Norfolk Afoot, by Amy Waters Yarsinske, was originally published in Norfolk’s Horizons Magazine – September 1994. This seminal piece takes the reader on an actual walking tour of the city of Norfolk, Virginia, describing the sights, landmarks and associated historical figures and events that go along with them. Discover the City’s Living History by Walking among its Finest Architecture.
tep back in time… after more than three centuries of development, shifting social paradigms and diverse cultural contributions, the history of venerable old Norfolk comes to life when walking downtown by foot. It’s the optimum way to learn Norfolk’s rich history, layer by layer.
While it’s true that many of the city’s oldest and most beautiful buildings were destroyed over time by the ravages of war, fire, or other natural disasters, it’s Important to note that the historic inventory on view for the tour includes structures typically sixty to one hundred years old though there are a number of significant exceptions. Changing land use patterns and redevelopment programs have also been responsible for extensive demolition in some of Norfolk’s oldest neighborhoods and, of course, the downtown area. One look at the built-up environment is also further evidence of major population growth In the city since the 1940s.
The exciting places and topics in this walking tour are captured in Amy’s books on Norfolk,
The Sunrise City by the Sea, Lost Norfolk, and Norfolk Through Time.
Over the course of Its history, Norfolk’s streets, particularly those on the downtown walking tour, have changed dramatically In keeping with the times. Main Street and Church Streets are the oldest in modern-day Norfolk and it’s here the walking tour begins.
Norfolk Afoot, Stepping Off
Departing from the Norfolk Waterside Marriott, you’re confronted by the twenty-four story NationsBank building, a view of Town Point – also known as Four Farthing Point at the time of the original survey of the town by John Ferebee in 1680— The Waterside Festival Marketplace and Commercial Place. Perhaps the most striking landmark at Commercial Place Is the Confederate Monument, the shaft of which was erected In 1899 and its bronze soldier In 1907, the year of the Jamestown Exposition. Local Civil War veterans started raising funds to build the 66 -foot statue In 1866 but its cornerstone was not laid until February 22, 1889, Jefferson Davis’ birthday, due to funding problems. Funding the project would continue to plague completion of the monument. Sculptor J.D. Couper of Norfolk designed his work to eventually include four pedestals encircling the bottom of the stand which, at least on paper, support bronze figures depicting Confederate artillery, infantry, cavalry and navy. Unfortunately, these striking figures were never added as their cost was too great and, the fund-raising efforts of the aging veterans waned. The Confederate Monument was moved east of its original location in 1971 for the purpose of street realignment and construction of the Virginia National Bank building.
MacArthur Park
As you wind your way through MacArthur Park at the General Douglas MacArthur Memorial site, one of Norfolk’s National Register landmarks, completed in 1850 as the first City Hall Building for Norfolk. This Classical Revival structure is the work of William Singleton, a local architect, ably consulted by Thomas Ustick Walter, renowned architect and great contributor to Norfolk’s architectural Inventory of the period. The most striking feature of the building is Its fifty foot high cupola or dome. The once lovely triple-tiered fountain in front of the building has been replaced by the statue of General MacArthur. The building was a courthouse and city hall for the citizens of Norfolk from 1850 until 1918, at which time It served as a courthouse until 1960 when It was converted to house MacArthur’s papers and memorabilia. Since 1964, It has been the general’s tomb, a museum, and of late, a learning center and theatre.
Turning onto City Hall Avenue, the tour leads to Cumberland Street and on to St. Paul’s Church, which serves as the perfect platform to discuss the American Revolution and the period leading up to the war. The years preceding the Revolution were quite prosperous for Norfolk Borough, trade flourished and a number of fortunes were made. The War, however, wrought so much damage on the old church that only the walls stood at the conclusion of hostilities. On January 1, 1776, Lord Dunmore had bombarded the city and buildings caught fire, including the church. Over the years, the church has become best known for the cannonball indentation in its corner wall. It was actually not until many years later that the cannonball which struck St. Paul’s on that fateful day was retrieved and permanently affixed in the indentation. Found by a vestryman in 1848, the suggestion was made by a parishioner to return It as a memorial to the city’s bravely fought contest.
St. Paul’s Church has become best known for the cannonball indentation in its corner wall. It was actually not until many years later that the cannonball which struck St. Paul’s on that fateful day was retrieved and permanently affixed in the indentation.
From St.Paul’s church, walkers are treated to a stop outside the Willoughby-Baylor House, built in 1794 by William Willoughby. It is from this vantage point that participants are best able to view the Baylor House, the Freemason Street Baptist Church, and the Moses Myers House, three National Register structures. These lovely buildings ring the site of the future MacArthur Center, a massive downtown mall in the process of architectural design and review. The Willoughby-Baylor House serves as an extremely well-preserved example of a sophisticated, medium-sized townhouse from Norfolk’s post-Revolutionary period. The home’s owner, Captain William Willoughby, a retail merchant and contractor, purchased the lot and the house was constructed in 1794. Along with its downtown counterpart, the Moses Myers House, and the Adam Thoroughgood House in Virginia Beach, this house is operated by The Chrysler Museum Historic Houses.
The Moses Myers House was constructed in 1792 for Eliza and her husband, Moses, the first known Jew to settle in Norfolk. A number of famous faces graced the prominent merchant’s home, including Marquis de Lafayette, James Monroe, and War of 1812 hero Stephen Decatur. The house Is a spectacular example of Federal-style architecture; richly embellished, and a star attraction of the tour.
Construction of the Freemason Street Baptist Church began in 1848. This Gothic Revival Church is one of three buildings in Norfolk designed by Thomas U. Walter. From 1850 to 1879, the church remained the tallest structure in Norfolk. A severe nor’easter in a879 toppled the church steeple – when a new steeple was finally constructed in 1897, it was of much smaller scale than its predecessor.
Onward to Charlotte Street
Onward to Charlotte Street, you pass in review of Scope, Chrysler Hall, and the Norfolk Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Building, flrst known as Norfolk Academy when it was constructed in 1840. Norfolk Academy was modeled after the Temple of Theseus in Athens, Greece, with six beautiful Doric columns at the entrance to the east and west porticos.
Monticello Avenue to Bute Street traverses another significant historical area of downtown Norfolk. Here, you walk past the Federal Court Building, formerly the old Post Office and Court Building. Built in 1934, this four-story limestone structure represents an exceptional example of Art Deco architectural style. The building was constructed under the tenets of the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression.
Norfolk’s downtown walking tour truly enhances one’s sense of the architectural fabric of the city from a street-level perspective. By the time you leave the area around the Federal Court Building at Bute Street,’ you’ll see some of the loveliest structures in the city from the Epworth Methodist Church, the location of the Freemason Abby Restaurant, and the Hunter House, now a lovely Victorian Period museum. Fort Nor-
Norfolk Afoot – Continued from page 19
folk is found in close proximity at the foot of Colley Avenue and Front Street, also the site of the modern-day Waterfield Building, home to the Norfolk District Army Corps of Engineers. The fort was first erected In 1794 by direction of George Washington for the purpose of protecting Norfolk’s strategic harbor and lines of trade.
Three significant facilities are relative newcomers to the face of downtown — at least in comparison to their predecessors on our tour — the Taiwanese Pagoda in Friendship Park, NAUTICUS, The National Maritime Center, and the D’Art Center, a working artists’ haven. The bridge between past and present is never so evident as when you walk from the D’Art Center to the Smith and Welton Building a few steps away. The old Smith and Welton Department Store on Granby Street was in business from 1918 to 1988, seventy years of retailing history reverberates from the walls of this nostalgic mainstay. The terra cotta decoration of the building is indicative of much of the fine terra cotta work found throughout Norfolk’s downtown structures.
Wells Theater, Monticello and Selden Arcades
The Wells Theatre on Tazewell Street is considered an outstanding example of Beaux Arts classicism in theatrical architecture. Better yet, the interior is virtually intact, retaining stained glass, plaster statuary and ornamentation, ceiling murals and chandeliers. The Wells was built in 1913 as a legitimate theatre by Jacob and Otto Wells, entrepreneurs who also developed the long-demolished Ocean View Amusement Park. Between 1913 and 1935, acts from Will Rogers to Fred and Adele Astair as well as the touring company of the Metropolitan Opera graced its stage. The building was completely restored in the 1980s and is now home for the Virginia Stage Company.
To wind up the walk, head onto Monticello Avenue and through the Monticello Arcade. This masterpiece, principally Moorish in design according to the architect’s plans, faces Plume Street and City Hall Avenue. Cross Plume Street and enter the Selden Arcade which opens onto Main Street at the other end. Turning right provides an overview of three Important buildings, the old Southern Bank Building at the Corner of Main and Granby Streets—
The Customs House Is an architectural masterpiece. Its free and imaginative use of stone and metal make it an early essay in fireproof construction. The Custom House was opened for use in 1858 and housed the United States Customs Office for many decades. During the Civil War, federal troops used It as a dungeon from 1862 to 1865. The Customs Service operates out of the building still today.
Ending the Tour
The tour ends at the Life Bank Building at 109 East Main Street, a distinguished example of terra cotta workmanship. At one time, the structure was one of the tallest in Norfolk. It remains a fine example of the blend of classical architecture with the larger commercial steel buildings constructed during the end of the nineteenth century. From 1899 to 1928, the building housed the Citizens Bank, originally chartered in 1867. Life Savings Bank acquired the bank In the 1990s and has since undertaken the building’s complete restoration.
Walking downtown Norfolk is perhaps the best way to obtain a feel for the city’s past. The walk is like an old-fashioned sampler with anew stitch here and here to blend the fabric, give us perspective, and show us a more educated view of the city of Norfolk.
For information on the Norfolk Afoot program which has tour guides during the summer, contact Stephanie Carcano at the Adam Thoroughgood House, 460-0007.
© Copyright 1994 Amy Waters Yarsinske.