Doumar's Drive-in at Monticello Avenue and 20th Street, Norfolk, Va, is the home of the longest-lived ice cream cone-making machine in the world. So says Alixa Naff of the Smithsonian Institution. Abe Doumar, an immigrant from Damascus, Syria, created the first cone at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. It was such a success, upon returning to North Bergen, N.J., Abe designed a four-iron baking machine. He brought his parents and three brothers to America and they sold ice cream all along the East Coast. During the Jamestown Exposition of 1907, Abe opened a business at Ocean View Amusement Park. When the Depression and the hurricane of 1933 caused the Park to decline, brother George opened a drive-in at the present site. It flourishes today. The following pictures, from the family's private collection, have been donated to the Norfolk Public Library by Mr. Albert Doumar.

Doumar's Cones, Candy, Soda, Cigars (opened in 1912) was a small store with about 2 tables and 6 chairs, connected to the New Wells Theater.

John (16 years old) and Charles Doumar (24 years old), had this store from 1912 to 1920. The New Wells Theater, 1913, was an opera house at that time.

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