This is the old Calloway Store, on Pierce Street in Lynchburg. Just down from Anne Spencer's house. Let me give you a little history about Pierce Street:
"Pierce Street was first settled in the 1850s. During the Civil War, the area was the site of the Confederate Camp Davis which served as a military hospital as well as a gathering point for recruits from the state of Virginia.
During Reconstruction, the abandoned barracks were converted to housing for Federal soldiers, a freedmen’s school, and a black Methodist church. The area was annexed into Lynchburg in 1870." (Taken from the Anne Spencer website)
The Calloway Store was one of the first African-American owned grocery stores, built in 1877.
Some historical info on the store:
"William J. Calloway purchased Camp Davis land in 1877 from William and Fannie Ford and built a neighborhood general store with living quarters upstairs for his wife, Rebecca Pride Calloway, and himself. The owners of the store and occupants of the upstairs apartments have evolved through the ensuing 150 years.
The store was one of the first minority owned and operated stores in Lynchburg.
The sequence of names of the store has been:
1877 Calloway Store
1900 Calloway and Spencer, “Dealers in Plain and Fancy Groceries, Country Produce, Tobacco and Cigars”
1912 Spencer’s Grocery
1940 Hamilton’s Cash Store
1968 Pierce Street Grocery Store" (Taken from the Anne Spencer website)
The Spencer family is currently restoring the store and the upstairs apartment. Read more about this historical neighborhood HERE
Now my randoms:
1) I switched out my morning coffee for espresso this week. I needed an extra kick.
2) Flipping through the tv channels last night, I stopped on My Big Fat American-Gypsy wedding. I noticed that part of it is filmed in Lynchburg and they say there is a small population of Roma Gypsies in Lynchburg. Who knew? I really don't understand what the gypsies are though yet. Then that show was followed by "Gypsy Sisters". It's like a Jersey Shore but with Gypsies. The 2 shows are somehow related to each other. I kind of liked them though. I'll probably watch again.
3) Speaking of Gypsies, when I was a kid I dressed as a Gypsie for Halloween twice. My mom had a huge collection of square dance dresses. One was "gypsy-ish" and I loved that I could wear tons of make-up and big hoop earrings! I didn't really know what a Gypsy was back then either, but seems to me I had the look down!
4) Is the word "Gypsy" supposed to be capitolized?
5) Baseball doubleheader tomorrow. Finally some baseball! We haven't had a chance to play since they don't schedule anything over spring break, then our first game back got rained out. Looking forward to it! Sunny and 70, perfect baseball weather!
Have a great weekend :)
