Two Loft Owners are Ready to Restore Downtown’s Historical Spaces
By: Megan Williams | Photos by: Ashlee Glen
For so many, Lynchburg is a place of promise. Its varied terrain, historical charm, and quaint communities are what attract so many to the Hill City year after year—including Allyssa Martinez and Scott Campbell.
“In August 2021, we sold our home in Utah, packed everything into a storage unit and, with our dog Bear, set off on the journey to find our new home, which ultimately led to us finding Lynchburg and falling in love with the city,” said Martinez. “ We especially loved the downtown and the history which it told. It was an ideal location being close to so much culture, art, entertainment, food, and recreation. The downtown is something out of a story book.”
Martinez and Campbell fell in love with our small city on the river.
“The stone curbs and sidewalks, with historical brick sidewalks lining the neighborhoods surrounding the downtown—Lynchburg is definitely a hidden gem,” she continued.
“We were walking downtown and it’s what sold us on Lynchburg,” Campbell added. “We looked everywhere—Forest, Boonsboro, Madison Heights—but it wasn’t downtown.”
Martinez and Campbell had been looking at many different cities around the country for their next home, going so far as putting areas into a spreadsheet with specific criteria they needed a location to meet before it could be considered “home.” In short, Lynchburg checked all the boxes.
Martinez and Campbell lived in Airbnbs and short-term apartment rentals before finding the right home. And, it turned out, the right home wasn’t a traditional home at all, but a 7,200-square-feet circa 1911 men’s clothing store.
“We purchased it in December 2021 and have lived in it as we did the remodeling,” Martinez explained. “Living in the space has really allowed us to experience how the building and space
works and make improvements and repairs where necessary.”
The former S.H. Franklin building, located on Main Street, was one of two men’s clothiers in downtown Lynchburg in the early 1900s. According to Martinez and Campbell, it was the place to go if you wanted high-end fashion and business attire. The building itself was constructed for the clothing store, with art deco style display windows and heart pine wood floors. S.H. Franklin occupied the building until the 1980s and then the first floor was converted to office space, with the S.H. Franklin display tables used as desks.
In 2004, Jim Tracey and John Seminatore purchased the building.
“They wanted to preserve its history and bring it back to life as a working art studio (921 Fine Art),” said Martinez. “They converted the third floor into a two-bedroom loft apartment while bringing the structure up to modern codes. A large portion of the roof was opened up to make a comfortable living space that brought in an abundance of natural light into an area that was void of light. The completed renovations made for a great live-work downtown location.”
In 2021, when Martinez and Campbell purchased the building, with much of the modernization work completed by the previous owners, they had the luxury of truly making the space their own.
“We wanted to bring out the history and the amazing craftsmanship of the building,” Martinez said. “The third-floor storage space was converted into a living space in 2004, however it was missing an outdoor space. The rooftop deck was one of the main changes that we felt needed to be made to make this place a home. This project has been the most involved, as it is constantly adjusting as we start to use the space.”
Martinez and Campbell hope to expand their rooftop herb garden—which benefits from sweeping views of the city—as well as adding more seating areas.
While the Main Street building may not be Martinez and Campbell’s forever-home, they are reveling in the process of maximizing the full potential of the building, including preparing the lower floors to be available for commercial lease.
“I love things like this,” said Campbell, who is a retired Marine with a background in electronics and engineering. “Owning a commercial building is very niche. Commercial is a different animal, and it can, understandably, feel intimidating. But there is so much potential in downtown Lynchburg—it’ll take just the right people and right investors to make it what it could be.”
Campbell and Martinez share an interest and passion in the promise of Lynchburg, specifically its downtown.
“We really enjoy living in downtown Lynchburg and we are looking forward to finding the right use for this amazing building so it can be a real asset to the businesses and culture downtown,” Martinez furthered. “This may possibly lead to us finding another project here in downtown. We feel there are a lot of underappreciated historical buildings that need a lot of TLC. We want to be a small part of preserving the historic downtown.”
When asked what types of businesses they hope move into their lower two floors, Campbell says it’s more about the people behind the businesses.
“We need people [downtown] who are passionate about what they do and passionate about providing a service and a value, not someone who wants to come in and just make money,” he said. “I think of downtown Lynchburg like an outdoor mall—it’s what all these other subdivisions are trying to be. Of course, it’s going to take a lot of work from the city and investors to bring it up to that. I’m trying to connect and network and get to know people in the city, so they get to know me and know that we’re champions for downtown.”
Whether it’s casting a vision for their loft and making the most of their 130-foot-long living space or setting broader sights on downtown Lynchburg as a whole, Martinez and Campbell are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work—and the spaces they leave will be all the more beautiful for it.
