▁the ▁South ▁River ▁Fri ends ▁Me eting house . ▁Qu akers ▁later ▁abandoned ▁the ▁town ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁opposition ▁to ▁slave hold ing . ▁Pres by ter ians ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁meeting house ▁and ▁adapted ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁church . ▁It ▁is ▁now ▁preserved ▁as ▁a ▁historic ▁site . ▁ ▁To ▁avoid ▁the ▁many ▁visitors ▁at ▁Mont ic ello , ▁Thomas ▁Jefferson ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 6 ▁developed ▁a ▁plant ation ▁and ▁house ▁near ▁Lyn ch burg , ▁called ▁Pop lar ▁Forest . ▁He ▁often ▁visited ▁the ▁town , ▁not ing , ▁" Nothing ▁would ▁give ▁me ▁greater ▁pleasure ▁than ▁to ▁be ▁useful ▁to ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Lyn ch burg . ▁I ▁consider ▁it ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁interesting ▁spot ▁in ▁the ▁state ." ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 0 , ▁Jefferson ▁wrote , ▁" L yn ch burg ▁is ▁perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁rising ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁U . S .... ▁It ▁ranks ▁now ▁next ▁to ▁Richmond ▁in ▁importance .... " ▁ ▁Early ▁Lyn ch burg ▁residents ▁were ▁not ▁known ▁for ▁their ▁religious ▁enthus ias m . ▁The ▁established ▁Church ▁of ▁England ▁supposed ly ▁built ▁a ▁log ▁church ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 5 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 4 , ▁evangel ist ▁Lorenzo ▁Dow ▁wrote : ▁"... where ▁I ▁spoke ▁in ▁the ▁open ▁air ▁in ▁what ▁I ▁conce ived ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁seat ▁of ▁Sat an ' s ▁Kingdom . ▁Lyn ch burg ▁was ▁a ▁dead ly ▁place ▁for ▁the ▁worship ▁of ▁God ' ." ▁That ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁lack ▁of