THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 6, 1994 TAG: 9408050471
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY ELLEN MILES, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Long : 160 lines
With a scenic waterfront, an art museum and a country club, Lochhaven, in the words of a real estate agent, is ``one of the premier neighborhoods of Tidewater.''
The community's winding lanes and grand homes lie on a wooded wedge of land between the Lafayette River, Hampton Boulevard and Norfolk International Terminals. About 265 houses, many dating to the 1920s and '30s, are surrounded by crape myrtles, pines and well-manicured lawns.
Housing styles include Colonials, Georgians, Tudors and Spanish haciendas, some at the end of long, private driveways. Their assessments range from $120,000 to more than $1 million, with many between $200,000 and $300,000.
Despite the prices, or perhaps because of them, prestigious Lochhaven ``is the best-selling neighborhood on Norfolk's west side,'' says Chris Shaughnessy, an associate broker with William E. Wood and Associates Realtors in Virginia Beach.
The neighborhood has changed little since its origin around the turn of the century, Shaughnessy says. But lately, more and more younger families have become residents as older owners sell their homes.
Sections of the neighborhood used to be a golf course; the clubhouse is now part of the Norfolk Yacht & Country Club. Nearby, the historic Hermitage Foundation Museum sits on roughly 14 acres of land, with the Lafayette River at its front door.
The Hermitage was originally a summer home built around 1900 by Florence and William Sloane of New York. The Sloanes employed a woodcarver who worked and lived on the property for 20 years.
Hand-carved wood adorns the inside and outside of the 42-room Tudor-style building, which became a museum about four decades after its construction. It houses an extensive Oriental collection, as well as artwork from around the world, says Linda Rich, a museum tour guide.
Lochhaven residents enjoy strolling through the museum gardens, picnicking along its waterfront and watching their children enjoy the well-shaded playground. Many residents are members of the Hermitage's board of directors, Rich says.
Besides public tours of the museum, the grounds can be rented for weddings, receptions and other events, Rich says. Also, poetry readings take place at the museum in winter.
The neighborhood is home to many longtime residents. Bruce Melchor III, for instance, is a third-generation Lochhaven homeowner. Both sets of grandparents lived in the neighborhood, says Melchor, himself a 40-year resident.
Jack Klinefelter, a retired Navy captain, has lived in Lochhaven for 23 years. His family moved to the area, he says, because of its convenient location and friendly neighbors.
Lochhaven also has an active civic league, with participation from about 85 percent of the households, says Dr. Walker W. Shiver, its president. Formed in 1975, the league supports a playground-equipment fund for the Hermitage and a beautification committee that maintains the neighborhood's common areas.
The civic league also employs a private security firm to patrol the neighborhood. ``We have a very low crime rate, I think, because of that security,'' Shiver says.
League members also oversee an annual Christmas tree lighting, held at one of the common areas. About 200 to 250 residents attend, says David Hume, one of the league's past presidents.
Aside from its elaborate homes, Loch-haven wins praise from residents for its convenient setting, Shiver says.
``It's easy to walk to the supermarket, church and yacht club. We're just really happy with the neighborhood,'' he says. ``It's got a lot of charm and personality.
David Hume's wife, Ruth, agrees. She's a Portsmouth native who thought she'd never leave the city. ``But David showed me this neighborhood,'' she says, ``and I thought it was gorgeous.''
For a few years before buying their home, the Humes would drive through the area, admiring it. Back then, houses for sale were scarce, and many sold by word of mouth, David Hume says.
So when they found a six-bedroom, 4 1/2-bath home on the market four years ago, the couple bought it - even though it needed renovations and was larger than they wanted.
Built in 1959, the house has several unusual features, including marble windowsills, a mirror attached to the ceiling molding and an indoor grill. The original owner's wife would cook a big steak on the grill every Wednesday afternoon for her doctor son, Ruth says, ``because doctors only worked half a day on Wednesdays.''
The Hume house is in the newer section of Lochhaven, near Hampton Boulevard. Since moving in, the couple added foliage to the front lawn to block some of the traffic noise and view.
``The neighborhood is still small enough so that most people know one another,'' David says. ``It makes it very friendly and warm.''
``Most of the children know who lives in which house and they feel safe,'' Ruth adds.
Lochhaven's quiet streets offer a place for her son, Taylor, to roller-blade and ride his bike, she says. Also, the family doesn't ``think twice about walking at night,'' thanks to the visible security.
Ruth has become a solid fan of Lochhaven, she says. ``If I were to move again, this is the only neighborhood I would live in.''
Denise and Steve Wallace say they got a good deal on their three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath house, built in 1953. They bought the house less than two weeks after it went on the market, and spent almost a year renovating it before moving in.
The couple, who had lived in a townhouse in Norfolk's Ghent, chose Lochhaven because they like older houses and it is a ``stable neighborhood with a good reputation,'' Denise Wallace says.
``The lots in Lochhaven are also more spacious than Ghent,'' Steve Wallace adds.
The couple enjoys the Hermitage's playground, visiting it often with their 14-month-old son, Zachary. They also enjoy walking throughout the neighborhood.
``It's always nice and quiet,'' Denise Wallace says. ``Everybody's friendly, but not intrusive. Those who move here care and do whatever renovations are necessary.'' ILLUSTRATION: Richard Dunston/Photos
David and Ruth Hume, with son Taylor, 11, bought a six-bedroom house
four years ago. The 1959 home is in Lochhaven's newer section.
Steve and Denise Wallace, with son Zachary, 14 months, share a
three-bedroom home built in 1953. Many homes date to the 1920s and
'30s.
The Hermitage Foundation Museum sits on roughly 14 acres of
waterfront land in Lochhaven. Built as a summer home around 1900, it
now houses artwork from around the world.
Denise and Steve Wallace, with son Zachary, in their living room:
``It's always nice and quiet,'' Denise says of the neighborhood.
``Everybody's friendly, but not intrusive.''
The median home value in the Lochhaven-Meadowbrook area of Norfolk
was $215,000 in 1990, the highest in the city, the U.S. census
reported. Meadowbrook is just east of Lochhaven.
AT A GLANCE
Staff Map
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Public schools: Sewells Point Elementary, Blair Middle and Maury
High schools.
Shopping areas: Hampton Boulevard and Little Creek Road offer a
range of shops. Also, the Wards Corner and Ghent areas of Norfolk
are only a few minutes away by car.
Recreation: Norfolk Yacht and Country Club is by the
neighborhood. Also, the Lafayette and Elizabeth rivers offer
boating, fishing, crabbing and other water activities.
Assessments: The range is from $120,670 to $1.13 million, the
Norfolk city assessor's office reported.
FOR SALE
A sampling of current listings:
At 7419 Muirfield Road, a five-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath Tudor-style
home, built in 1936, is listed at $249,900.
SOLD
A sampling of recent sales:
At 1515 Blanford Circle, a five-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath house sold
for $331,250 in May after 53 days on the market.
At 7457 North Shore Road, a six-bedroom, five-bath home sold for
$579,500 in March after 41 days on the market.
At 7430 Muirfield Road, a three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath house sold
for $230,000 in June after 21 days on the market.
by CNB