Downtown Lynchburg Loft Tour proceeds to benefit Free Clinic
Lynchburg News and Advance
Wednesday, February 21, 2007Nine area lofts will open their doors to the public this weekend to raise money for the Free Clinic of Central Virginia. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, lofts on Jefferson, Church, Commerce, Main and 13th streets will be open for the third annual Downtown Lynchburg Loft Tour.
“I had seen one done by a free clinic in St. Louis, Missouri,” says Bob Barlow, executive director of the Free Clinic, who organized the event three years ago. “It’s a way to raise money. We’re a nonprofit. We’re downtown, and we want to promote downtown.”
Of the nine lofts on the tour, two are repeats from last year “because they were considered the two most spectacular,” he says.
Those are the Borel loft on Commerce Street and the Beeswax Candle Company loft on 13th Street.
Last year’s tour drew about 375 people, and Barlow says the goal for this year is between 450 and 500 people.
“The interest is just multiplying as the number of lofts multiply,” he says.
The proceeds of the tour go to the Free Clinic’s operating budget “to provide free medical, dental and pharmaceutical to our clients,” Barlow says.
Since opening in 1987, the clinic, currently located on Main Street, has served more than 12,000 people. About 26 percent of its funding comes from the United Way of Central Virginia, and the rest comes from donations from individuals, businesses, churches and civic organizations. The clinic has a small paid staff, but most of the services are provided by physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, pharmacists and other medical professionals who volunteer their time.
The lofts included on this year’s tour are:
• Beeswax Candle Company Loft, 109 13th St.
The company occupies this two-story loft, which takes up about 2,400 square feet. It was originally an alley between Commerce and Main streets. Now, the first floor is used as gallery space for artisans, and the second floor is where the candles are poured by hand. The space features hardwood floors, skylights, brick walls and massive ceiling beams.
• Eric & Toby Spain Loft, 521 Church St.
There will be one or two lofts open in this building, owned by Eric and Toby Spain. Originally built in 1881, the building has been known for most of its existence as Churchland Apartments. Thomas Road Baptist Church owned the building prior to that, using it as a storage facility. It was renovated in 2006, and apartments are currently available for between $450 and $795 a month, depending on the unit’s size. Decorating of individual units is done by the owners.
• Branch/Adams-Doolittle Loft, 1016 Church St.
This 1,100-square-foot loft is full of interesting features: cork countertops, an office desk that has been transformed into a kitchen island, a tongue-in-cheek “Night Deposit” guest-bathroom door, and oversized windows with beautiful views of downtown Lynchburg. Much of the design and décor has been created using architectural salvage items.
• Kelley/Wilkins House, 1308 Church St.
Originally built in the 1870s, this building originally sat adjacent to Moore’s Folly, built by tobacconist Maurice Moore in 1869 (the extreme steepness of the building site gave the home its name).
The Carriage House shares an Italianate-style courtyard with the main building, and the remnants of Moore’s terraced gardens remain in the back of the lot. Inside, there are two main living floors with central open risers that total 960 square feet. It was renovated in 1995 by Eugene Palladino.
• Hunley Loft, 720 Commerce St.
This loft is located inside the Buzzard’s Roost Building, which is named for an old Lynchburg red light district. It has a wide-open two-story floor plan, with high ceilings, two skylights, expansive windows and a spiral staircase leading to the second floor. The cabinetry in the kitchen is made up of beaded wainscoting salvaged from the ceilings of the original warehouse, and the arched brick window casings mirror the exterior facades of the building.
• Borel Loft, 1102 Commerce St.
Over the years, this space has been used for many things. In the 1800s, the 15,000-square-foot building was a wagon factory and later was home to the Eastern Electric Company.
The loft, which was featured in House and Garden Magazine in 2005, occupies about 1,800 square feet. It has three bedrooms, two baths, an office and a large, open space that serves as a kitchen, dining and living area. There’s also a five-car garage and a gym in the basement, which used to serve as a loading dock for previous owners.
• Edwards Sikkema Associates Loft, Riverviews Artspace, 901 Jefferson St.
The 570-square-foot studio is divided up by railroad sleeper car doors and a California gold rush leaded glass transom. It’s decorated with a mix of modern art and eclectic antique, Pacific Rim and contemporary American pieces. There are also mirrors in the living area and workspace that reflect the river bluffs.
• Doran Loft, Riverviews Artspace, 901 Jefferson St.
At 540 square feet, this loft has refinished pine and maple floors that reflect the natural light of the space. The loft has only one window, a colorful hanging divider and a rolling closet. The living/dining area is quaint but inviting.
• City Market Loft, Model Apartment #308,
1301 Main St.
This building, which is owned and being renovated by Landmark Assets and Services Inc., originally served as a tobacco warehouse for many years before it fell into non-use. It and the two neighboring buildings, formerly Piggly-Wiggly and James T. Davis Paint Store, will eventually include up to 59 units, with rents ranging between $725 and $1,100, depending on the unit’s size. The model unit was decorated by HOME-Whittaker Designs of Winston-Salem, N.C.
IF YOU'RE GOING:
WHAT: Third Annual Downtown Lynchburg Loft Tour
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday (Inclement weather date is March 3)
WHERE: Downtown Lynchburg
TICKETS: $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the tour.
INFO: (434) 847-5866
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