434 Rivermont Ave

434 Rivermont Ave

Old Jones Memorial Library Building

1905

Frye and Chesterman; Steps and terraces designed by Bremer Pond

--

Library, School

Beaux Arts. Designed by Frye and Chesterman and built between 1905 and 1908 in the monumental Beaux Arts style, was an important addition to the city's literary and educational life, although it functioned as a private library for public use for most of its history. Reflecting its benefactor's hopes that it be an "temple of learning", the library featured elaborate stained-glass windows, representing the "9 grand devisions of human expression". Planned for a capacity of 50,000 books, it also contained children's rooms, open and closed stacks, as well as periodical and magazine rooms. The series of steps and terraces was designed by Boston landscape architect Bremer Pond and was added in 1924. The Jones Memorial Library is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The library was a gift to Lynchburg from Mrs. George M. Jones in memory of her husband. Originally, there was a bronze statue of George Morgan Jones on a landing. This statue is no longer there, and an identical one stood at Randolph College until its removal in 2017. This statue shows Jones in the uniform of a Confederate general, although he actually served as a cook in that army. Jones was an industrialist and philanthropist. He was instrumental in the establishment of Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Jones was also an organizer of the Rivermont Company that planned the, then, new community along the avenue. The library stands near the second mansion built by the Joneses at 456 Rivermont. The Jones Library moved in the 1980s and the building was used by the Patrick Henry Institute. Accordign to the Lynchburg City Directory, during that era there were various entities associated with the building: Patrick Henry Institute (2000-2005), Christ College (2002-2007), Reformed Episcopal Church (2002-2003), Pactum Boy's Academy (2005-2014), and Providence Church (2006-2014). The current Jones Library opened in 1987 at 2311 Memorial Avenue where it specializes in Lynchburg and Virginia genealogy and history. The building on Rivermont is in terrible disrepair and is currently empty.