by Shawn Nowlin
History was made on August 19 when the City of Lynchburg honored its first Black mayor with a bronze statue. Standing nine feet from head to toe, the statue encapsulates Murrel Warren “Teedy” Thornhill Jr. who, according to those who knew him best, had “a larger-than-life personality.”
Active in politics his entire adult life, Thornhill served as President of the Lynchburg Voters League for more than four decades.
Fourteen years after being elected to city council in 1976, he ascended to the position of Lynchburg Mayor. During his two year term, Thornhill’s professionalism and authentic demeanor left a lasting impression with his constituents. For years, Thornhill also served as the president and owner of Community Funeral Home.
Current Mayor Stephanie Reed noted that the statue not just honors Thornhill’s legacy, but serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration to future generations too.
“As we gather today, we reaffirm our commitment to honor the legacy of Mayor Thornhill by continuing to build a city where opportunities abound, where hard work and acts of service can improve the lives of our neighbors and where every individual contribution is celebrated,” she said.
Lynchburg’s mayor from 2000 to 2006, the Rev. Carl Hutchinson Jr., added, “He was a person of integrity. Someone who truly cared, not only about 5th Street, but the community as whole. This city was blessed to have an M.W. Thornhill Jr., not only as mayor, but as a citizen.”
Hill Studios designed the statue’s base, while Wiley & Wilson provided the engineering work. Ed Walker designed the statue itself which was cast by Carolina Bronze in Seagrove, NC. A eight-year project with a price tag of $70K, when funds got tight due to the pandemic and inflation, the city stepped in to provide the capital.
Last Saturday’s ceremony included Fifth Street Community Development Committee President Alvin Elliott acknowledging the work of additional individuals who helped bring the statue to life. That list includes David Neumeyer, a Lynchburg attorney who played a vital role in the overall fundraising.
Tears came down many faces doing the ceremony. “My grandfather is a giant in this community. And it is fitting that we are here to day on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in the middle of the community that he loved so much,” Murrel Thornhill IV said.
Bob Davis has very fond memories of Thornhill. “He was a man of the highest honor. If he said he was going to do something, he exhausted every measure to make it happen. His legacy will be cemented forever,” he said.
Coinciding with the statue unveiling were graduates of the former Dunbar High School gathering for their annual reunion. Thornhill, himself, graduated from the high school in 1940. “I have no words to adequately express how we feel, but I would be remiss if I did not make an attempt so thank you, thank you, thank you,” the former mayor’s wife, Mrs. Frances Scruggs Thornhill, said.
Dr. Ceasor Johnson and several others say they could feel Thornhill’s spirit throughout the ceremony. Portions of Fifth and Portions Streets were shut down for the event. In July 2016, at age 95, Thornhill died.
