Begun in the seventeenth century as a small settlement nestled along the Elizabeth River, Norfolk had grown into a vibrant port city by the Revolutionary War. The city spread out from early neighborhoods like the Freemason District into nineteenth-century enclaves like Ghent along the Hague. Twentieth-century Norfolk was marked by its development into a bustling Navy town. Journey through the vibrant past of this multifaceted locale, guided by expert authors from local museums, historical organizations and city institutions. Walk the city's most historic neighborhoods and learn the history of its beachside communities. End with suggestions of places to eat and play that evoke traces of Norfolk's past. Crack open these pages to learn that Virginia is truly for history lovers.

Photographs chosen for this volume are testament to the power of "a picture is worth a thousand words." Each photograph tells a story of Norfolk through time, starting with the city center--the downtown--before going down to the river, revisiting the significance of the streetcar and the horseless carriage on the city's development, moving into the wards, and, finally, a journey to the Chesapeake Bay on the city's north shore. In this fascinating selection of photographs Amy Waters Yarsinske traces some of the many ways in which Norfolk has changed and developed over the last century. With over three centuries of rich history, and with so little intact of the city's historic built environment, photographs are a priceless record of Norfolk, the "sunrise city by the sea."

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Norfolk has changed and developed over the last century.

Begun in the seventeenth century as a small settlement nestled along the Elizabeth River, Norfolk had grown into a vibrant port city by the Revolutionary War. The city spread out from early neighborhoods like the Freemason District into nineteenth-century enclaves like Ghent along the Hague. Twentieth-century Norfolk was marked by its development into a bustling Navy town. Journey through the vibrant past of this multifaceted locale, guided by expert authors from local museums, historical organizations and city institutions. Walk the city's most historic neighborhoods and learn the history of its beachside communities. End with suggestions of places to eat and play that evoke traces of Norfolk's past. Crack open these pages to learn that Virginia is truly for history lovers.

From its founding in 1661, South Norfolk, Virginia, has grown from a rural village to a city of the first-class. This quintessential American town has endured and prospered through generations and has been a community marked by change and peopled with extraordinary characters. In the second volume of this definitive history, lifelong resident and local historian Raymond Harper continues to chronicle the rise of South Norfolk in careful detail. With extended material and numerous historical images, Harper examines the influences of South Norfolk's founding fathers, sports in the community and development of the business district. The result is an accessible and entertaining narrative that not only recounts the community history, but also the topical histories of many civic organizations, the local government and leading businesses.

This is a history of Norfolk from the time of the first contact between a Spanish sailor and a native American Chiskiack in 1561, to the city's late 20th-century concerns, including pollution of Chesapeake Bay, urban development, traffic in illegal guns, and racial tensions.