Francisco Bragassa purchased the property at 12th Street 325 in 1871. Between 1875 and 1876, he built a confectionery and toy store in the Italianate style. The shop featured the first plate glass windows ever installed in Lynchburg.
The building was located in a new, expanding commercial section of town during the Reconstruction period. It is the only surviving building within a four-block area representing that commercial expansion.
The building contains comfortable living quarters upstairs, while the ground floor houses the merchandise. The store remained in the Bragassa family until 1987. In January 1988, the Lynchburg Historical Foundation purchased the building from the family.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. In November 2008, it was occupied by Kid's Haven: A Center for Grieving Children.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Kyle McLonely
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