2025 SESSION
ENROLLED
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 766
Commending the Timberlake Tavern.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 18, 2025
WHEREAS, the Timberlake Tavern is a recently restored, historic event center that has greatly served the Timberlake community in Lynchburg since 1929; and
WHEREAS, Timber Lake and the Timberlake Tavern were conceived in 1926 by Edley Craighill and Fred Showalter, Lynchburg natives and veterans of World War I, who envisioned a lakeside resort to benefit the residents of their hometown; and
WHEREAS, in addition to Timber Lake, their venture included homes, a club beach, a nine-hole golf course, and the Timberlake Tavern, which opened on June 15, 1929, with a night of dinner and dancing for 135 guests; and
WHEREAS, the Timberlake Tavern quickly became the social hub of the nascent Timberlake community and continued to offer entertainment each summer until 1951; and
WHEREAS, the Timberlake Tavern subsequently served at various times as the first home and worship place of the Timberlake United Methodist Church, as a meeting place for clubs and service groups, and as a private residence; and
WHEREAS, the Timberlake Tavern was restored to a modern event center with apartments in the early 2000s and redecorated and upgraded in 2020 by its current owners and managers, Etta Legner and Tom and Denise Gillett; and
WHEREAS, the stunning building features of the Timberlake Tavern, including its wraparound verandas, symmetrical design, and use of native materials throughout, have made it one of the architectural gems of Lynchburg; and
WHEREAS, today, the Timberlake Tavern has revitalized its legacy as a place where the Lynchburg community gathers, providing an exceptional venue for weddings, receptions, and other social events; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Timberlake Tavern hereby be commended for nearly a century of service to the Timberlake community in Lynchburg; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Etta Legner and Tom and Denise Gillett, owners of the Timberlake Tavern, as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the venue's history and its contributions to the Commonwealth.