
6 February 2012- The partial collapse of one Lynchburg’s two remaining Civil War hospital buildings on the evening of January 30th has caused a flurry of activity in Lynchburg’s history and historic preservation community. The City of Lynchburg’s somewhat urgent announcement via Facebook on the afternoon of February 1st stating that, “a vacant six-story warehouse located at 612 Dunbar Drive collapsed earlier today,” was a bit of an exaggeration. Indeed, two bays of the rear of the 20,000+ square-foot building collapsed, which is not surprising due to the significant deterioration of the masonry on that elevation, which has been in need of proper repointing, selective brick replacement, and adequate gutters for years. That being said, the building is still standing, and the most significant deterioration appears to be limited to the rear elevation. The building is currently being evaluated by the owner, structural engineers, and the City of Lynchburg Building Official. While early reports suggested that demolition was imminent, the fate of the building has not been made public as of the writing of this brief.
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