Lynchburg Neighborhood

In this episode, I sit down with 92-year-old Noland Skinner on his front porch on the Fourth of July to hear about what it was like in the old days, growing up in a country store during the Depression, boxing on Navy ships in the Pacific during World War II, going out dancing all the way into his nineties, and much more. 

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.

In this episode, we have a special guest appearance from the Farmer of Mimosa Hill to talk funeral flowers before we hear the story of The Last Round, which was first told fifteen years ago at my father's funeral. A written version of that story can be found here.

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.

The story of how two boys born 50 years apart became dear friends. This story was told live at the HopeX storytelling event at the Academy Center of the Arts in downtown Lynchburg in March 2024. Find out more about Lynchburg Beacon of Hope here.

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.

In this conversation with Laura Hamilton, we learn what it was like growing up as a city manager's kid, how she got from Nebraska to Virginia, her public policy work in the Clinton administration right out of college, her work as executive director of Lynchburg Beacon Of Hope, the backstory on their HopeX storytelling event, and a deep dive into Beacon's history and their ambitious mission to provide support, opportunity, and hope to students of all ages in our community. Find out more about the Beacon of Hope here.

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.

"Library history is community history." 

In this conversation with Deb Smith, we learn about her work as executive director of the Jones Memorial Library in Lynchburg, Virginia, take a deep dive into the library's founding, early history, and the characters that shaped what it became, and explore the important discoveries still being made in the Jones archives to this day. Find out more about the Jones Memorial Library here.

Note: Being the excellent librarian and researcher that she is, Deb reached out shortly after the interview to let me know that the architects that designed the original Jones Memorial Library on Rivermont Avenue were Frye & Chesterman. 

Cover Image: Front Cover Seth Woodroof Account Book MS 1047

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.

In this conversation with Beau Wright, we talk about his experience on Lynchburg City Council, how he thinks through the challenges facing Lynchburg, where he sees opportunities, why he is running again for an at-large seat, and reflections on his time in the White House.  Find out more about Beau's campaign and work on council here.

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.

In this episode, I sit down with Shelley Blades, the farm manager and executive director of Lynchburg Grows, to hear the story of their farm and the work that they do. Lynchburg Grows has taken an abandoned, seven-acre rose farm right in the middle of our city and transformed it into a thriving urban farm with a mission to provide access to fresh, local produce and purposeful jobs to individuals with disabilities.  In our conversation, we talk about how Shelley ended up in farming and in Lynchburg, the people who have helped her along the way, her fondness for radishes, what she's noticed from tending the same soil for several seasons, and what she loves about the work. Visit Lynchburg Grow's website to find out how to connect, volunteer, or support their work.

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.

"The best stories are the truth. The best stories are accounts of what really happened. There's no better setup or crescendo than what really happened." - Walter Virgil Jr. on the power of honesty and authenticity in storytelling. 

In this conversation with Walter Virgil Jr., we talk about his childhood growing up in New Jersey, how he made it to Lynchburg, Virginia, the work that he is doing in our community, how his story has shaped his outlook and his mission, and what he is seeing in our city that makes him hopeful. Find out more about Walter's work here. 

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.

In this episode, I sit down with former Lynchburg city manager Kim Payne to talk about his early childhood years growing up here, his life in local government, downtown revitalization, what makes a good city council member, and how things get done in our city. 

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.

Born in 1938, Aubrey "Chub" Barbour has lived in the Tinbridge Hill neighborhood his entire life. In this conversation, Mr. Barbour shares about the rich history of his neighborhood, what it was like to grow up on Polk Street, his early love of music, his 42 years as the supervisor of the Yoder Center, and his diligent work in the Tinbridge Hill community garden providing fresh produce to his neighbors. 

If you enjoyed this episode, want to connect, or have a good story to share, reach out to me on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram @billyhansenmai. Billy Hansen is a commercial real estate broker, appraiser, writer, and teacher living in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Thank you for listening to the Lynchburg Neighborhood podcast. If you enjoy listening to this podcast, please leave a review and share with friends. Visit us at the Lynchburg Neighborhood Podcast

Music by: Ryan Andersen. Song: Coming Home. Ryan Andersen is an American composer and producer currently making music in Paris, France. Visit him here.