Norfolk, 18th Century

1736 -- By charter from George II, Norfolk and its suburbs were incorporated into a borough. Samuel Boush became our first mayor.

1739 - St. Paul's Episcopal Church erected on property deeded to the Borough by Samuel Boush.

1746 - The inhabitants of Norfolk Borough manifest their loyalty by celebrating the defeat of the Pretender by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cumberland, at the Battle of Culoden, fought on 6 April of this year.

1749 - Hurricane lays down Willoughby Spit and forms Willoughby Bay.

1754 - A silver mace, ancient symbol of royal authority, is presented to the Norfolk Borough council by Lt. Gov. Robert Dinwiddie.

1761 - Norfolk's first free school.

1766 - Inhabitants of Norfolk Borough and Norfolk County assemble at courthouse and organize the Sons of Liberty, to oppose and protest against the Stamp Act.

1774 - First Norfolk newspaper published, the Virginia Gazette or Norfolk Intelligencer, edited by John Hunter Holt. The paper was put out of business when its press was seized by British troops in 1775.

1776 -- On New Year's Day, English ships under the command of Lord Dunmore opened fire on Norfolk, burning many of the buildings to the ground. The destruction was completed by Colonial troops in order that the British might not occupy the borough. Norfolk was the only American town completely destroyed and rebuilt. A British cannonball in the wall of St. Paul's Church is a reminder of the Revolutionary War.

1782 - Norfolk Charter amended to allow the Common Council to be elected by a vote of the people.

1783 - British blockade lifted and Norfolk begins to rebuild.

1787 -- The first U.S. Marine Hospital was established in Norfolk County. It later became the U.S. Public Health Hospital.

1788 - Norfolk's first organized volunteer fire fighting company was established. By 1827 there were 3 volunteer fire companies in the city.

1788 - First newspaper published in Borough after the Revolution, known as The Norfolk and Portsmouth Chronicle.

1790 - Courthouse built on Main Street, east of Church. The population of the Borough was nearly 3000.

1792 - The Myers House, one of the first brick buildings to be constructed in Norfolk after the Revolution, was built by Moses Myers. Myers was a shipping merchant who came to Norfolk in 1787 from New York.

1793 - Haitian refugees with free blacks as well as slaves arrive in Norfolk.

1795 - Federal government buys land and orders building of Fort Norfolk.

1797 - The Borough of Norfolk adopts an ordinance to govern a Watch. This was the beginning of our modern Police Department.

> 19th Century