Preserving Civil War history in Lynchburg

The collapse of a Civil War-era tobacco warehouse on Dunbar Drive has thrust a spotlight on another Lynchburg building — which now stands as the city's sole surviving warehouse-turned-war-hospital.

"It's sad," said Crystal Morris, of family-owned Morris Construction, which occupies what historians refer to as the Knight Building. "This is the last one."

During the Civil War, dozens of Lynchburg buildings were converted into hospitals to care for the wounded pouring in from battlefields.

The Knight Building, named for tobacconist John P. Knight, was called into service along with its neighbor across the street, known as the Miller Building.

Together, the two structures witnessed the deaths of more than 200 soldiers.

Once the war was over and Lynchburg's tobacco industry waned, the old warehouses slowly disappeared from the city's landscape.

Of the 19 tobacco warehouses pressed into wartime service, only the Knight and Miller buildings were still standing before Monday night, when the back wall of the Miller Building collapsed.

"My phone has been ringing off the hook," said Lynchburg building official Doug Saunders, who oversees the property inspections division. "Let's just say something like this does not happen every day."

The collapse — which ripped open a gaping hole in the circa-1845 structure — likely was the result of deterioration and weather damage, city officials said.

No one was injured by the collapse. The four-story building has been vacant for years, although workers were inside about two weeks ago fixing broken windows that had sparked complaints.

Harold Gibson, whose family has owned the building since 1999, said he was grateful no one was hurt.

"That's our major concern right now is safety," he said. "We will do whatever it takes."

Saunders said the Gibsons have been cooperative and share the city's desire to address safety hazards as soon as possible.

"Our only concern is public safety," he said. "We can't let this drag out. Something has to happen soon."

The Miller Building is roped off by yellow caution tape and the street in front is closed. On Thursday, the owners sent out a structural engineer to inspect the damage and decide what, if any, parts of the building could be salvaged.

The engineer did not immediately announce any conclusions. Gibson said he was not sure if they would try to save the building or proceed with a complete teardown.

"It's too early to talk about what might happen," he said. "I just would not want to lead anyone astray."

On Thursday, a stream of history buffs, engineering enthusiasts and just plain curious folk filed past the property, surveying the damage, taking pictures and sometimes asking officials for a souvenir brick.

Onlookers could be seen walking under the caution tape without hesitation. At some point, someone stole a historical marker on the building that had been presented by the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The Lynchburg Police Department will closely monitor the property until the situation is resolved, officials said.

The Civil War Trails program counts the Knight and Miller buildings among its attractions and has a marker there.

When Crystal and Steve Morris bought the four-story Knight Building in 1997, it was vacant, run down and filled with long-abandoned junk.

The building needed an enormous amount of work. The night after they agreed to buy it, Steve Morris said, he woke up in a panic, wondering what he had done.

Today, historic restoration is a specialty of Morris Construction.

"We reworked the roof, repointed the brick, put steel supports in where we thought it was weak, fixed every window," he said. "It's been a lot of work, but we wanted to preserve it."

The upper levels of the warehouse have their original floors, beams and, in some cases, windowpanes. The Morris family has opened it in the past for historic re-enactments.

"One neat thing about this building is, every five or six months, the doorbell will ring and it will be someone who traced their ancestor back to the war and back to here," said Crystal Morris, adding they always are happy to let people upstairs to see the old hospital rooms.

"It seems to help them make a real connection," she said. "To be where their ancestors were."

The Morrises found themselves pulled into the history of the building as they became immersed in its restoration. They can talk knowledgably about tobacco operations and the life of Jack Carroll, Lynchburg's first millionaire, who bought the warehouse to make his Lone Jack brand tobacco.

The couple met a descendent of Carroll's completely by happenstance — they were at Duke University on the same day to research the history of Lone Jack, bought by James "Buck" Duke after Carroll's death.

Duke's archives still contain fiery letters exchanged by the one-time competitors.

"It got heated," Steve Morris said. " 'Scoundrel.' 'Scallywag.' 'You are the lowest.' They really got into it."

At one point, Morris' wife admonished him to talk more about the history of the building rather than tobacco.

"Well, the building is about tobacco," he said.

Crystal Morris said they want to get the building registered as a state and national historic landmark. These days, they feel added responsibility to maintain the building's historical integrity.

"We want to see it kept as it was," she said. "Especially with it being the last one now."