Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States of America. With a population of 234,403
as of the 2000 census, Norfolk is Virginia's second-largest incorporated
city.
Norfolk is located in the Hampton Roads region, named for the large natural harbor of the same name located at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay.
Norfolk is one of nine cities and seven counties that constitute the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, officially known as the
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA. The city
is bordered to the west by the Elizabeth River and to the north by the
Chesapeake Bay. It also shares land borders with the independent cities of
Chesapeake to its south and Virginia
Beach to its east. One of the oldest of the Seven Cities of Hampton
Roads, Norfolk is considered to be the historic, urban, financial, and cultural center of the region.
The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point. Norfolk is home to both the Norfolk Naval Base, the world's largest naval base, and corporate headquarters of the
Norfolk Southern Railway, one of North
America's principal Class I railroads. As it is surrounded by multiple bodies of
water, Norfolk has many miles of riverfront and bayfront property, and is linked with its neighbors by an extensive network of
Interstate highways, bridges,
tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes.
History
-
Colonial period
In 1619, the Governor for the Virginia Colony, Sir George Yeardley established 4 incorporations, termed citties (sic) for the developed portion of the
colony. These citties were to form the basis for the government of the colony in the newly minted House of Burgesses, with the entire eastern portion of the Hampton Roads region falling under the
Elizabeth Cittie incorporation, the remainder being in
James Cittie, immediately to the west.
In 1622, Adam Thoroughgood (1604-1640) of King's
Lynn, Norfolk, England, became one of the earliest
Englishmen to settle in the area that was to become South Hampton Roads when, at the
age of 18, he became an indentured servant to pay for passage to the Virginia Colony.
After his period of contracted servitude was finished, he earned his freedom and soon became a leading citizen of the fledgling
colony.[1]
Meanwhile, after years of continuing struggles at Jamestown, the now bankrupt Virginia
Company had its royal charter revoked by King James I in 1624 and Virginia
became a crown colony. Also at this time, the King granted 500 acres (2 km²) of land to Thomas Willoughby, in what is now the Ocean View section
of the city.
In 1629, Thoroughgood was elected to the House of Burgesses for Elizabeth Cittie. Five years later, in 1634, the
King Charles I had the colony reorganized under a system of 8 shires, with much of the eastern Hampton Roads region becoming part of Elizabeth City Shire. In 1636, Thoroughgood was granted a large land holding along the Lynnhaven
River (which he named) for having persuaded 105 people to settle in the colony. When the South Hampton Roads portion of Elizabeth City Shire was partitioned off in that same year, it was
Thoroughgood who contributed the name of Norfolk, also in honor of his birthplace, to the newly formed New Norfolk County. It was also during this reorganization that King Charles granted a
further acres ( km²) (present day downtown) to the Willoughby family; a portion of which would later form the basis
for the future city of Norfolk. Shortly thereafter, in 1637, New Norfolk County was itself split into 2 counties,
Upper Norfolk County and Lower Norfolk County, largely on Thoroughgood’s recommendation. The modern city of
Norfolk is located in the latter.[1]
In 1670, a royal decree was issued for the "building of storehouses to receive imported merchandise. . .and tobacco for
export" for each of the Virginia colony's 20 counties. Norfolk’s protected harbor and natural deep water channels was quickly
recognized for its potential as a major seaport, and in order to protect that potential, in 1673 the House of Burgesses called
for the construction of a "Half Moone" fort at the site of what is now Town Pointe Park. The
largest threat to the colony during this time was a potential attack by one of the other major European powers, and by the
Dutch in particular. The ongoing Third Anglo-Dutch
War, as well as the recent recapture of New York/New
Amsterdam helped spur fears that the new port might also come under attack. Nonetheless, Norfolk quickly grew in size and
by 1680 an act for the establishment of the "Towne of Lower Norfolk County" had been issued by the House. This act was
subsequently fulfilled in 1682 when 50 acres were purchased by the county for 10,000 pounds of tobacco. The town initially
encompassed a land area northeast of the point where the eastern branch of the Elizabeth River meets its southern branch, part of present-day downtown. In 1691, a final
county subdivision took place when Lower Norfolk County was split to form Norfolk County
(present day Norfolk, Chesapeake, and parts of Portsmouth) and Princess Anne
County (present day Virginia Beach). Norfolk was incorporated in 1705 and in 1736 was granted a royal charter by
George II as a borough.[2]
By 1775, Norfolk had developed into what many contemporaries of the time argue was the most prosperous city in Virginia. It
was a major shipbuilding center and an important trans-shipment point for the export of goods such as tobacco, corn, cotton, and
timber from Virginia and North Carolina, to the British Isles and beyond. In turn, goods from the West Indies such as rum and sugar, and finished manufactured products from England were imported back through
Norfolk to the rest of the lower colonies. Though widespread slavery in the colony did not occur
until the early 18th century, it should also be noted that by this time much of the West Indies and American Colonial products
that flowed through the harbor were now being produced with the use of slave labor.
Revolutionary War Period
Norfolk had been a strong base of Loyalist support throughout the start of the
American Revolution. In the early summer of 1775, after having been forced to flee
the colonial capitol of Williamsburg, Lord Dunmore, the royal governor of Virginia,
tried to reestablish control of the colony from Norfolk. Throughout the summer and autumn of that year he was able to secure a
number of smaller victories over the rebelling colonists in and around the South Hampton Roads region, mostly by means of small
raiding parties which were used to reinforce his men. In November, a larger battle took place at Kemp's Landing which provided
Dunmore and the loyalists a clear victory, but it was nonetheless clear by then that the rebellion was escalating into full scale
war. The victory at Kemp's Landing emboldened the governor, who afterwards issued Dunmore's Proclamation, which most notably promised freedom to any slave who joined His Majesty's
forces. The proclamation may have been a provocation to many moderates (in the sense of their loyalty to the crown) however, and
Dunmore's victory would prove to be short lived.[3]
Three weeks later, Dunmore's overconfidence proved to be his undoing when his forces attempted a surprise attack, but were
instead decidedly routed at the Battle of Great Bridge on December 9th, 1775 by
the fledlging 2nd Virginia Regiment. Under the command of Colonel Woodford, the rebels surprised the British troops with their larger than expected numbers (many
of whom who had decided to support the rebellion after having read Dunmore's Proclamation) and proceeded to quickly deliver heavy
losses to Dunmore's toops, including the loss or injury of 102 men, whilst only suffering one injured on their part. Dunmore
retreated back to Norfolk, but the quickly advancing Regiment forced him and the remaining loyalists to flee to Dunmore's ship,
Otter, which was anchored in the harbor. Dunmore Street, in the historic residential neighborhood of Freemason, was named
after him not as a tribute, but as having supposedly been the street down which he and the remaining Loyalists were last seen
fleeing on their way to board Otter. His forced exile effectively brought an end to over 168 years of British colonial
rule in Virginia.[3]
Shortly thereafter, on New Year's Day, 1776, Lord Dunmore's fleet of 3 ships shelled the city of Norfolk for over 8 hours. The
damage from the shells and ensuing fires set by the British destroyed 800 buildings, almost two-thirds of the city. The rebels
essentially completed the destruction of the city, burning another 400 buildings as part of a scorched earth policy. Only the walls of St. Paul's Episcopal Church survived the bombardment and
subsequent fires. Even it did not escape unharmed however, as an unexploded cannonball lodged itself into the southeast wall of
the church. Due to safety concerns over the unexploded ordnance the actual cannonball has since been removed, but a replica has
been put in its place. The rest of the church was rebuilt in 1827.[4]
Rebirth, Fire, Disease, and War
Following the recovery from the Revolutionary War burning, the 19th century began auspiciously enough for Norfolk and her
citizens. By 1800, the population was the 10th largest in the United States according to that year’s census. However, just 4
years later, another serious fire along the city’s waterfront destroyed some 300 buildings and the city experienced a serious
economic setback as a result.
During the 1820’s many agrarian communities across the American South
experienced a prolonged recession, resulting in the emigration of many families from the region to other areas. This is evidenced
in the slight drop in overall population over the ten-year census period from 1820 to 1830 (~15,000 total persons) in
Norfolk County, despite the fact that other urban areas experienced significant
population growth at this time. Also notable during this period were the various attempts Virginia made to either phase out
slavery through law (see Thomas Jefferson Randolph’s 1832 resolution) or
through colonization of blacks to Africa. The largest of these organizations, the American Colonization Society (ACS), was founded in 1816 to this purpose and many of the
subsequent immigrants from Virginia and North Carolina would later embark from Norfolk. One such immigrant was Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a native of Norfolk who would go on to become the first president of
Liberia. Roberts Village in Norfolk is named for him. Active immigration through the ACS largely
came to an end following the Civil War and subsequent lack of government funds.
By 1840, Norfolk had shown its resilience once again and boasted a population of 10,920 for the borough proper (not including
the rest of the county). In 1845, Norfolk was incorporated as a city and by 1850 the city’s population was approximately 14,000
persons, including 4,000 slaves and 1,000 free blacks. In 1851, the Commonwealth authorized the charter of an mile
( km) railroad connecting Norfolk and Petersburg. Completed in 1858, this
important line was the predecessor of today's Norfolk Southern railroad
company.
On June 7, 1855, the ship Benjamin Franklin detoured into
Portsmouth for urgent repairs to fix leaks, a broken boiler, and an unsteady mast. The ship was in route from St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands to
New York. The city's health officer inspected the ship, as was
standard practice at the time, and suspected something was awry, despite assurances from the captain that ship was free of
disease. The officer ordered that the ship be held at anchor in the harbor for 11 days. Afterwards, he returned to the ship and
allowed it dock under the condition that the ship's hold not be broken. Within several days of docking however, the first cases
of Yellow Fever had appeared in some people whose homes were near the wharf. By July, the
epidemic was in full outbreak and would eventually result in the deaths of over 3,000 people in the region, 2,000 of them in
Norfolk. At its peak, the epidemic was claiming more than 100 lives a day in Norfolk alone.[5] Many more people fled the area, some never to return. The city's population would
not reach its 1850 census population until after the Civil War.
In early 1861, Norfolk voters instructed their delegate to vote for ratification of the ordinance of secession. Soon
thereafter, Virginia voted to secede from the Union. Richmond became the capitol of the Confederacy, and the American Civil War began
in earnest.
Logo for Jamestown Exposition in 1907
Not long thereafter, in the spring of 1862, the remains of the USS
Merrimac were rebuilt at Norfolk Navy Yard as an ironclad and
renamed as the CSS Virginia. Hoping to break the Union naval blockade of Virginia,
the Battle of Hampton Roads began on March 8,
1862 off the northwest shore of the city's Sewell's Point
Peninsula damaging many Union warships. On the second day of the battle, the USS
Monitor made it to Union held Fort Monroe across the James River in
Hampton. The battle would ultimately ended in a stalemate however, as neither ship was
able to do significant damage to the other due to the heavy armor plating. This battle forever changed the course of naval
warfare as warships from then on would be made from metal.[6] When Norfolk Mayor William Lamb surrendered the city to General John E. Wool and Union Forces, the decision was made to scuttle the Virginia rather than risk losing
her to the Union Navy. For the duration of the Civil War, the city was held under Martial
law and many private and public buildings were confiscated for federal use. Mayor Lamb did manage to successfully hide the
city's colonial era silver mace underneath a fireplace hearth to avoid having it confiscated or melted down by union troops.
[7]
After Reconstruction, African-Americans throughout Hampton Roads were elected to state
and local offices, but would slowly come to face increasing legal discrimination through the development of Jim Crow Laws in the latter part of the century.
Map of the City of Norfolk and Norfolk County, Virginia, 1895
The following years would bring new milestones to the city including the first car of bituminous coal arriving from the Pocahontas fields over the Norfolk & Western Railway in 1883. Tracks were extending to the coal piers at
Lambert's Point creating one of the largest coal transshipment ports in the world. In
1894, classes began in the city's first public high school. The electric street railway was
introduced to Norfolk and would link Norfolk with its neighboring communities (present day neighborhoods), and the neighboring
City of Portsmouth.
1907 brought both the Virginian Railway and the Jamestown Exposition to Sewell's Point. The large
Naval Review at the Exposition demonstrated the peninsula's favorable location, laying the
groundwork for the world's largest naval base. Commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, the exposition
brought many prominent people including President Theodore Roosevelt, congressmen,
senators, and diplomats from 21 countries. Henry Huttleston Rogers and Mark Twain also attended the expo. Many naval ships from different countries were present for the
celebration. The area where the exposition took would become Naval Air Station Hampton Roads, later Naval Station Norfolk, ten years later in 1917, during the height of World War I.[8]
Norfolk continued to grow in the first half of the twentieth century as it expanded its borders through annexation. In 1906,
the incorporated town of Berkley was
annexed, stretching the city limits across the Elizabeth River. The town
became a borough along with the neighborhoods of Beacon Light and Hardy Field.[9]
In 1923, the city limits were expanded to include Sewell's Point, Willoughby Spit,
the town of Campostella, and Ocean View, adding the
Navy Base and miles of beach property fronting on Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay. The Norfolk Naval Base grew rapidly as a result of World War I and this created a housing
shortage in the area. These newly incorporated areas grew rapidly along with the 1906-created Larchmont neighborhood, five miles from downtown. [10]
By 1950, Norfolk was the fifth fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States. After a smaller annexation in 1959, and
a 1988 land swap with Virginia Beach, the city assumed its current boundaries.
[11]
Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel
With the dawn of the Interstate Highway System, new highways opened and a
series of bridges and tunnels opening over fifteen years would link Norfolk with the
Peninsula, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. In 1952, the Downtown Tunnel opened connecting Norfolk with the city of Portsmouth. In 1991, the new Downtown Tunnel/Berkley Bridge complex was completed,
with a new system of multiple lanes of highway and interchanges connecting Downtown Norfolk and Interstate 464 with the Downtown Tunnel tubes.[12] On November 1,
1957, the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel opened
to traffic, connecting the Virginia Peninsula with the city. The new two-lane toll
bridge-tunnel connection became a portion of Interstate 64 by the end of 1957,
connecting Norfolk westward with a limited access freeway. "#wp-_note-Hampton_Roads_Bridge_Tunnel">[13]The two-lane Midtown Tunnel was completed September 6, 1962, supplementing the Downtown Tunnel and the Berkley Bridge.[14]On December 1, 1967, the Virginia
Beach-Norfolk Expressway (Interstate 264 and State Route 44), a mile ( km) long toll road
leading from Baltic Avenue in Virginia Beach to Brambleton Avenue in Norfolk, opened to traffic at a cost of $34 million.[15]
A City Struggles With Integration
In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the landmark Brown v. Board of
Education case determined that racial segregation in public schools (and public accommodations) was unconstitutional.
However, Virginia, under the leadership of U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd and the
Byrd Organization, pursued a policy to avoid desegregation which came to be called
Massive Resistance. Among the actions were new state laws which prohibited state
funding for integrated public schools, even as some school districts began to contemplate them. This set the stage for a
conflict, but it was a few years after Brown before the policy was tested.
Norfolk's private schools had been integrated four years before as they chose to voluntarily comply with the Brown
decision. However, a number of public school divisions (school districts) around the
state had been reluctant to do so for fear of losing state funds. In 1958, Federal District Courts in Virginia ordered schools in
Arlington County, Charlottesville, Norfolk, and Warren County,
to desegregate. In the fall of 1958, a handful of public schools in three of these widespread areas opened for the first time on
a racially integrated basis. In response, Virginia Governor J. Lindsay Almond Jr. ordered the schools to be closed, which included six of the Norfolk Public Schools.
In Norfolk, the state action had the community impact of locking ten thousand children out of school, which raised outcry by
the public to a high level. As some children attended makeshift schools in churches, etc., the citizens voted whether to reopen
the public schools. The ballot made clear that the Commonwealth of Virginia would stop funding integrated schools. However, on
January 19, 1959, the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals made that issue irrelevant as declared the state law to in
conflict with Virginia's state constitution. The Court of Appeals ordered all public schools be funded, whether integrated or
not. Governor Almond capitulated about ten days later, asking the General
Assembly, which was in session, to rescind several "Massive Resistance" laws. [16] In September 1959, Norfolk's public schools were
desegregated when 17 black children entered six previously all-white schools in
Norfolk. Virginian-Pilot editor Lenoir
Chambers editorialized against massive resistance, earning the
Pulitzer Prize.[17]
- See also: Massive Resistance
Downtown Norfolk's Decline and Rebirth
-
As the traditional center of shipping and port activities in
the Hampton Roads region, Norfolk's downtown waterfront historically played host to
numerous and often noxious port and shipping-related uses. With the advent of containerized shipping in the mid-20th century, the
shipping uses located on Norfolk's downtown waterfront became obsolete as larger and
more modern port facilities opened elsewhere in the region. The vacant piers and cargo warehouses eventually became a blight on
downtown and Norfolk's fortunes as a whole. But in the second half of the century, Norfolk had a vibrant retail community in its
suburbs; companies like Smith & Welton, High's,
Colonial Stores, Hofheimer's, Giant Open Air, Dollar Tree and K & K
Toys were regional leaders in their respective fields. Norfolk was also the birthplace of Econo-Travel, now
Econo Lodge, one of the nation's first discount motel chains.
Similarly, the advent of newer suburban shopping destinations spelled demise for the fortunes
of downtown's Granby Street commercial corridor, located just a few blocks inland from the
waterfront. Granby Street traditionally played the role as the premiere shopping and gathering spot in the Hampton Roads region
and numerous department stores such as Smith & Welton (1898-1988), Rice's
(1918-1985) and Ames and Brownley (1898-1973), fine hotels and theaters once lined its sidewalks.
However, new suburban shopping developments promised more convenience and comfort. The opening of Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach, the region's first climate controlled shopping mall, and JANAF Shopping Center, one of the nation's first large shopping centers, in 1959 in
Norfolk's Military Circle area, helped foment Granby Street's spiral into commercial obsolescence.[18] With amenities such as ample free
parking at the door of one's favorite store, and in the case of Pembroke Mall, climate control, the businesses of downtown's
Granby Street found it harder and harder to compete.
Beginning in the 1970s, Norfolk's city leaders began what would be a long push to revive the fortunes of its urban core. While
Granby Street experienced its decline, Norfolk city leaders were also focused on the waterfront and its collection of decaying
piers and warehouses. Federal urban renewal programs such as the Housing Act of 1949
promised cities around the country millions of dollars in government grants for the purpose of removing blight conditions and
preparing urban land for redevelopment. Norfolk, as with many other cities, took full advantage of these Federal urban renewal
funds and began large-scale demolitions of broad swaths of downtown. This included slum housing that, in the mid-20th century,
did not have indoor plumbing or access to running water. However, Norfolk's urban renewal also included the demolition of many
prominent city buildings, including the former City Market, Norfolk Terminal Station (the Union
railroad station), The Monticello Hotel, and large swaths of urban fabric that,
were they still in existence today, might be the source of additional historic urban character, including the East Main Street
district (where the current civic complex is located).
At the water's edge, nearly all of the obsolete shipping and warehousing facilities were demolished. In their place, planners
created a new boulevard, Waterside Drive. In place of the piers and warehouses rose: the Waterside Festival Marketplace, opened
in 1983, an indoor mall created by the Rouse Company and similar to Baltimore's
Inner Harbor Pavilions; the waterfront Town Point Park - an
esplanade park with wide open riverfront views; and the Norfolk Omni Hotel. On the inland side of
Waterside Drive, the demolition of the warehouses and wharves created new parcels on which most of the high rise buildings in
Norfolk's skyline now stand. Waterside
created a precedent in which a festival marketplace concept helped transform a
formerly declining harbor area into a major catalyst for other redevelopment.
In April 1993, the 12,067-seat Harbor Park baseball stadium opens, hosting the
Norfolk Tides Triple-A minor league
baseball team. Designed by [[HOK Sport + Venue + Event|HOK Sport]], it was instantly acclaimed as one of the best minor
league ballparks in America, and received the honor of best minor league park in 1995 by Baseball America. Also, despite
worries that a new downtown park would not draw fans from the region's other cities, Harbor Park continually posts one of the
best attendance records in minor league baseball, and certainly far higher than at their previous stadium, Met Park.[19]
Norfolk's efforts to revitalize its downtown have attracted acclaim in economic development and urban planning circles
throughout the country. Publications such as the American Planning Association's monthly Planning
Magazine, have hailed the tremendous rebound in the downtown residential population, and Money Magazine proclaimed Norfolk as the number one city in which to live in the South in 1999.
The rising fortunes of the downtown area have helped expand the city's coffers which has in turn been able to direct its
attention to revitalizing other neighborhoods of the city. Located just northwest of downtown, the Ghent district of Norfolk is one of the Hampton Roads region's premier urban residential communities.
Ghent has the highest residential densities of any other area in Hampton Roads, and is home to a diverse array of people -
artists, strivers, lower income to wealthy, etc. Many other areas of Norfolk are also being revitalized, including Fairmount
Park, Ocean View and East Beach, the latter both on the Chesapeake Bay.
Government and Law
Norfolk is an independent city with services that both counties and cities in Virginia provide such as sheriff, social
services, and a court system.
Norfolk city government consists of a city council with representatives from seven
districts serving in a legislative and oversight capacity, as well as a popularly elected,
at-large mayor. The city manager serves as head of the
executive branch. Citizens in each of the six wards elect one council
representative each to serve a four-year term. An additional council member is elected from a city wide "Superward 7." The city
council meets at City Hall weekly, 7:00 PM on the first and third Tuesdays, and 2:30 PM on the second or fourth Tuesdays.[20]
As of September, 2007, the Norfolk City Council consists of: Mayor Paul D. Fraim; Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot, Ward 3; Daun
S. Hester, Superward 7; Paul R. Riddick, Ward 4; Dr. Theresa W. Whibley, Ward 2; Donald L. Williams, Ward 1; Barclay C. Winn,
Ward 6; W. Randy Wright, Ward 5.[20]
Norfolk also has a federal courthouse for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of
Virginia. The Walter E. Hoffman United States Courthouse in Norfolk has four judges,
Judge Rebecca Beach Smith, Raymond A. Jackson, Jerome B. Friedman, Walter D. Kelley, Jr., two Senior Judges,
Robert G. Doumar, Henry Coke Morgan, Jr., four
magistrate judges, and two bankruptcy judges. [21]
Norfolk is located in the Virginia's 2nd congressional
district, served by U.S. Representative Thelma Drake and in the Virginia's 3rd congressional district, served by U.S. Representative
Robert C. Scott.
Economy
- Main Article: Economy of Norfolk, Virginia
Trader Square, headquarters of Dominion Enterprises
Since Norfolk serves as the commercial and cultural center for the somewhat unique geographical region of Hampton Roads (and
in its political structure of independent cities), it can be difficult to separate the economic characteristics of Norfolk, from
that of the region as a whole. In any case, it is no surprise that the waterways which almost completely surround the Hampton
Roads region also play an important part in the local economy. As a strategic location at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, its
protected deep water channels serve as major arteries for the import and export of goods from across the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-West,
and international destinations, as well as playing host to the world's largest naval base.[22] Major Companies Headquartered in Norfolk include Norfolk Southern Ticker: NS, [23] Landmark Communications,[24] Dominion Enterprises,[25], FHC Health Systems,[26], Portfolio Recovery Associates Ticker: PRAA,[27] and BlackHawk Products
Group.[28]
- See also: List of foreign consulates in Norfolk
Military
Hampton Roads is a major military center, particularly for the United States Navy,
and Norfolk serves as the home for the most important of these regional installations, Naval Station Norfolk. Located on Sewell's Point
Peninsula, in the northwest corner of the city, the installation is the current headquarters of the Atlantic Fleet, as well as being home port for the 2nd Fleet, which compromises approximately 62,000 active duty personnel, 75 ships, and 132
aircraft. The base also serves as the headquarters to the Allied Command
Transformation (NATO) and the United
States Joint Forces Command.
The region also plays an important role in defense contracting, with particular emphasis in the shipbuilding and ship repair
businesses for the city of Norfolk. Major private shipyards located in Norfolk include: BAE Systems
Norfolk Ship Repair, Metro Machine Corp., and Colonna's Shipyard
Inc.. Most contracts fulfilled by these shipyards are issued by the Navy, though some private commercial repair also takes
place.
When combined with other important regional military installations such as Naval
Air Station Oceana, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (in Portsmouth),
Langley Air Force Base, and Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, and along with other important defense
contractors, the military serves as the region's economic backbone and cultural focal point. In fact, it is estimated that over
35% of Gross Regional Product (which includes the entire Norfolk-Newport News-Virginia Beach MSA), is attributable to defense
spending, and that 75% of all regional growth since 2001 is attributable to increases in defense spending.[29]
Commercial Ports
After the military, the 2nd largest and most important industry for Hampton Roads and Norfolk based on economic impact are the
region's cargo ports. Headquartered in Norfolk, the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) is a
Commonwealth of Virginia owned-entity that, in turn, owns and operates three major port
facilities in Hampton Roads for break-bulk and container type cargo. In Norfolk, Norfolk International
Terminals (NIT) represents one of those three facilities and is home to the world's largest and fastest container
cranes.[30] Together, the 3
terminals of the VPA handled a total of over 2 million TEUs and 475,000 tons of
breakbulk cargo in 2006, making it the 2nd* busiest port on the east coast of North
America by total cargo volume after the Port of New York and New Jersey. In addition, just across the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth, Maersk is
spending $450 million to open the largest container terminal on the East Coast sometime in late 2007.[31]
In addition to NIT, Norfolk is home to Lambert's Point Docks, the largest coal trans-shipment point in the Northern
Hemisphere, with annual throughput of approximately 48 million tons.[32] Bituminous coal is primarily sourced from the
Appalachian mountains in western Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The coal is loaded onto trains and sent to the port where it is unloaded onto large breakbulk cargo
ships and destined for New England, Europe, and Asia primarily.
Most major shipping lines have a permanent presence in the region with some combination of sales, distribution, and/or
logistical offices, many of which are located in Norfolk. In addition, many of the largest international shipping companies have
chosen Norfolk as their North American headquarters. These companies are either located at the Norfolk World Trade Center
building or have constructed buildings in the Lake Wright Executive Center office park.
Among them include:
- CMA CGM - The French firm and world's 3rd largest shipping
line has its North American headquarters in Norfolk.[33]
- Zim Integrated Shipping Services - An Israeli owned shipping line
and the 13th largest in the world, also has its North American headquarters in Norfolk.
"#wp-_note-Zin_American_Israeli_Shipping">[34]
- Maersk Line Limited - A subsidiary of the world's largest shipping line, A.P.
Moller-Maersk Group, specializing in US government shipping contracts.[35]
Tourism
Though Virginia Beach and Williamsburg have traditionally been the centers of tourism for the region, the rebirth of
downtown Norfolk and the construction of a cruise ship pier at the foot of Nauticus in downtown
has driven tourism to become an increasingly important part of the city's economy. The number of cruise ship passengers who
visited Norfolk increased from 50,000 in 2003, to 107,000 in 2004 and 2005. Also in April of 2007, the city completed
construction on a $36 million state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal alongside the pier.[36] Partly due to this construction, passenger counts dropped to 70,000 in 2006, but
is expected to rebound to 90,000 in 2007, and higher in later years. Unlike most cruise ship terminals which are located in
industrial areas, the downtown location of Norfolk's terminal has received favorable reviews from both tourists and the cruise
lines who enjoy its proximity to the city's hotels, restaurants, shopping, and cultural amenities.[37]
Media
Norfolk's daily newspaper is the Virginian-Pilot. Other papers include the
Port Folio Weekly, the New Journal and Guide, the Hampton Roads Business Journal, Old Dominion University's
Crown and Mace, Norfolk State University's The Spartan Echo, and
Virginia Wesleyan College's Marlin Chronicles.[38] Hampton
Roads Magazine serves as a bi-monthly regional magazine for Norfolk and the Hampton
Roads area.[39]Norfolk is served by a variety of radio stations on the AM and FM dials with
towers located all over the Hampton Roads area.[40]
Norfolk is also served by several television stations. Major network television affiliates include:
Norfolk residents also are able to receive independent stations such as WSKY broadcasting on
channel 4 from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and WGBS broadcasting on channel 7 from
Hampton. Norfolk is served by Cox Cable
which provides LNC 5, a local 24-hour cable news network. DirecTV and Dish Network are also very popular as an alternative to cable
television in Norfolk.
Culture and Contemporary Life
As with most of Virginia (the Northern Virginia/Washington D.C metro area being the
notable exception), Norfolk is most often associated with the larger American
South. However, due to the large presence of the military in the region, which has brought people to Hampton Roads from
across all regions of the country, some traditions and cultural aspects have changed more so than in other southern regions. One
of the most notable differences is the relative lack of presence of the Southern
accent. While it is not uncommon to hear someone speak with a Southern accent, especially older persons or persons from
other southern regions, it is heard less frequently in Hampton Roads than some other parts of the south due, in large part, to
the transient military and maritime population. Still, some elements of the southern dialect and culture have remained firmly in
place, and newcomers often quickly adapt to these cultural differences. For instance, the expressions ya'll as a plural second-person pronoun, 'honey' or 'hon' as a term of endearment, sweetened ice tea,
Southern fried chicken, grits, and other trad
