The Dark House
Norfolk
You're a sucker
for info, so it seems. Here's some to keep you busy.
Norfolk (Virginia), independent city, southeastern Virginia; founded 1682, incorporated as a borough 1736, as a city 1845. It is situated at the mouth of the James, Elizabeth, and Nansemond rivers, near the outlet of Chesapeake Bay on the Atlantic Ocean; with the cities of Hampton, Portsmouth, and Newport News it forms the port of Hampton Roads, one of the greatest natural harbors in the world.
Norfolk is a major national seaport and an important military center, having one of the
world's largest concentrations of naval installations as well as important U.S. Marine,
Coast Guard, and NATO facilities. An Armed Forces Staff College is also here. The Norfolk
Naval Shipyard is across the Elizabeth River, in Portsmouth. A network of railroads and
highways converge on the Norfolk-Portsmouth Harbor, making it the leading grain-shipping
point on the East Coast. Combined with Newport News, it is one of the world's largest
coal-exporting ports. It has an international airport and is linked to the Delmarva
Peninsula by the 28-km (17-mi) long Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (1964). International
trade, financial services, tourism, ship repair, and manufacturing are also important
industries. Manufactures include processed food and industrial machines.
Norfolk is the seat of Old Dominion University (1930), Norfolk State University (1935),
Virginia Wesleyan College (1961), and Eastern Virginia Medical School (1964). The city is
also the site of the Chrysler Museum. Other cultural institutions include an opera
company, a symphony orchestra, and the Virginia Stage Company.
Nearby are many of the state's ocean recreation areas. Norfolk's tourist attractions
include the extensive Gardens-by-the-Sea, an annual International Azalea Festival, and the
Douglas MacArthur Memorial, a restored 1850 courthouse that includes the general's burial
crypt.
The town was laid out in 1682. Its early growth was based on the West Indies trade and the
shipping of products from the plantations of Virginia and North Carolina. During the
American Revolution it suffered both a British naval bombardment (early 1776) and an
attack by colonial troops (it had been a rallying point for Tory forces); every building
except Saint Paul's Church (1739) was destroyed. Rebuilt after the war, Norfolk became an
important shipbuilding and maritime center. A severe epidemic of yellow fever in 1855,
however, seriously retarded its development. It was captured by Union forces early in the
American Civil War (May 1862). Its enormous military growth began during World War I. The
city is named for Norfolk, England. Population (1980) 266,979; (1990) 261,229.
"Norfolk (Virginia)," Microsoft (R) Encarta. Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft
Corporation. Copyright (c) 1994 Funk & Wagnall's Corporation.
Now to say a few words about Norfolk, England - it's very flat and the locals who live there have a great accent.
Last updated: 20.07.02
©2002 Dors Productions
