1776, New Years Day, was the day when Lord Dunmore bombed the city of Norfolk with his fleet of three ships. Fires spread by the Patriots and started by the British, were combined with gunfire and together they destroyed around 800 buildings which only left a third of the city unharmed. What was left of the city was destroyed by the Patriots for strategic reasons in the upcoming month. The only structure that survived the attacks was the Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church. You can still find a cannonball from the attack lodged in Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church’s wall.

20th Century to Now

The Jamestown Exposition and the Virginian Railway came to Swell’s Point in 1907. There was a big Naval Review at the exposition which what was needed to make the decision to make Norfolk home to the biggest naval base in the world. It was a favorable location and therefore, was picked to be the prime location. The tricentennial anniversary of Jamestown’s founding was being commemorated with the exposition featuring many high ranking officials, including different diplomats from 21 other countries, members of Congress and Theodore Roosevelt. As the United States prepared to get involved in World War I in 1917, the former exposition grounds were used to construct the Naval Air Station Hampton Roads on it.

During the first part of the 20th century, Norfolk expanded via the process of annexing some other areas. Norfolk annexed Berkley in 1906 which made Norfolk cross the Elizabeth River. Then Willoughby Spit, Campostella, Sewell’s Point and Ocean View was absorbed into Norfolk in 1923. Norfolk included miles of beach front property on the Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads, in addition to the Navy Base. The current boundaries of Norfolk were finalized after they had a land swap with Virginia Beach in 1988 and a small annexation in 1959.