1802 Map
A detailed map of the Borough of Norfolk based on a plat by drawn by George Nicholson in 1802.
1801 Directory
A transcription of Simmons' 1801 directory that lists "the Names, Occupations, and Places of Abode of the Inhabitants Arranged in Alphabetical Order."
1801 Register
"A register of the Borough Corporation, and Common Council, Extracts from sundry Ordinances respecting the Police; Court days, Public Officers and Notaries; Companies, Lodges, etc."
Other Sources of Information
There are many other good sources of information that relate to the history of Norfolk and the surrounding area.
The Norfolk Historical Society recommends the following resources.
Militia Court Martial Records – 1814
This transcript of courts martial held at Fort Norfolk in 1814 is part of the Moses Myers Family Papers held by the Chrysler Museum of Art. In addition to the still-existent Fort Norfolk, two other installations are mentioned: Fort Barbour which was located at the intersection of “Church Street and the Princess Anne Road” and Fort Tar which was found where modern-day Monticello Avenue crosses Virginia Beach Boulevard.
Books (In Print)
You can find these at many local bookstores, or through Internet book sellers.- Norfolk: The First Four Centuries, by Thomas C.
Parramore with Peter C. Stewart and Tommy L. Bogger
- Norfolk, Virginia: The Sunrise City by the Sea, A Tribute
to Photographer Carroll H. Walker, Sr., by Amy Waters Yarsinske
- The Virginia Experiment: The Old Dominion's Role in the Making of America 1607 - 1781, by Alf J. Mapp Jr. (4th Edition published Spring 2006).
Books (Out of Print)
These books can be found in most area libraries -- and often in used book stores.
- Norfolk: Historic Southern Port, by Thomas J. Wertenbaker
with Marvin W. Schlegel
- Carroll Walker's Norfolk: A Tricentennial Pictorial History,
Web Sites
- Inventory of Norfolk Architecture
- Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities
- Visit the Chrysler Museum's page on Historic Houses to learn more about Norfolk in the 18th century
- Fans of Victorian architecture and history should visit Norfolk's Hunter House Museum
- City of Norfolk
- The Library of Virginia's Digital Library Program
- National Register of Historic Places
- The Norfolk Public Library's Sargeant Memorial Room of local history and genealogy.
- Essays by the Norfolk City Historian and Norfolk Historical Society board member, Peggy Haile McPhillips.
- The Norfolk Public Library also publishes a handy list of Norfolk mayors, with dates and other helpful notations.
- Hampton Roads Naval Museum
- Learn more about the 2nd Virginia Regiment, a living history unit that specializes in portraying Virginia Militia forces during the War of 1812.
- Virginia Historical Society
- If you are thinking of visiting the Norfolk area, the Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau is a good source of tourist information. Visit www.norfolkcvb.com.
- A remarkable encyclopedia of information regarding one of Norfolk's most colorful subdivisions can be found on R.K. Puma's Nickel Tour of Ocean View. Among other treasures, this virtual tour includes great photographs of the old Norfolk/Hampton Ferry Terminal, vintage postcards of attractions throughout the city, and a sampling of the kind of stories that usually get left out of traditional histories!
- Learn about the Brown v. Board of Education decision (1954) in the context of race relations in Norfolk.
- 10,000 letters and business documents from the Moses Myers' family papers can be searched through the Jean Outland Chrysler Library's online database. The papers lend wonderful insight into life in Norfolk in the first quarter of the 1800’s.
- The Norfolk Shipping News is an on-line database through the Jean Outland Chrysler Library of Norfolk newspaper reports of ship arrivals and departures, advertisements for the sale of ship’s cargos and general shipping news.
- The Hampton Roads Naval Museum offers information on the architectural history of Navy-owned land.
- Norfolk Neighborhood Histories
- Local Maritime Antiques & Decor
For more information, please contact:
The Norfolk Historical Society
P.O. Box 6367
Norfolk, VA 23508-0367
or e-mail info@norfolkhistorical.org.
The Norfolk Historical Society is certified as a tax-exempt, public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and gifts are tax-deductible.