jobs as soon as they graduate.

Hughes is no stranger to the local restaurant industry, which means she has quite the impressive array of contacts. She’s worked for more than two decades in Lynchburg, including 11 years at T.C. Trotters (currently Brauburgers of Rivermont) and 12 years at Oakwood Country Club, where she was the executive sous chef and then became Vice President of Operations.

“Besides teaching classes, a large part of what I do involves placing my students in jobs,” Hughes says. “I know most restaurant owners and chefs in the area, which makes networking fairly easy. I get calls daily with needs for line cooks or pastry chefs, and we prepare students for those jobs.”

CVCC’s culinary program features a two-year curriculum that prepares students for moving into the culinary arts field. Classes include Principles of Culinary Arts, which teaches basics such as industry terminology and equipment; Principles of Baking; Plate Presentation; Sanitation and Safety; Nutrition for Food Service; Meat, Seafood, and Poultry Prep; Recipe and Menu Management; and Food Production Operations. According to Hughes, the students’ favorite classes include Principles of Baking and Plate Presentation—where students are taught intricate skills such as creating roses and other flowers out of tomato skins and fruits.

“For the most part, the first hour of class is spent in an actual classroom setting where we read chapters, have group discussions, and teachers share their real-life experiences,” Hughes says. “Then, we spend an hour in the kitchen where students work in teams and have a recipe to follow.”

At the beginning, Hughes explains the teacher will demonstrate while students work simultaneously. As students advance, they will begin to make recipes on their own while the teacher observes.

“A beginner dish would be chicken marsala that consists of chicken breast, sautéed mushrooms in an easy-to-make sauce, and red potatoes,” Hughes says. “An advanced, more elegant, meal would be a French veal chop with a demiglace, served with parmesan risotto and twice-baked cheesy potatoes.”

Each year, Hughes likes to take her students on a field trip that includes a tour of a local establishment. For example, last year they went to Westminster Canterbury, an assisted living community in Lynchburg, to see recent renovations with their food services. This year, they will tour The Virginian Hotel downtown.

“I would love to be able to take my students to a food show, such as MetroCooking DC,” Hughes says. “They have a ton of big-name chefs there, demonstrations, signings, and a lot of different vendors, so I think that would be a very unique experience.”

Hughes’ future plans with the program also include getting more involved with local high schools and setting up more boot camps so that students and teachers can visit CVCC and see demonstrations. She also would like to see advanced baking classes added to the program.

“A lot of my students have requested advanced baking classes,” Hughes says. “I think it would be very beneficial as there are so many new restaurants and bakeries in the area, so I see a need for that.”

Hughes is always looking to continue her education as well. Every once in a while, she visits France and takes a pastry class or two while there to learn new recipes and bring them back to her students.

There are currently 43 students in the program who range from recent high school graduates to adults going back to school in order to change career paths. One could even just take one or two classes if they’d like as long as there is an opening.

As far as student success stories go, there are many. One young woman opened up a food truck in Lynchburg upon graduating; another student became a chef on a cruise ship; one is now the restaurant manager of Small Batch Barbecue; another is a pastry chef at Westminster Canterbury. The possibilities available to students after they graduate are endless. Christopher Schulze plans to apply to work as a chef in the yachting industry, a resort, casino, or possibly overseas when he graduates from the program in just a few months.

“With a culinary degree, a lot of doors open for students in so many fields to choose from,” Schulze says. “I’m very excited to start my career. I’ve had so much fun with this program and the people I have met— I will always remember them and the fun times we have had making amazing dishes and bettering ourselves with skills to be the chefs of the future.”

Schulze says when he first learned of CVCC’s culinary program, he had to check it out. After walking through the kitchen and meeting the chefs, he felt that it was a perfect fit. He believes the instructors really care about their students and what they are teaching them, making sure they are giving students the experience necessary to further themselves out in the culinary world. In turn, Hughes loves that her students come to her with a hunger to learn.

“Most of my culinary students come to me with true passion, and that is something you can’t teach,” she says. “We can provide them with skills and experience, and we then make their passion a reality.”