Lynchburg’s White Rock Elementary School to Become Community Center

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – City leaders in Lynchburg are working to breathe new life into the historic White Rock Elementary School, which has sat vacant for two years.

Plans are underway to transform this century-old building into a vibrant community space that reflects the needs and values of the local community.

White Rock Elementary has been in the heart of Lynchburg since 1912 and has served a variety of purposes throughout its history. It was most recently home to the Lynchburg Community Action Group, but with their move, the building awaits a new chapter. City officials see this as an opportunity to engage the community in its transformation.

“It could be a community center, a place for entrepreneurs, a community kitchen. So the sky’s the limit right now,” says Anna Bentson, spokeswoman for the City of Lynchburg.

Bentson said the future of the school is now in the hands of the community and there is a strong desire for collaboration.

“This is an opportunity to really reimagine this space and for the community to come together and figure out what it will be,” Bentson said.

The city hired Work Program Architects to facilitate this process and ensure that community input played a central role in the planning stages.

The Lynchburg City Council has already allocated funding for the project, with a focus on designing a facility that will effectively serve the White Rock neighborhood.

“The project is to redesign this entire area; the school building itself, the cafeteria building next to it and the land including the playground in the back. So, basically, everything is ready to be redesigned,” Bentson said.

On Saturday, September 28, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the City of Lynchburg will hold the first of several community meetings at Diamond Hill Baptist Church. This event will provide residents with the opportunity to share their ideas, meet the project team and enjoy lunch while contributing to the vision for the future of their neighborhood.

Our goal is to make White Rock Elementary School more than just another building; it is to create a gathering place that serves the diverse needs and desires of the community.