▁churches , ▁which ▁was ▁corrected ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁It iner ant ▁Method ist ▁Francis ▁As bury ▁visited ▁the ▁town ; ▁Method ists ▁built ▁its ▁first ▁church ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 5 . ▁Lyn ch burg ▁hosted ▁the ▁last ▁Virginia ▁Method ist ▁Conference ▁that ▁bishop ▁As bury ▁attended ▁( F ebru ary ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 8 1 5 ). ▁As ▁Lyn ch burg ▁grew , ▁prost itution ▁and ▁other ▁" row dy " ▁activities ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁urban ▁mix ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁town . ▁They ▁were ▁often ▁ignored , ▁if ▁not ▁accepted , ▁particularly ▁in ▁a ▁dow nt own ▁area ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁" B uzz ard ' s ▁Ro ost ." ▁Method ist ▁pre acher ▁and ▁later ▁bishop ▁John ▁Early ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁Lyn ch burg ' s ▁civ ic ▁leaders ; ▁unlike ▁early ▁Method ist ▁pre ach ers ▁who ▁had ▁ur ged ▁abol ition ▁of ▁sla very ▁during ▁the ▁Great ▁Aw ak ening ; ▁Early ▁was ▁of ▁a ▁later ▁generation ▁that ▁had ▁accommod ated ▁to ▁this ▁institution ▁in ▁the ▁slave ▁soci eties ▁of ▁the ▁South . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 3 , ▁ 1 8 4 0 , ▁the ▁James ▁River ▁and ▁K ana wh a ▁Canal ▁from ▁Richmond ▁reached ▁Lyn ch burg . ▁It ▁was ▁extended ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁Buch an an , ▁Virginia ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁but ▁never ▁reached ▁a ▁trib ut ary ▁of ▁the ▁Ohio ▁River ▁as ▁originally ▁planned . ▁Lyn ch burg ' s ▁population ▁exceed ed