Lynchburg Neighborhood
by Billy Hansen
A podcast about the Lynchburg neighborhood, its people, and its history. By getting to know our neighbors and hearing their stories, we can feel more connected to this place. By learning this area's backstory, we can better understand how Lynchburg works, how it has changed, and where it may be headed. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Episodes
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Episode 34: Ted Delaney + Local History
"Local history is my love language," says Ted Delaney. I've never met anyone in town that loves local history more than Ted so I sat down with him at Point of Honor this summer to talk history ahead of America's 250. In this conversation, we discuss the joys of discovering and uncovering history...
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Episode 33: Henry Fulcher - The Voice of Farmville
For 69 years and counting, 87-year-old Henry Fulcher has been telling stories and playing music on the radio. Starting out in 1956 at WFLO, Henry has been a consistent presence on local radio for seven decades and is known to many as The Voice of Farmville. More than anything else, Henry wanted…
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Episode 32: Charlie Layne - The Man with the Roses
In this conversation from Summer 2024, I talked with my 94-year old neighbor Charlie Layne about growing up in Lynchburg in the 1930s and 40s, serving in the Navy, working in the family printing business, falling in love, caring for a family, dealing with loss, leaving a legacy, and tending…
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Episode 31: Let's Skip the Bull with Daryl Calfee
In this episode, I get a chance to sit down with my dear friend Daryl Calfee to discuss his newly released book "Let's Skip the Bull: Lessons from Dad After Your Mom Died" and talk about life, death, grief, creativity, and love. To learn more about Daryl, check out his website here. To buy his…
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Episode 30: Noland Skinner + The Country Store
In this episode, I sit down with 92-year-old Noland Skinner on his front porch on the Fourth of July to hear about what it was like in the old days, growing up in a country store during the Depression, boxing on Navy ships in the Pacific during World War II, going out dancing all the way into his...
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Episode 29: Funeral Flowers + The Last Round
In this episode, we have a special guest appearance from the Farmer of Mimosa Hill to talk funeral flowers before we hear the story of The Last Round, which was first told fifteen years ago at my father's funeral. A written version of that story can be found here. If you enjoyed this episode…
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Episode 28: HopeX + The Story of Two Boys
The story of how two boys born 50 years apart became dear friends. This story was told live at the HopeX storytelling event at the Academy Center of the Arts in downtown Lynchburg in March 2024. Find out more about Lynchburg Beacon of Hope here. If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or…
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Episode 27: Laura Hamilton + Beacon of Hope
In this conversation with Laura Hamilton, we learn what it was like growing up as a city manager's kid, how she got from Nebraska to Virginia, her public policy work in the Clinton administration right out of college, her work as executive director of Lynchburg Beacon Of Hope, the backstory on...
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Episode 26: Deb Smith + Jones Memorial Library
"Library history is community history." In this conversation with Deb Smith, we learn about her work as executive director of the Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, Virginia, take a deep dive into the library's founding, early history, and the characters that shaped what it became, and explore...
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Episode 25: Beau Wright
In this conversation with Beau Wright, we talk about his experience on Lynchburg City Council, how he thinks through the challenges facing Lynchburg, where he sees opportunities, why he is running again for an at-large seat, and reflections on his time in the White House. Find out more about…
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Episode 24: Shelley Blades + Lynchburg Grows
In this episode, I sit down with Shelley Blades, the farm manager and executive director of Lynchburg Grows, to hear the story of their farm and the work that they do. Lynchburg Grows has taken an abandoned, seven-acre rose farm right in the middle of our city and transformed it into a thriving...
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Episode 23: Walter Virgil Jr.
"The best stories are the truth. The best stories are accounts of what really happened. There's no better setup or crescendo than what really happened." - Walter Virgil Jr. on the power of honesty and authenticity in storytelling. In this conversation with Walter Virgil Jr., we talk about his...
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Episode 22: Kim Payne + Local Government
In this episode, I sit down with former Lynchburg city manager Kim Payne to talk about his early childhood years growing up here, his life in local government, downtown revitalization, what makes a good city council member, and how things get done in our city. If you enjoyed this episode, want to...
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Episode 21: Aubrey Barbour on Tinbridge Hill
Born in 1938, Aubrey "Chub" Barbour has lived in the Tinbridge Hill neighborhood his entire life. In this conversation, Mr. Barbour shares about the rich history of his neighborhood, what it was like to grow up on Polk Street, his early love of music, his 42 years as the supervisor of the Yoder...
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Episode 20: Searching for the Mighty Mites
In 1948, J.P. Vaughan and the rest of the Lynchburg Mighty Mites sandlot football team headed to Philadelphia to play in the Pop Warner National Championship. Some players remembered seeing a film crew at the game, but the footage was lost to history. For the next 70 years, their memories, a few...
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Episode 19: John Abell on Redlining
In this conversation, John Abell, Professor of Economics at Randolph College, teaches us about the history of redlining in Lynchburg. John also shares with us about his career in academia and how his Randolph students sparked his research on local food deserts. Visit John's website to connect…
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Episode 18: Reid Wodicka
In this conversation with Reid Wodicka, the Deputy City Manager for the City of Lynchburg, we discuss how a class at E.C. Glass High School sparked Reid's career in local government, what a typical day is like at City Hall, and how the City of Lynchburg is working to address affordable housing.…
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Episode 17: Take Me Out To The Ballgame
Baseball has been put on hold for a little while at every level from Little League to the Majors. This episode is a love letter to baseball and a deep dive into Minor League baseball right here in Lynchburg, Virginia. Baseball fans can't help but enjoy all the fun that goes on at a Lynchburg...
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Episode 16: Rodney Ferguson
In my conversation with Rodney Ferguson, we talk about growing up in downtown Lynchburg in the 1950s and 60s, the closing of the pools in the Summer of 1961 and swimming in the first integrated pool at Camp Kum-Ba-Yah, the integration of Lynchburg City Schools, and what it's really like to own…
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Episode 15: Checking In from Mimosa Hill
As everyone in the Lynchburg Neighborhood adjust to a new normal, we wanted to check in with all of you from here at Mimosa Hill. If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a...
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Episode 14: Anne Spencer
Anne Spencer was a Harlem Renaissance poet who lived right here in Lynchburg, Virginia at 1313 Pierce Street from 1903 to 1975. In that home, Anne raised a family, tended a garden, wrote poetry on the walls and in her writing cottage, and hosted some of the greatest African American thinkers,...
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Episode 13: Dr. Owen Cardwell, Jr.
In January 1962, Owen Cardwell, Jr. and Lynda Woodruff desegregated E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Virginia. Dr. Owen Cardwell, Jr. is a pastor, a Civil Rights advocate, and the Rosel Schewel Distinguished Chair in Education and Director of the Center for Education and Leadership at the...
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Episode 12: Jane McCraw + Nostalgia
Every place has a history. A few years ago, an unexpected knock on the door let us in on the history of Mimosa Hill and introduced us to the family that lived there for nearly 100 years. Join me for a walk down memory lane through Lynchburg of old with Jane McCraw. If you enjoyed this episode…
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Episode 11: Joe Stinnett + Local Journalism
Meet Joe Stinnett, a longtime newspaperman here in Lynchburg, Virginia. In our conversation, we talk about journalism, how the news gets made, Joe's career as a reporter and editor, and the history of our local newspaper. If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to…
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Episode 10: The Magician Lawyer
Meet Bill Harris, a local lawyer and magician. In our conversation, we talk about Bill's lifelong love of magic, his artwork, and his friendship with Bev Cosby. While many of our recent episodes have been about big, systemic issues in our community, this is a smaller, more personal conversation...
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Episode 9: Who is Bev Cosby? (with Pastor Dan Harrison)
As I explore my neighborhood, one name keeps coming up over and over again: Bev Cosby. To get to know this neighbor that so many in our community love and appreciate, I sit down with Dan Harrison, the pastor of Church of the Covenant in Lynchburg, Virginia, to learn about Bev's life, his faith…
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Episode 8: Kristen Nolen + Miriam's House
Meet Kristen Nolen, the Director of Housing Services at Miriam's House in Lynchburg, Virginia. In our conversation, we discuss the work of Miriam's House and their goal to end homelessness in our community. Find out more about Miriam's House here. If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or...
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Episode 7: Judy Brooks + Homeless Students
Meet Judy Brooks, the advocate for Lynchburg's homeless students. In our conversation, we discuss her work with homeless students within the city school system and how student homelessness relates to other housing issues in our community. If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a…
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Episode 6: Jeremy White + Eviction
Meet Jeremy White, the managing attorney of Virginia Legal Aid Society in Lynchburg, Virginia. In our conversation, we discuss the work of Legal Aid, eviction, and other housing issues in our community. Find out more about Virginia Legal Aid Society here. If you enjoyed this episode, want to...
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Episode 5: The Waiting List
Meet Dawn Fagan, the executive director of the Lynchburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority. In our conversation, we discuss affordable housing, government housing programs, and why there are waiting lists for housing in our city. Find out more about the Lynchburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority...
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Episode 4: Daryl Calfee + Old Wisdom
Meet Daryl Calfee, VP of Marketing at Moore & Giles here in Lynchburg, Virginia. In our conversation, Daryl and I discuss his work, his real estate projects, his mentors, and our shared search for old wisdom. Find him online here. If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story...
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Episode 3: The Mighty Mites
In the 1940s, a group of boys from Lynchburg, Virginia came together to play sandlot football at Miller Park. Led by their inspiring coach, the team went from playing local games in Lynchburg all the way to the Pop Warner National Championship in Philadelphia in 1948. Here's the story of that…
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Episode 2: Lowell Milton
Since 1957, Lowell Milton has been shaping real estate in the Lynchburg area as an appraiser, broker, investor, and developer. Let this story of an honest real estate man encourage you in your pursuit of long-term success and mastery of your craft. If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or...
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Episode 1: J.P. Vaughan
What does it mean to live a good life? What does a truly successful life look like? In this first episode of the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast, we meet J.P. Vaughan. Hear about his time as a Player, Coach, Realtor, Sales Manager, President, TV Show Host, and Teacher. The Real Estate Coach is the...
About this show
A podcast about the Lynchburg neighborhood, its people, and its history. By getting to know our neighbors and hearing their stories, we can feel more connected to this place. By learning this area's backstory, we can better understand how Lynchburg works, how it has changed, and where it may be headed. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Hosted by
Billy Hansen