Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is a city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States of America. It is an independent city, and therefore not included in any county. Norfolk is one of Virginia's largest cities; as of the 2000 census, the city population was 234,403. The 2004 census estimate indicates that the city's population has since risen to 237,835.

Norfolk is located on the Elizabeth River, in Hampton Roads, a large natural harbor. It is a part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA. Norfolk is considered to be the urban and cultural center of Hampton Roads, surrounded by the suburban independent Virginia municipalities of Virginia Beach, Hampton, Portsmouth and Chesapeake.

The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point. Norfolk is home to both the Norfolk Naval Base, the world's largest naval base, and the Norfolk Southern Railway, one of North America's principal Class I railroads. It has many miles of riverfront and bayfront property, and is linked with its neighbors through an extensive network of Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes.

Since the 1970s, the downtown area and waterfront has undergone substantial revitalization. It is home to the Norfolk Tides, the International League affiliate of the New York Mets, and the Norfolk Admirals, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks.

History

The site of what is now Norfolk was originally the Chesipean Indian town Skicoak. (The Chesipeans had been destroyed by Powhatan by the time of the arrival of the first English settlers, who, in 1585, settled on Roanoke Island in modern-day North Carolina. In 1591, the colony of Roanoke disappeared without a trace.) The city was laid out in 1682 and incorporated in 1845. It became an independent city from Norfolk County in 1871.

On New Year's Day, 1776, the royal governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, shelled the city of Norfolk. (A cannonball from Dunmore's siege may be viewed today in the wall of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.) Dunmore's forces had been defeated at the Battle of Great Bridge, and he was seeking to take control of the rebellious colony. The damage from the shells and fire destroyed 800 buildings, almost two-thirds of the city. Colonists, essentially completing the destruction of the city, later destroyed another 400 buildings as part of a scorched earth policy.

In 1855, the city suffered an epidemic of yellow fever which killed 1 of every 3 citizens. In 1858, the Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad built by William Mahone was completed to Petersburg, where major connections were made with railroads to points north, west, and south. During the US Civil War, in 1862, the Battle of Hampton Roads between the ironclads Monitor and Merrimac was fought off Norfolk. Early in the war, Mahone commanded the city's defenses during the period of Confederate occupation which ended in May, 1862.

In the late 19th century, the Norfolk and Western Railway established the community as a major coal export port and built a large transloading facility at Lambert's Point.

= 20th Century Highlights =
*In the year 1900, the Virginia Zoological Park opens, as mulitple animal exhibits are established on the grounds of the city's Lafayette Park. The zoo becomes a separate entity as the Lafayette Zoological Park in 1974. The park later becomes known as the Virginia Zoo in 1985.
*The year 1907 brought the Virginian Railway and the Jamestown Exposition to Sewell's Point. The large Naval Review at the Exposition demonstrated the favorable location, laying the groundwork for the world's largest naval base.
*In 1909, the town of Berkley is annexed.
*In 1917, Naval Station Norfolk was built as Naval Air Station Hampton Roads, during the height of World War I.
*In 1922, the Berkley Bridge opens connecting downtown Norfolk to the Berkley community and South Norfolk.
*In 1923, the city limits were expanded to include Sewell's Point, Willoughby Spit, the town of Campostella, and Ocean View, adding the Navy Base and miles of beach property fronting on Hampton Roads and the Chesapeake Bay. Wards Corner, then just outside Norfolk, became the first non-downtown shopping district in the country.
*In 1930, Old Dominion University was established as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary. ODU awarded its first bachelor's degrees in 1956 and became an independent institution in 1962.
*In 1935, Norfolk State University was founded as the Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University and became an independent institution in 1969.
*In 1938, the Norfolk Municipal Airport is established.
*In 1944, the Virginia Transit Company, based in Norfolk, begins operating rubber-wheeled bus service in Hampton Roads.
*On May 23, 1952, the Downtown Tunnel opened connecting Norfolk with the city of Portsmouth. A second parallel tube was built in 1987. The Downtown Tunnel currently flows in four lanes (two in each direction), carrying a portion of Interstate 264. In 1991, the new Downtown Tunnel/Berkley Bridge complex was completed, with a new system of multiple lanes of highway and interchanges connecting Downtown Norfolk and Interstate 464 with the Downtown Tunnel tubes.
*In 1955, Tanners Creek is annexed. Ownership of Broad Creek Village transferred to Housing Authority. Norfolk becomes largest city in state, with a population of 297,253.
*On November 1, 1957, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel opened to traffic, connecting the Virginia Peninsula with the city, signed in as Virginia State Highway 168. The new two-lane toll bridge-tunnel connection became a portion of Interstate 64 by the end of 1957, connecting Norfolk westward with a limited access freeway. A second parallel tube was built in 1976, expanding the access to four lanes. The tolls were removed in December 1976.
*In 1959, Norfolk's public schools were desegregated when 17 black children entered six previously all-white schools in Norfolk. Virginian-Pilot editor Lenoir Chambers' editorials against massive resistance earn the Pulitzer Prize.
*In 1959, JANAF Shopping Center opens - one of the nation's first large shopping centers.
*In 1962, Kirn Memorial Library opened in a glass and marble structure in downtown Norfolk, replacing the old Carnegie building on Freemason Street.
*On September 6, 1962, the two-lane Midtown Tunnel opened connecting Norfolk with the city of Portsmouth.
*On December 1, 1967, the Virginia Beach-Norfolk Expressway (Interstate 264 and Virginia State Highway 44), a 12.1 mile long toll road leading from Baltic Avenue in Virginia Beach to Brambleton Avenue in Norfolk, opened to traffic at a cost of $34 million. The road was converted to a freeway on June 1, 1995, and State Route 44 portion of the freeway became I-264 in July 1999.
*In 1968, Norfolk Municipal Airport, becomes Hampton Roads' prime airline destination as Norfolk Regional Airport- located near the Chesapeake Bay, along the city limits straddling neighboring Virginia Beach.
*In 1970, Military Circle Mall opened, as Norfolk's first enclosed regional shopping center. The mall is currently known as The Gallery at Military Circle.
*In April 1970, Norfolk reached its peak Census Bureau population estimate at 307,951, but the Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area population estimate was recorded at 680,600- comprising only the South Hampton Roads cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Portsmouth at the time.
*In November 1970, Norfolk served as home court (along with Hampton, Richmond and Roanoke) for the Virginia Squires regional professional basketball franchise of the now-defunct American Basketball Association (ABA). From 1970 to 1971, the Squires played their Norfolk home games at the Old Dominion University Fieldhouse. In November 1971, the Virginia Squires played their Norfolk home games at the new Norfolk Scope arena, until the team and the ABA league folded in May 1976.
*In 1971, Norfolk built the region's first entertainment and sports complex, featuring Chrysler Hall and the 13,800-seat Norfolk Scope indoor arena, located in the northern section of downtown.
*In January 1973, Tidewater Regional Transit (TRT) was established, by absorbing the Virginia Transit Company. Norfolk serves as the hub of public transportation for the Hampton Roads metropolitan area.
*On January 30, 1974, the city hosted its first professional basketball all-star game, courtesy of the American Basketball Association, at the Norfolk Scope.
*In 1976, Norfolk Regional Airport becomes Norfolk International Airport, as more airlines, domestic flights and destinations are added to the facility.
*On March 29, 1982, Norfolk hosted the first NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship (also known as, the Women's Final Four). The Norfolk Scope served as the chief venue for the event.
*In 1983, Waterside Festival Marketplace opened in downtown Norfolk, developed by James W. Rouse, in which a festival marketplace concept which helped transform a formerly seedy harbor area into a major catalyst for other redevelopment.
*In April 1993, the 12,067-seat Harbor Park state-of-the-art baseball stadium opens, hosting the Norfolk Tides Triple-A minor league baseball team.
*On June 1, 1994, Nauticus opens, becoming Norfolk's premiere National Maritime Museum.
*In March 1999, Norfolk opened the region's first upscale shopping center, MacArthur Center Mall, featuring the posh Nordstrom department store.
*In October 1999, Norfolk-based TRT merged with PENTRAN, becoming Hampton Roads Transit officially linking the city with the Virginia Peninsula with interurban public transportation.

= Norfolk Today =Today, Norfolk is experiencing a great deal of urban renewal. The Ghent community has become popular with artistic and diverse community. Many other areas of Norfolk are being revitalized, including Ocean View and East Beach, both on the Chesapeake Bay. As a result of the city's current urban revitalization, Norfolk is becoming a clean and attractive central business district for all of Hampton Roads.

City features

Norfolk is a major military center. With Portsmouth (directly across the Elizabeth River, housing the Norfolk Naval Shipyard), it forms an extensive naval complex. The headquarters of the 5th Naval District, the Atlantic Fleet, the 2nd Fleet, and the Allied Command Transformation are at Sewell's Point. The Norfolk Navy Base is the largest naval base in the United States and includes a naval air station and other facilities. Several vessels of the Navy have been named USS Norfolk after the city. The battleship USS Wisconsin is berthed at the Nauticus National Maritime Center.

General Douglas MacArthur is buried in the city; there is a small museum for him, and a major shopping mall across the street from his burial site is named for him. The city is home to Old Dominion University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Norfolk State University (fifth largest black university in America); Virginia Wesleyan College, a private liberal arts college, shares its eastern border with the neighboring city of Virginia Beach. The city's public school system comprises 5 high schools, 8 middle schools, 34 elementary schools, and 9 special-purpose/preschools. In 1996 Granby High School became the only school in Norfolk to offer the International Baccalaureate Program curriculum to incoming freshmen. Norfolk Public Schools recently received a 2005 National Academic Award for having one of the most outstanding public school systems in the nation. Norfolk Academy, founded in 1728, is the city's oldest private school.

Norfolk Southern Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and fourth largest railroad line in America, has its headquarters in downtown Norfolk. The international headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are located on the city's waterfront just to the west of downtown.

Other tourist destinations include the Virginia Zoo, the Chrysler Museum of Art, the Norfolk Botanical Garden, Nauticus, and the historic Ghent district.

Pronunciation

Many longtime residents of Norfolk and Hampton Roads generally pronounce the city's name (IPA) , while others in the state use the pronunciation . The "L" in Norfolk is generally only pronounced by those from other locales and is considered incorrect by most people from the region. Similar pronunciation variations are found in the names of other Hampton Roads cities, such as Portsmouth and Suffolk.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 249.4 km² (96.3 mi²). 139.2 km² (53.7 mi²) of it is land and 110.3 km² (42.6 mi²) of it (44.22%) is water.

In addition to extensive riverfront property, Norfolk has miles of bayfront resort property and beaches in the Willoughby Spit and Ocean View communities.

Demographics

Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia from space, July 1996. Norfolk is located in the upper right quadrant, and east is at the top.

As of the census of 2000, there were 234,403 people, 86,210 households, and 51,898 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,684.4/km² (4,362.8/mi²). There were 94,416 housing units at an average density of 678.5/km² (1,757.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.36% White, 44.11% African American, 0.46% Native American, 2.81% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races, and 2.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.80% of the population.

There were 86,210 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 18.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.07.

The age distribution is 24.0% under the age of 18, 18.2% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 16.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,815, and the median income for a family was $36,891. Males had a median income of $25,848 versus $21,907 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,372. About 15.5% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.9% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Norfolk is linked with its neighbors through an extensive network of arterial and Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes, notably the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel which enters Norfolk at Willoughby Spit. The major east-west routes are Interstate 64, U.S. Highway 58 and U.S. Highway 460. The major north-south routes are U.S. Highway 13 and U.S. Highway 17.

A transit bus system and paratransit services are provided by Hampton Roads Transit, a regional public transport system headquartered in Hampton. A light rail service within the city is in planning stages.

Norfolk is served by Amtrak via connecting bus with the railroad line across Hampton Roads which terminates at Newport News, and runs west along the Virginia Peninsula to Richmond. A high speed rail connection at Richmond to both the Northeast Corridor and the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor are also under study.

Norfolk and the rest of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area (including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Williamsburg and Poquoson, Virginia) are served by Norfolk International Airport and Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport.

The Hampton Roads Beltway (I-64 and its spurs I-264, I-464, and I-664) makes a loop around Norfolk, much like that of the Capital Beltway around Washington, DC.