Norfolk, Virginia: A History-Geography of First Annexations (Books 9-13, Encyclopedia of Norfolk) (365 pp.)

Norfolk, Virginia, From Town to Downtown: A History-Geography (Book 9, Encyclopedia of Norfolk, Virginia, History-Geography) covers the history-geography of the oldest areas of Norfolk – the areas that were the original town as of 1635, then expanded in 1736 (when it became a borough), and expanded again in 1750, 1761, and the early 1800s, becoming the original city in 1845. It also covers the lands located just east of the original city, known as Brambleton and Mayfield, which were absorbed into the city by its First Annexation in 1887.

The areas discussed include locations once known as Back Creek, Glebe Cove, Dun In The Mire, Four Farthing Point and Old Fort, Town Point, Town Bridge, Plume’s Cove, Brigg’s Point, Allyntown, Musketo Point, Selden’s Point, Lamb’s Point, Salters Plantation, Hickory Neck, Boush’s Pasture, James’ Corner, etc. – in addition to Bramble’s Point, Mahone’s Lake, the Racefield, the Hemenway School, and Highland Terrace in Brambleton.

These early areas, which ultimately became the downtown of later, ever-expanding Norfolk, include neighborhoods later created by Redevelopment in some of the nation’s first Urban Renewal projects, such as Calvert Park (today’s Calvert Square), Young Park (today’s Young Terrace), and Tidewater Park (today’s Tidewater Gardens) – in addition to the Central Business District, Freemason Harbor, et cetera.

Their stories are told through contemporary historic maps, photographs, articles, deeds, advertisements, books and other documents.

Norfolk, Virginia’s Huntersville, Lindenwood, and Villa Heights: A History-Geography (Book 10, Encyclopedia of Norfolk, Virginia, History-Geography) covers in exhaustive detail the areas of Norfolk’s Fifth Annexation (1911) – areas known as Huntersville, Outtensville, Barboursville, Lindenwood, Villa Heights, etc., including areas earlier known as North End, Hallsville, Woodland, Farmingdale, West Point, Elmwood, Sycamores, Borderville, Wetwood and Ward’s Farm, Oak Hall, the Old Fairgrounds, Hankins’ Cottage Place and the Linden (River), Villa Park, Elizabeth Heights, Riddick Heights (Barboursville), Springfield and Whitehead’s Pond and Ridley’s Pond, East End Heights, Georgetown and George Oldfield’s brickyards, Lincoln Heights, etc.

Each is described through contemporary historic maps, photographs, articles, deeds, advertisements, books and other documents.

Norfolk, Virginia, From Park Place to Colonial Place: A History-Geography (Book 11, Encyclopedia of Norfolk, Virginia, History-Geography) covers in exhaustive detail the history-geography of all the areas within Norfolk’s Third Annexation, the Park Place Annexation of 1902, a vital part of what has made Norfolk, Virginia, one of America’s most historic and important cities.

Norfolk, Virginia, From Park Place to Colonial Place encompasses the lands located mainly north of the previously annexed territory (Atlantic City and today’s Ghent) and abutting the southern side of much of the Lafayette River (formerly Tanner’s Creek), areas known as Park Place, Virginia Place, Cruser Place, Riverview, Lafayette (City) Park, Colonial Place, Old Dominion Place, Bungalow Park, Kensington, Highland Park, and so on, lands once identified as the North End, the J.R. Young strawberry farm (said to have been the largest in the world), the lands of R.H. McDonald (temperance advocate and purveyor of California Vinegar Bitters), Riverside Park, Riverview Park, etc.

Their stories are told through contemporary historic maps, photographs, articles, deeds, advertisements, books and other documents.

Norfolk, Virginia’s Atlantic City — or Ghent — and Lambert’s Point: A History-Geography (Book 12, Encyclopedia of Norfolk, Virginia, History-Geography) covers in exhaustive detail the history-geography of the areas of Norfolk’s Second and Sixth Annexations.

The book encompasses the lands located just west of the original city, areas known as Atlantic City, Ghent, East Ghent and West Ghent, the Hague, Fort Norfolk, and so on, lands once identified as Pleasant Point, Pattenween and the Thistle Distillery, Tomoko, the West End, Washington Creek, Jerusalem farm and Armistead’s Ropewalk, Llewellyn manor, Ribble Place, Lee Park, Williamston, Eureka Property, Pennock’s Point, Tarrant’s Creek/Edmond’s Creek, the Core Property, etc.

It also encompasses the lands of the Lambert’s Point Annexation, Norfolk’s Sixth Annexation (1911), located north of the eastern section of the Atlantic City Annexation. Named for the point of land jutting into the Elizabeth River and long known as Lamberts Point (and earlier said to have been called Hornet’s Point), it includes the site of the Lambert’s Point coal terminals and spans from the Elizabeth on its west to 49th Street on its north.

Their stories are told through contemporary historic maps, articles, deeds, advertisements, books and other documents that make this a magnificent resource.

Norfolk, Virginia’s Berkley: A History-Geography (Book 13, Encyclopedia of Norfolk, Virginia, History-Geography) covers the history-geography of all the areas within Norfolk’s Fourth Annexation, the Berkley Annexation of 1906.

Separated from the original city of Norfolk to its north by the Eastern branch of the Elizabeth River, and from Portsmouth to its west by the Southern branch of the Elizabeth, Berkley was earlier known as Washington Point, Powder Point, Ferry Point, or Herbertsville, and also includes areas known as St. Helena, Montalant, Ottley Place, and so on.

Norfolk’s Berkley tells their stories through contemporary historic maps, photographs, articles, deeds, advertisements, books and other documents.