A Sea Of Red

Twenty-five years later: back on the scene at Treasure Island
Fading traces of youth camp, LU athletic facilities all that remains
The island, which sits just below and to the east of Riverside Park, was once home to a sprawling YMCA camp that opened with a message from President William Taft in 1912. The Rev. Jerry Falwell bought the island in 1963, renaming it Treasure Island and using it as a church youth camp.

The camp was an oasis in the summertime, complete with two swimming pools, a petting zoo and fields for horseback riding.

During the 1970s, Lynchburg Baptist College (the predecessor to Liberty University) housed students on the island.

Liberty’s football team used the land for practice fields and storage.

The youth camp and sports facilities were wiped out by the flood and never reopened. Liberty’s football team lost more than $100,000 worth of equipment, according to news reports at the time.

Much of what survived the flood was ruined in 1988, when vandals set fire to the island, burning more than a dozen buildings to the ground.

Today, Treasure Island feels like an apocalyptic no-man’s land.

And then a quote from our Chancellor:

Liberty University owns the land, but has no immediate plans to revive it, LU Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said.

The flood risk is too great to build it up like it used to be, Falwell said. There is talk of using the banks as launch point for the crew team, which could row on a flat stretch of nearby river.

There are some obstacles to bringing the island back to life, Falwell said. A permanent bridge would be costly and Liberty does not own any nearby land that could serve as a put-in point for a barge or ferry.

“We’re trying to think of ways it could be used,” Falwell said. “We’re open to ideas. Right now it’s just surplus property.”

Let the suggestions begin, Flame Fans.

http://www2.newsadvance.com/news/2010/n ... ar-680382/

Think big - "Survivor - Treasure Island". Baptists vs Students - Baptists win when the student team all leaves early.

thats cold...

flamehunter wrote:Think big - "Survivor - Treasure Island". Baptists vs Students - Baptists win when the student team all leaves early.

They really just got sick of the island, but we could say they just went to the Reber Thomas to eat

Man vs Wild with Coach Rocco....strangely enough, I dont have to imagine to hard to see this...

Olldflame with NO comments so far. Did you ever spend any time on "the island"? If so, any memories or stories to share?

I actually only visited the island a few times Cider. The guys I knew who lived there talked all the time about how spartan the conditions were, but at the same time had a real fondness for the place. Most of my time at LU I lived at the old Stewart Arms Hotel on Church Street or off campus. One semester in the Ramada Inn on Main Street. I never lived or attended a class on Liberty Mountain.

My first year at LU (1985) was the last year LU used Treasure Island. I never made it over there, but my only memory of it is LU having to forfeit our last 2 football games, because I think all of our football gear was stored on the island, and it all washed away in the flood.

Anybody remember who we were scheduled to play in those last 2 games?

Carson Newman College and the school now simply known as Towson.

One of my former pastors was on that CNC team under Coach Sparks and we've joked about what a strange situation that was.

And for the record, those were the sweetest looking uniforms we ever had that are somewhere in the bottom of the James River. I especially loved the helmets.

I too never made it to the island as I arrived the same time as CJ. Some of my buddies canoed out there a time or two but I never made it over.

Sly, the next time you're in town, if you want to hit up the island with your boy, I've got a jon boat.

We might just take you up on it. We are pricing kayaks right now here in Texas.

I lived on the island during fall of 1972 and part of the following year. My dorm was a barn type shed, with about 18 or more guys. I remember the bridge was not safe even then, had to get off the bus and walk across to be picked up before heading out.
I also never attended a class on Liberty Mtn during my three years there.

Did a story about this last year -
http://www.lynchburgliving.com/eMag/200 ... .html#/52/

So what your saying is that the N&A was uncreative and pretty much ripped you off. That's what your saying right? Yeah, I think that's what your saying

olldflame wrote:I actually only visited the island a few times Cider. The guys I knew who lived there talked all the time about how spartan the conditions were, but at the same time had a real fondness for the place. Most of my time at LU I lived at the old Stewart Arms Hotel on Church Street or off campus. One semester in the Ramada Inn on Main Street. I never lived or attended a class on Liberty Mountain.

I have always thought the Treasure Island story is fascinating (this one, not Robert Louis Stevenson's -- although it's not bad, either ).

I'm curious, what is now located on (or in) the site the old Stewart Arms Hotel? How many years was it used for housing?

LUminary wrote:I'm curious, what is now located on (or in) the site the old Stewart Arms Hotel? How many years was it used for housing?

Paging olldflame...

We used the hotel for housing until enough dorms were built on the mountain to house all the resident students. (Whenever that was).

That building at the corner of 8th and Church is currently known as the Virginia Apartments. About 20 years ago it was converted to 1 and 2 bedroom subsidized housing units, most of which are rented to the elderly and disabled.

Hold My Own wrote:So what your saying is that the N&A was uncreative and pretty much ripped you off. That's what your saying right? Yeah, I think that's what your saying

You said it. Our pictures were much better, Jim-Bob did decline our offer to tell his story - I mean - his great aunt's cousin's friend's car is big news and makes for a great storyline;)

Such a hater

i was on the island last year and it is spooky, still some football gear and medical supplies there. it also appears at times people camp out or live there...very weird.

There was a man living on the island, I hear he has since moved though.

Hold My Own wrote:There was a man living on the island, I hear he has since moved though.

Yeah - they forced me to leave...

All this recent talk about Treasure Island piqued my curiosity, so.... I was in Lynchburg today to visit and knock around with No. 2 son and, although not being exactly sure which landstrip in the James is Treasure Island, we went searching for a look.

For anyone who knows, you can see it from Riverside Park, correct? South (I think South) of the railroad trestle? We walked down an old road from the park and saw remnants of what appeared to be an old bridge in the river and where it connected on the island side. I assume that was the access to Treasure Island. But noticed further south (toward downtown) another wider strip with what is left of a bridge connecting the land on the other side of the James. There is also a strip North of the trestle. So, now I am confused. I assume you can't see any of the building remnants from a distance because of the trees and growth on the Island.

Anyway, just curious. Sorry about the long-winded set of details, but would love to know if we were in the right place and if the road that led to the bridge is indeed the one from Riverside Park.
Either way, we had a nice hike!

I've been down on that trail in the woods of Riverside and am very familiar with all of that back there, yet I have no idea which one Treasure Island is. I've actually always wondered. I've also always wondered how to get to that road across the river from Riverside. I assume it's somewhere in Madison Heights.

If you ever eat at Bob Evans in the back "room" (furthest away from the entrance), there is a black and white picture on the wall of treasure island with all kinds of buildings on it. I think it says it's the YMCA or maybe a YMCA camp or something.

Also, I was just looking at google maps and that road in the back of Riverside Park is called Treasure Island Rd. So I assume that's the island right behind it.