Built for the Irvine family in 1871, Centerview is a substantial late-Greek Revival brick dwelling in the city of Lynchburg that retains many of its original features. The site contains a large brick dependency that originally served as a summer kitchen and possible slave quarters. Dr. Robert Withers Morgan, a prominent and pioneering dentist, acquired the property in 1876. He formulated dental hygiene products including “Dental Chewing Gum” and “Dental Scotch Snuff,” both manufactured in Lynchburg. His Civil War experiences inspired a life-long desire to improve dental care in the armed forces. In 1901, he drafted the legislation that led to the creation of the United States Army Dental Corps. His daughter, Georgia Weston Morgan, a noted Lynchburg artist and teacher, lived in the house intermittently until 1923. For much of the 20th century, Centerview was owned by the Burgess family. It was then rehabilitated as law offices.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Programs
DHR has secured permanent legal protection for over 700 historic places - including 15,000 acres of battlefield lands
DHR has erected 2,532 highway markers in every county and city across Virginia
DHR has registered more than 3,317 individual resources and 613 historic districts
DHR has engaged over 450 students in 3 highway marker contests
DHR has stimulated more than $4.2 billion dollars in private investments related to historic tax credit incentives, revitalizing communities of all sizes throughout Virginia