By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER

It’s Jack Daniel’s Barbecue week and locals Heather and Wayne Finchum sit at their front window along Main Street giggling. Folks are in town for Lynchburg’s biggest annual event and five skeletons sit perched in their front yard – eager to join in on the fun. Four small skeletons and one large 12-foot-tall skeleton with glaring blue eyes sip a bit of local product around a barbecue pit complete with zombie piggy. As a tourist squeals at the pig, it squeals back and laughter erupts on both sides. This is the Lynchburg tradition known as the Main Street Skeletons – a community passion project that’s kept the vibes high for the past two years.

Skeleton Math

The Main Street Skeletons began in 2023 when Heather sat looking straight down the barrel of an empty nest. As her youngest, Addison, prepared to get her driver’s license, Heather says she experienced the milestone as bittersweet.

“No more little voices filling up the minivan, hands reaching for snacks, or late-night drives with the music blaring and singing at the top of your lungs with the windows to roll down,” she says. “The reality hit me all at once.”

On a lark, and sort of as joke to soothe the pain, Heather decided her passenger seat needed company  – a skeleton named Bones, who basically went everywhere with her. Instantly, she got hooked on the double-takes and broad smiles he created.

“If you can bring even one person a smile in a day, it’s worth everything,” she says.

Soon though, Heather decided that Bones needed a friend. Skeleton math is a bit like chicken math. You start with one and it leads to a dozen. Before she even knew what was happening, her front yard located along Main Street here in Lynchburg became an ever-revolving stage for Bones and Company. They were an instant community hit.

Heather is a 1998 graduate of Moore County High School who lives on Main Street with her husband, Wayne Finchum, also a local alum and former Raider football standout. Together they have six adult children – Tristian, Noah, Addison, Olivia, Caden, and Maelee. She works at the Jack Daniel Distillery in the Single Barrel division.

“We produce many of the specialty bottles, some with hand-applied touches, which makes each one unique. I love the craftsmanship and the chance to interact with visitors who come through especially in October, when Barrelhouse Bones makes his special appearance at Single Barrel. The visitors really enjoy it,” Heather says.

Bones Goes Viral

The first Main Street Skeletons display exhibited three skeletons sitting around a campfire. Originally, the Fincham’s planned to display the skeletons September through December.

“The weather is just too hard on their bodies to keep them up year-round,” Heather says.

What started as one woman’s way to fill an empty nest quickly became a small-town phenomenon.

Soon, Heather’s inbox filled with messages. She says local kids especially loved them. They dropped by letters telling Heather and Wayne how much they loved the skeletons and the couple learned that at least one local school bus driver made daily detours down Main Street just so the kids could see them.

“It’s moments like that … those simple, genuine gestures that keep us going,” she says. “That’s why we keep them up. If something as simple and silly as a few skeletons can turn someone’s bad day into a good one, then it’s all worth it.”

Heather says before she knew what was happening, the Main Street Skeletons started making pop up appearances for special events. Over the past two years, they’ve encouraged runners during the annual Oak Barrel Half Marathon, warned drivers to slow down during a Moore County Sheriff’s Department safety campaign, and honored the fallen on Memorial Day.

People started stopping by so often to snap a quick picture, that they added a selfie booth to accommodate. One local mom even planned an entire Halloween photoshoot around them.

“They bring people together. Visitors stop too,” Heather says. “The skeletons help folks feel a little bit of that small-town charm that makes Lynchburg special – a reminder that even something silly can make people smile.”

It Takes a Village

Heather says it takes a village literally to keep up the fun. Sometimes the ideas pop out simple while others require hunting, buying, borrowing, or building the right props.

Wayne, ever the good sport, even towed a vintage RV to and from their front yard last December for an elaborate Christmas Vacation display complete with Cousin Eddie.

“Just hauling that thing back and forth was a full workout in itself,” Heather laughs. “On one trip, we even lost a few tire pieces along the way – sparks were flying. For a minute there, it looked like Cousin Eddie’s Christmas adventure had turned into a fireworks show.”

It’s not all fun and game though. Heather says she and Wayne put a lot of thought into each display and plan for weeks. They are careful to balance the fun while accurately reading the room – especially for the Remembering Our Soldiers Memorial Day display.

“We wanted to make sure it was done with care and respect,” she says.

She also says friends and neighbors volunteer to help or fix skeletons who need repairs and locals often donate items for the displays. When local Bonnie Lewis spotted an abandoned panda costume head on a rural backroad, she scooped it up knowing it would be a perfect addition to the display. Heather says other local like Tanya Vann, Leanne Keller, and Leanne Durm have all pitched in as well.

“It really does take a whole village – and maybe a few zip ties – to keep these Main Street Skeletons in line,” Heather jokes.

It’s also an idea that’s catching on. Over the past couple of years, other skeletons have popped up along Main Street and across the county in separate displays.

“It’s been such a joy to see more skeletons popping up around town. It’s like a little tradition taking root and that kind of community spirit just makes my heart happy,” she says.

Many locals may have noticed the “for sale” sign in the Main Street front yard over the past few months and Heather confirms that the property is now sold – but not to worry. The Lynchburg couple plan to move right around the corner and the Main Street Skeletons will become the Majors Boulevard Skeletons. She also tells us that they will eventually land on property she owns along Tanyard Hill Road.

“Their story and fun ways will go on,” she says. •

{The Lynchburg Times is a nonpartisan, independent community newspaper serving Lynchburg, Tennessee and the surrounding counties. We not only cover local events but also volunteer our time and resources to make sure they are a success. You can support us, by clicking here.}