The Craddock Terry Hotel
History
By the mid-1800s Lynchburg was a thriving center for manufacturing, trade, and shipping companies in the United States. Two of the main industries were tobacco and shoe manufacturing, including the Craddock-Terry Shoe Corporation.
At its peak, the Craddock-Terry Shoe Corporation was the fifth largest shoe company in the world.
World War II had Lynchburg's factories running around the clock and businesses were able continue to modernize. Then in the 1950s, Lynchburg evolved from a manufacturing city to one with a diverse economy as a variety of businesses, including financial, pharmaceuticals, and cellular communications.
Recently, the city has being to revitalize the downtown and riverfront area. The new Bluffwalk Center with a hotel and conference center, retail space, restaurants, entertainment venues, and a new City Hall is the centerpiece of this plan. The Craddock Terry Hotel, housed in what was once the Craddock-Terry Shoe factory and a tobacco storage warehouse, is one of the cornerstones of the revitalization project.
