THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 4, 1996 TAG: 9610020161
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSAN W. SMITH, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 88 lines
When Raymond L. Harper shared memories of the early days of South Norfolk with Frank Portlock, 88, and his mother, Iola B. Harper, 87, he never dreamed the talks would result in two books about their hometown.
Ten years later, copies of ``The History of South Norfolk 1661-1963,'' are in great demand. Copies are also in the reference section of Chesapeake libraries, the Virginia State Library in Richmond and in the Library of Congress in Washington.
Now, Volume II is at the printers, and Harper expects a Christmas distribution date.
``I did not start out to write a book,'' Harper, 68, said. ``I just wanted to collect stories and pictures to preserve the history of our town. The project became a labor of love as I started organizing the material. All of a sudden, I had a book under way.''
Besides writing books, Harper serves as the financial secretary and church historian at Chesapeake Avenue United Methodist Church, paints oil and watercolor landscapes, plays with his two grandchildren and works out each day.
``I waited until I retired,'' Harper said. ``Now I indulge myself.''
Harper grew up listening to stories of the rich heritage of his hometown. Family dinners, church homecomings and class reunions reinforced the stories he had heard about small-town life.
By the time he was 6 years old, Harper had a paper route, which took him all over the city. He learned the streets and talked to families as he tossed newspapers along Chesapeake Avenue, Holly Street and Park Avenue.
In 1946, Harper graduated from South Norfolk High School and joined the Navy. Although he liked California, Guam and Hawaii, he returned home to Seaboard Avenue in South Norfolk after his discharge.
Over the next few years, Harper attended the College of William and Mary and Virginia Tech and married Emma L. Rock, whom he had met at South Norfolk Baptist Church. They raised two daughters while he worked for Western Electric and the Naval Aviation Depot.
When an effort began to restore the old Portlock School on Bainbridge Avenue and turn it into a museum, Harper began looking for reference material about his community. But nothing was available.
The Chesapeake Central Library on Cedar Road had no information, Harper said. And the library on Poindexter Street only had a few, old South Norfolk school yearbooks. That's when Harper pulled out his tape recorder and sat down with Portlock and his mother to record their memories of businesses, industries, schools and families. Portlock and Harper's mother introduced him to others who had pictures, family Bibles and stories to share. Before long, Harper had 13 tapes of oral history.
From Linwood L. Briggs, 77, former mayor of South Norfolk, Harper studied reports, documents, surveys and pictures of busy streets and thriving businesses that are now gone.
Harper went to cemeteries, tracked down church records, reviewed school rosters and even borrowed family portraits to copy as he began connecting the information.
``Sometimes, I felt like a detective,'' Harper said.
The trail would reach dead ends and then take off again in another direction. For example, Harper researched the first South Norfolk school, which was a little, wooden building on Jackson Street. But after 1903, there was no mention of the school. Later when he was working on another topic, Harper discovered the Jackson Street school building had been moved and added to a school on B Street in 1910.
In 1994, when his book was ready, Harper had three copies printed. But, as people began asking for copies, he had 180 additional copies made.
He thought the book was completed, but information kept coming in and there were more pictures and more stories to add to the chapters on semi-pro athletic teams, the volunteer fire brigade, the early police department and politics through the years. Volume II became an expanded copy of the first edition.
Harper said he added a detailed chapter on Berkley because so many of the founding fathers of South Norfolk came from that area.
Historical trivia was also included. For instance, Campostella Road was once called Great Road, Providence Road was once called Chair Road and there was a renowned winery in Berkley. The new book consists of 263 pages and includes 170 pictures.
The project is not yet off the press, and already Harper has two more projects under way. His next book will be the history of Chesapeake Avenue United Methodist Church, which began as the Liberty Street Methodist Episcopal Church South in 1892, and he plans to display some of his paintings at the annual Senior Citizens Art Exhibition this winter. MEMO: Persons with historical information to share about South Norfolk
can contact Raymond L. Harper at 545-9453. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Raymond L. Harper has written two books on the history of South
Norfolk. by CNB