DATE: Thursday, May 15, 1997                TAG: 9705140172

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 06   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: COVER STORY 

SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  117 lines

RELIVING THE PAST BE SURE TO WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES AND CLOTHING FOR SUNDAY'S BOAT AND WALKING TOURS.

A SIX-HOUR HISTORY lesson, with entertainment and food added, is scheduled for noon to 6 p.m. Sunday - the city's first Historic Preservation Day.

The activities take place downtown, along Main Street from Constant's Wharf to Market Street.

Most of the area's historic homes, churches and other buildings will have open house. Some will offer added attractions.

You will see and learn a lot about your hometown as you tour areas and look at buildings you have probably been taking for granted.

A downtown walking tour and a Nansemond River boat tour, should be interesting eye-openers.

Several activities at Riddick's Folly will add to your fun and interest.

Everything that will be happening Sunday will show the public why revitalization of the downtown area is so important.

``We want to make people aware of the impact of preservation - preserving history,'' said Betsy Brothers, president of the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society.

``History is something you can't create,'' said Chris Layton, liaison between the city and the Society. ``Sunday is an attempt by the citizens and city management to recognize the importance of revitalization of the downtown corridor.''

The history ``needs to be preserved and nurtured,'' said Barbara McPhail, chairman of the Main Street Restoration and Re-Use Committee.

Suffolk's history goes back to the early 1600s, just after the settlement of Jamestown, when Capt. John Smith explored the area.

A short while later, Capt. John Constant established a wharf that served as an important port for much of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Suffolk was granted a charter by the Virginia General Assembly in 1742. It was incorporated as a city in 1910, merging with Nansemond County in 1974 to become the largest city in the state.

Two of its leading history writers will sign their books at Riddick's Folly: O. Kermit Hobbs Jr. authored the definitive book, ``Suffolk - A Pictorial History,'' while Elgin Lowe penned 11 books, mostly on the African American community.

Churches figure importantly in the history of Suffolk and most of the downtown churches are holding open house.

``Preservation Day starts at noon,'' said Georgellen Monette, past president of Riddick's Folly. ``We hope that, right after services, people will stay or come downtown to take advantage of what's going on.

``There'll be plenty of parking available,'' she said. ``Just follow the signs. The city is working on traffic control.''

Once you are parked, you are free to walk, visit, tour, see, indulge, enjoy.

The walking tour, self-guided with the help of a brochure, takes you from Constant's Wharf to the old post office. Then, cross Main Street and go back down to the wharf.

``Numbered signs will be in front of all the downtown buildings of historical significance,'' said McPhail, who described the walking tour as one of the day's main elements.

Wear comfortable shoes, and pay special attention to the 18th and 19th century buildings so important to Suffolk's history.

The Prentis House, built in 1800, was a Civil War prison. Peter Prentis, clerk of the Nansemond County Court, was arrested and, along with other prominent citizens, held there to ensure the cooperation of the townspeople with the Union troops.

The structure at 400 North Main Street was built in 1850, replacing a building constructed earlier. Behind that original building there was a cabinet shop where the ``Great Fire'' of 1837 is said to have started. The Great Fire destroyed most of the downtown area and most of the city's historic records.

Old Magnolias was one of the few structures to survive the fire. During the Civil War it was a refuge to many Suffolkians who had lost their homes during the fighting around Suffolk.

Riddick's Folly, built after the fire, was designed to withstand fire. During the Civil War it served as Union headquarters.

227 North Main Street, built around 1800, was used as an office by Mayor Benjamin Riddick during the Civil War.

The city's oldest brick structure is the Senior Center, originally the Kilby Law Office. Built in 1859, it housed another first - the city's first newspaper, published by John Kilby.

The Anne Browne House, built in 1825, is one of the oldest remaining structures to be constructed using wooden pegs.

There are, of course, many other historical sites which will be open, including the CSX Seaboard Train Station, which was built in 1885 as part of the Portsmouth and Weldon Railroad. It will undergo significant renovations next year.

The city's churches also offer some fascinating history.

Here's a small sampling:

Suffolk Christian Church, built in 1861, was occupied by Federal troops during the Civil War. The original building was torn down, replaced by the current structure in 1893.

The First Baptist Church, Main Street, built in 1836, was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War - the troops looting the building. The current structure was built in 1851.

There is more - much more. Welcome to the 1st Suffolk Historic Preservation Day, an event coinciding with this week's celebration of National Historic Preservation Week.

``The city's history,'' Layton said, ``is a natural asset.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos courtesy of the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical

Society including color cover.

In 1941, Suffolk's Main Street was the heart of life for things such

as shopping and the annual Suffolk Peanut Festival parade.

This is how Main Street looked in the 1920s. The old Post Office is

on the left and Russells Drug Store is on the right.

Graphic

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