Lynchburg remembers King visit

Martin Luther King, Jr. had lunch at the Church of the Covenant’s Lodge of the Fisherman on March 27th 1962, before speaking at E.C. Glass High School.

Dolly Cardwell looks through acticles from the News and Advance about his visit to Lynchburg.

“It’s a very special feeling to know that he’s part of the history of this building and this mission really,“ said Cardwell.

Church of the Covenant was one of the few integrated churches in Lynchburg in 1962. And the Lodge was one of the only places black and white leaders could sit down together and enjoy a meal.

“It was wonderful to have the opportunity to be a place where Dr. King and those who were traveling with him could come and be welcome in this city and served a meal,“ said Church of the Covenant Pastor David Edwards.

Cardwell said, “It was really a concentrated meeting of the Lynchburg leaders who were tyring to find, you know, ways to help our community.“

According to Cardwell, the church doesn’t know a lot about that visit, not even where Dr. King sat. The former pastor of the Church of the Covenant served the group, but Cardwell says the details were never recorded. Now she’s trying to find people who can fill in the blanks.

“The ones who’s names I remember have passed on and so I’m hoping that I will be able to come up with who I need to talk to, maybe somone who was here that day,“ Cardwell said.

And can shed light on an historic visit.

King stopped in Lynchburg on his way to Danville.

In his speech at E.C. Glass High School, he encouraged the African-American community to continue sit-in’s and nonviolent protests against segregation.