The "17" Acres

The new MacArthur Center shopping mall is rising quickly in downtown Norfolk, on 17 acres bounded by City Hall Avenue, Monticello Avenue, Freemason Street, and Court Street. This is one of the oldest sections of Norfolk, just outside of the original 50 acres on which Norfolk Towne was established in 1682. In the early years, a mix of homes, businesses, schools, churches and places of amusement existed side by side, gradually giving way to commercial use as the city grew and downtown residents moved north and west into the suburbs. Shown in this month's lobby exhibit are scenes from the 17 acres from 1906-1997. For a virtual reality look at what's going on now, visit the Tidewater Community College's Norfolk Campus web site (you must have a java enabled browser to view).

[Click on each image to see a larger view.]

A bird's-eye view of downtown Norfolk, taken c1906 from the National Bank of Commerce. The picture is reproduced from a hand-tinted postcard.
[IMAGE: Downtown Norfolk]

Brewer Street, opposite the Norfolk City Market, 1911, where truck farmers from Princess Anne and Norfolk Counties brought their wares to sell to local housekeepers.
[IMAGE: Norfolk City Market]

Market Street at Monticello Avenue, 1923.
[IMAGE: Market Street]

An aerial view, looking north on Bank Street c1931. W.G. Swartz Co., shown in the lower right, was a favorite Norfolk department store for many years.
[IMAGE: Aerial view of Bank Street]

Market Street, looking from Monticello Avenue to Brewer, in 1935. The bus station was located at the City Market building.
[IMAGE: Bus station.]

Looking north on Bank from Market Street in 1948. Freemason Street Baptist Church is in the background.
[IMAGE: Bank Street]

Brewer Street, heading north from City Hall Avenue in 1949.
[IMAGE: Brewer Street]

The Adams building, at the northeast corner of City Hall Avenue and Bank Street, 1951.
[IMAGE: Adams building]

Haskell Crockin Furniture Co. is going out of business in this 1959 view. The building was at the northwest corner of City Hall Avenue and Bank Street.
[IMAGE: Haskell Crockin building]

Looking north on Bank Street from the National Bank of Commerce building in 1960.
[IMAGE: Bank Street]

This picture was taken by Norfolk photographer Carroll Walker in 1960. Looking south on Brewer Street.
[IMAGE: Brewer Street]

1968. Most of the buildings have been cleared away. The area is planted with grass in this picture, but will soon be paved over and used for parking cars.
[IMAGE: Bank St. to Freemason St.]

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