THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 18, 1995 TAG: 9511190071
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GINGER D. ADAMS, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Long : 131 lines
Although Hampton Roads boasts a rich history, few residential areas hearken back to roots deeper than a generation.
South Norfolk, the old industrial town that was merged with Norfolk County in 1963 to form modern Chesapeake, is one of those areas, and the stories it has to tell start back in 1661 with the construction of a Southern Branch Chapel of the Church of England and a few strawberry farms.
But driving through South Norfolk, particularly an area spanning from Poindexter Street to Holly Avenue, from the railroad tracks just beyond Chesapeake Avenue to the banks of the Elizabeth River, one is struck by the well-preserved turn-of-the-century homes, rich in character hard to find among newer developments.
Some are grand old homes - many converted to multifamily apartments. Others are simple two-story homes with Southern-style porches. All have stories to tell.
And the character - as well as the stories - is probably best preserved in the residents, who insist there is a great community spirit. ``Those of us left won't let it die,'' says Thelma Lee, a lifetime resident.
From the earliest times, the area was primarily rural with only a single store until a ``horse-car service'' was successfully started by J.H. Norton. The easy travel in and out ultimately brought an influx of industry and adventurous types - like Adm. C.W. Poindexter, who left probably the greatest mark on South Norfolk.
Poindexter was a former flag officer in the British Navy who came to this area to build his home, `The Anchorage,' on the bank of the Elizabeth River across from what is now the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
The waterway allowed him to run an import business, bringing spices, coffee, and other exotic items from abroad. When he later moved to a home on Ohio Street, he planted a Chinese ginkgo tree, which still remains in what was the front yard.
The admiral named several of the streets after fellow officers in the military - Jackson, Rodgers, Decatur, Stewart and Bainbridge, among others. It was Poindexter's son who dubbed the community South Norfolk late in the 19th century.
Another Poindexter-originated gingko tree stands in the front yard of 1007 Ohio St. - now owned by long-time resident Thelma Lee. Lee, who has traveled the world but couldn't imagine living any other place. She is proud of the community's heritage and insists it is the best place in Hampton Roads.
``People from South Norfolk stick together; I never had a reason to leave,'' she says, noting the highway system allows quick trips to North Carolina, Newport News and Suffolk. ``It's the most centrally located neighborhood in the area.''
Lee's home was built in 1880 and is among several in the neighborhood registered as historic places.
A gem of South Norfolk is a magnificent home designed and built almost entirely by the hands of John Cuthrell. The house still stands as the Marion A. Gay Funeral Home and also the home of Gay's widow, Mildred S. Gay.
Mildred Gay, a sparkling, vivacious woman of 85, was born on Chesapeake Avenue and hasn't strayed more than a few miles since. ``The house is a Victorian and it has about 12 foot ceilings,'' she says, ``and there's a living room, dining room, kitchen - back then they had quarters where the servants cooked - music room, library, office and five big rooms upstairs.
``When we came here most of the rooms had fireplaces.'' The home, another registered as a historic building, is elaborately furnished with Gay's family heirlooms and antique reproductions which fit the home nicely.
``We've been here since 1939, but it was built in 1903 by a gentleman named Mr. John Cuthrell,'' Gay says. ``He had a large family and all the rooms upstairs were bedrooms and living downstairs.
``They were one of the wealthiest families - he started the first bank in South Norfolk,'' explains Gay. ``My husband worked for another funeral home during the Depression . . . and he was without a job and we went back to live with my mother on Chesapeake Avenue, where I was born.
``We took my new baby girl and came here the next February in 1939 and started the funeral home.''
The largest growth periods for South Norfolk were at the turn of the century and after World War II, during periods of economic health and merges with surrounding communities.
The 16-block area is designated as a historic area with century-old homes averaging between 2,500 and 5,000 square feet and currently selling between $50,000 and $80,000. The area south of Holly Avenue was built in the `50s and early `60s and homes average under 2,000 square feet and sell for $60,000 to $80,000.
In recent years, the neighborhood has experienced changes. ``A lot of the property now is rented,'' Gay says, ``and a lot of it is running down. We don't borrow sugar across the backyard the way we used to do.''
But she is quick to defend the area's best points. ``As far as the people are concerned, those who live here still love South Norfolk.'' She names off the amenities of the community - the nice community center, Lakeside Park, the library, a nearby fire department and the newly renovated Oscar Smith High School.
Around 1980, $300,000 of federal money was designated to restore the Chesapeake Avenue neighborhood. The grand elm tress that lined the street and covered it with a lush canopy during the summer months were succombing to disease and the roots were breaking up the sidewalks.
The city removed the trees and replaced the walks with attractive brick sidewalks and also added decorative street signs, lampposts and park benches.
After years of neglect, the Chesapeake Planning Department is taking another look at South Norfolk. The land use is being evaluated. A recent statute forbids subdividing the old homes into duplexes or apartments.
Mildred Gay has her own ideas of what should be done. ``People need to take responsibility for their house, even if it is rented. Twenty-five years ago everyone kept their houses up. I would like to see the houses either remodeled or made into nice retirement homes.''
She also would like to see people ``buy at the low rate and fix it up for their first home. You can get a nice home her for $60,000, $70,000, $80,000, and some people have done that.''
Lee agrees, and in fact, insists a marked improvement has already been made. ``About 10 years ago there was a grant and they started to survey places to preserve and check over everything again. The community has completely changed even within the last three months,'' she says optimistically.
``We've got more community police, and we don't have the problems we used to. A lot of young people are buying the houses and fixing them up. Things are really perking up.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by Richard L. Dunston
The dwelling at Rodgers and Ohio streets once occupied by John
Cuthrell is now the Gay Funeral Home.
Thelma Lee has traveled the world but wouldn't live anyplace but
South Norfolk.
Photo by Richard L. Dunston, Staff
The 16-block Chesapeake Avenue area has been disignated a historic
area.
Graphic with map
About the Neighborhood
by CNB