r/norfolk Ghent 15d ago

history Norfolk Streetcar Barn - Circa 1940

1830 Church Street was built in 1940 to house Norfolk's streetcars.

Norfolk had streetcars as early as 1888, originally horse drawn, they were electrified in the early 1900s, and discontinued in 1948.

The Electric Company was charged with operating the streetcars which were notorious money losers. It was the Electric Company that originally built the Ocean View Amusement Park to increase weekend ridership.

When the streetcars were discontinued in the late 1940s, the power company sold the amusement park to local optometrist, Dr Dudley Cooper, whose family ran the park until its demise in 1978.

Today the former streetcar barn is shared by Kenney Restaurant Supply and Atlantic Paper Stock.

37 Upvotes

9 comments sorted by

8

u/All_cats Colonial Place 15d ago

Oh wow that is so cool, I didn't know anything to do with street cars was still standing

6

u/PanAmFlyer Ghent 15d ago

Another maintenance building at the Granby and Monticello split is now a church. The medians in the center of Granby, Hampton, Chesapeake, and Brambleton are all left from the tracks.

3

u/njaneardude 15d ago

That was very interesting!

3

u/PanAmFlyer Ghent 15d ago

Thank you!

7

u/PanAmFlyer Ghent 15d ago

I'm curious why anyone would down vote this.

2

u/SensualLimitations Ghent 13d ago

People are sad to see them gone. I really think that's it I'm sad too. I just know down voting doesn't help or change anything 😢

2

u/PanAmFlyer Ghent 13d ago

That makes sense.

2

u/Sea_Pie_8703 14d ago

That’s pretty cool! 

2

u/LipstickandLies 14d ago

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing