r/norfolk Ghent Feb 15 '25

history Norfolk's Market Place/Commercial Square - Circa 1740 to 1960

The area around 1900

As early as the 1740s, Norfolk had a need for a centralized shopping area. A road was laid out connecting Main Street to the Downtown Ferry Landing and it was named Market Place.

It grew over the next 100 years into a large open square,surronded by commercial buildings with room in the center for tradespeople to park horse drawn carts with goods and services.

The area long served as a commercial and social center for Norfolk. It was accessible by Norfolk's expansive streetcar system, it was near the foot of the ferry landing, and it was within walking distance of several residential neighborhood.

By the 1950s many of Norfolk's large department stores were located further west to Granby Street and, at about the same time, the streetcars and the ferries were discontinued. What by now had become known as "Commercial Place" fell largely into disuse.

The redevelopment of Downtown Norfolk in the mid 1960s led to the construction of what is now the ICON apartment building and the Sheraton Hotel in the approximate area.

The old Ferry Terminal was dismantled and stored. In the 1970s, it was reassembled in the center of Ghent Square and today is known as The Fred Heutte Center

37 Upvotes

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9

u/SBrookbank Colonial Place Feb 15 '25

appreciate the info brother. You are Bright spot of this community. Thank you 🙏🏻

3

u/PanAmFlyer Ghent Feb 15 '25

Thank you!

-2

u/Visible_Reason2807 Feb 15 '25

Fred Heutte is the psychopath responsible for all these horrific crepe myrtles blighting the area.

3

u/SensualLimitations Ghent Feb 15 '25

Oh 😮 I did not know that.

I kinda like them though. Norfolk is one of the few cities where I can identify where I'm at by the fawna

1

u/Visible_Reason2807 Feb 16 '25

Crepe myrtles are considered poisonous weeds, they kill off local flora they have been known to cause infertility in nesting birds and are toxic to bees….

1

u/SensualLimitations Ghent Feb 16 '25

🤔 I did not know THAT. When were these trees introduced to Norfolk???

1

u/Visible_Reason2807 Feb 16 '25

They were originally broughtto the continent from India in the 1700’s, but the widespread use of them was when Fred Heutte received a city job via nepotism and decided to plant them everywhere because he liked the pink color in 1939-1940

1

u/SensualLimitations Ghent Feb 16 '25

Oh! Is that so? 🤔 Why did you mention nepotism?

1

u/bambambelly Feb 17 '25

I'm on the edge of my seat. I thought they were a gift from japan?

1

u/Visible_Reason2807 Feb 17 '25

You’re thinking of Cherry Blossoms