Only two blocks long, and the smallest of Lynchburg’s seven historic districts, the Pierce Street Renaissance Districtis the only local historic district that is more notable because of the people who lived there rather than because of the architecture of the buildings.
The Pierce Street area was first settled in the 1850s but soon became a camp during the Civil War, followed by residential development after annexation by the City in 1870.The local district, established in 2005, was expanded in 2014 to include portions of the adjoining Buchanan and Fillmore Streets and is now on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Houses.
The mission of Pierce Street Gateway is: Pierce Street Gateway will preserve the historical significance of the Calloway Store as a cultural hub for the neighborhood. It will also attract visitors to the Pierce Street historic district by serving as an educational resource center.