The Mt. Calvary Cemetery Complex is a Virginia historical site that opened in 1879, although some burials occurred earlier. The historically African-American cemetery holds over 8,000 memorials and some scholars estimate as many as 15,000 gravesites. The 13-acre complex consists of Mount Calvary Cemetery, Mount Olive Cemetery, Fisher’s Hill, and a potter’s field where the …
Trinity Church is a Virginia historical site founded in 1762. The church was originally made up of just the central rectangle with the barrel vault and clear glass windows. After the Revolutionary War, the north wall was rebuilt from the British fortification raised by General Benedict Arnold. The bell in the bell tower was cracked …
The Trinity Episcopal Church cemetery contains the remains of many Revolutionary War soldiers. Perhaps the most famous of those buried at this Virginia historical site are James Barron, Commander of the U S Frigate Chesapeake when attacked by the HMS Leopard in 1807. The result was his celebrated duel with Stephen Decatur in 1820.a
Founded in 1772, the Portsmouth Methodist congregation did not adopt the name Monumental Methodist until the 1870s. It was founded by a missionary visiting Hampton Roads by the name of Robert WIlliams. He arrived and was not well received in Norfolk, but when he came to Portsmouth, Issac Luke, a Portsmouth man took the missionary …
Court Street Baptist Church, founded in 1789, was burned down and rebuilt in1901 of pink granite quarried in Salisbury, N. C. This Virginia historical site is one of only two Baptist churches in this exuberant Romanesque Revival style in the nation. The other is in Tennessee. The stained glass is also exceptional in its design, …
St. Paul’s is the oldest Catholic congregation in Portsmouth. The church began holding services in 1803. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s an excellent example of a compact Gothic Revival style, cruciform plan church. It is constructed of load-bearing masonry walls clad in quarry-faced granite. This Virginia historical site was designed by …
First Presbyterian Church, a Virginia historical site, was organized in 1822. The cornerstone of the first church building had been laid on August 15, 1821 on a lot at the northwest corner of the intersection of Middle and London Streets. At that time, it was named The Presbyterian Church in Portsmouth. Fire destroyed the building …
St. John’s Church, a Virginia historical site, was established by the Diocese of Virginia in May 1848 as the second Episcopal congregation in Portsmouth. The original Greek Revival building was located near the corner of Court and London Streets. During the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1855, James Chisholm, the church’s first priest, remained in Portsmouth …
Enslaved residents who were members of the African Methodist Church, later known as Emanuel A.M.E. Church, escaped from Portsmouth aboard vessels that plied the waterways that headed to points north. These freedom seekers included Clarissa Davis and her two brothers William and Charles, and sister. Members such as Anthony Blow and Moses Wines were also …
On the first Sunday in January 1865, John W. Godwin, Dennis Morris, and his wife and son, along with Phillip Ackins, John Williams, and Susan King secured the use of Temperance Hall, at the corner of South and Middle Streets. They held services at this Virginia historical site and organized themselves as the First Colored …
Zion Baptist Church, a Virginia historical site, is among the oldest of the African-American congregations in Portsmouth. The church was organized in 1865, some two years after the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves was signed by President Lincoln. The original pioneers, numbering 318, having known a basement form of worship, were amicably granted a letter …
Now the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center of Portsmouth, Chevra T’helim was founded In 1917 when four families, formerly members of Portsmouth’s orthodox Gomley Chesed Synagogue, decided to found their own orthodox synagogue and call it Chevra T’helim which means “family of psalms.” The land was acquired in 1918, and the building was erected soon …
A monument commemorating the last public appearance of William F “Buffalo Bill” Cody on November 11, 1916. He traveled around the country with his Wild West show bringing a part of American lore back east for all to enjoy.
William “Billy” Flora was born a free person in Portsmouth around 1755. He was the town’s Blacksmith and became known for his acts of valor at the Battle of Great Bridge in December, 1775.
The Lafayette Arch was unveiled in 1976 as a part of the bicentennial celebration. It marks the entrance to Lafayette Park, a small pocket park dedicated to the memory and contributions of the Marquis de Lafayette, friend of the Patriots, hero of the American Revolution, and early abolitionist. Designed by local architect Mary Ramsay Brown …
The Portsmouth Flag Association placed a monument inside Lafayette Park in 1989 to memorialize those members of the Portsmouth community who went above and beyond in exercising their duties and were awarded America’s highest honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor. Congressional Medal of Honor Recipients: Army-Airforce PVT. Charles Veale– 4th U.S. Colored Troops (29 Sept …
The Hiker was sculpted by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson in 1905. This casting is one of at least fifty across the country. The statue was erected by the citizens of Portsmouth and Norfolk County on May 23, 1942. The dedication notes, “United Spanish War Veterans and Auxiliary commemorates the valor and patriotism of those who …
Commodore Richard Dale, a Portsmouth native, was the first Commodore of the Gosport (now Norfolk) Naval Shipyard. Captured twice by the British during the American Revolution, he returned to serve in the Continental Navy and later became one of the original six Commodores in 1794 when Congress created the U.S. Navy. The statue was erected …
Located on the Path to History, Fort Nelson Park tells the story of the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center from its beginning in 1820. The sixteen interpretive signs in the park chronicle early medicine, the nurse corps, Yellow Fever, Hampton Roads first high rise building, and much more. Naval artifacts include guns, anchors, and buoys.
These three tall houses, located behind a high brick wall on the edge of the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, were erected between 1837 and 1842 to serve as residences of the shipyard’s commanding officers. Many of their details, mostly in a Greek Revival idiom, follow designs illustrated in the architectural pattern books of Asher Benjamin. The …
The Pythian Castle building in on both the Virginia and National Registers of Historic Places. This three story brick and stone building, with its visually arresting facade, is one of the best surviving examples of Romanesque Revival architecture in Portsmouth. This Virginia historical site was designed by local architect and builder Edward Overman and built …
Portsmouth’s former courthouse, the pivotal landmark of the city’s Four Corners at the intersection of Court and High streets, was built in 1846 as the Norfolk County Courthouse. It continued in that capacity until 1960 when the county was incorporated as the city of Chesapeake and the seat of govern-ment moved to Great Bridge. The …
Portsmouth’s Abigarlos is a rare rural residence in the city, a survivor from the early 19th century that stands on a remnant of its original farm acreage. Constructed around 1812, this Virginia historical site has remained in the Carney family, who relocated it on the property in 1896 and 1940. After that last move, then-owner …
A dominant landmark of the Portsmouth waterfront, this curved-front structure has been a symbol of the link between rail and sea commerce in Hampton Roads. Erected in 1894-95 and enlarged in 1914, this Virginia historical site served as the northern terminus and headquarters of the Seaboard Air Line railroad. This railroad transported to Portsmouth much …
Shea Terrace Elementary School was constructed in 1925 during a burst of school construction throughout the state. The city of Portsmouth’s population greatly increased during World War I with an influx of shipyard workers creating the need for more schools. Designed by master architect Charles M. Robinson, the elementary school was located in the Shea …