NORFOLK NAVY YARD Marcus W. Robbins, Historian & Archivist
Copyright. All rights reserved.The Norfolk Navy Yard into the 20th Century
PUBLICATIONS INDEX:
Portsmouth & Norfolk, by Chamber of Commerce
Norfolk Navy Yard Handbook, 1974
Chamber of Commerce publication, pp. 50 & 51.
A busy scene at the Norfolk Navy Yard.
PORTSMOUTH.
PORTSMOUTH, situated on the south shore of the Elizabeth River, is connected with Norfolk by a passenger and vehicle ferry. The population of Portsmouth, according to the estimate of the U. S. Census Bureau as of January 1, 1925, was approximately 60,000. Situated on the same harbor and being served by the same excellent system of rail and water transportation lines, Portsmouth is really a part of the same community with Norfolk, except it has its own separate municipal government, which like Norfolk's is the manager-commission form.
Portsmouth was established by William Crawford in 1752 on a tract of 122 town lots. At the time of the seige of Norfolk by Lord Dunmore during the American Revolution, Portsmouth was also invaded, but escaped serious devastation. During the war between the States, however, the Norfolk Navy Yard at Portsmouth was captured and partly destroyed and the town of Portsmouth suffered severely also.
The Navy Yard occupies a considerable portion of Portsmouth's southeastern waterfront along the southern branch of the Elizabeth River. Portsmouth has a number of large manufacturing plants, including a cotton oil refinery plant that is one of the finest of its sort in the country, a number of fertilizer manufacturing plants, a coffee importing and roasting plant.
Portsmouth is the home of the U. S. Marine Barracks, maintained in connection with the other naval activities and the home of a U. S. Naval Hospital which is one of the finest in the country.
Among the interesting things to see in Portsmouth, in addition to the Navy Yard, Marine Barracks and Naval Hospital are: Trinity Church, at Court and High Streets, built in 1762, the Confederate Monument at Court and High Streets and the old court house. Portsmouth is the county seat of Norfolk County.
The Navy Yard is the greatest navy yard in the United States. Aside from its interesting history every visitor will be impressed with the vast amount of work always going forward.
The battleship Texas in dry dock at the Navy Yard.
