History of Virginia Beach

The history of Virginia Beach goes back to the Native Americans live in the area for thousands of years before the English colonists established their first permanent settlement in 1607. The Colonial Virginia period extended until 1776 and the American Revolution, and the area has been part of the Commonwealth of Virginia ever since. Except the 11 years it was a small independent city (1952-1963), the resort strip area which was the source of the current name of the entire city has been part of the same unit of local government since early Colonial times.

Native Americans

Chesepians were the Native American (American Indian) inhabitants of the area now known as South Hampton Roads in Virginia during the Woodland Period and later prior to the arrival of the English settlers in 1607. The Algonquian word "Chesepioc" means "Great Shellfish Bay", a reference to the Chesapeake Bay. They occupied an area which is now the Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach areas. To their west were the members of the Nansemond tribe.

The main village of the Chesepians was called Skicoak, located in the present independent city of Norfolk. The Chesepians also had two other towns (or villages), Apasus and Chesepioc, both near the Chesapeake Bay in what is now Virginia Beach. Of these, it is known that Chesepioc was located in the present Great Neck area. Archaeologists and other persons have found numerous Native American artifacts, such as arrowheads, stone axes, pottery, beads, and skeletons in Great Neck Point.

Although they were eastern-Algonquian speaking as were members of the Powhatan Confederacy across Hampton Roads, the archaeological evidence suggests that the original Chesepians belonged to another group, the Carolina Algonquian. According to William Strachey's "The Historie of Travaile into Virginia Britanica" (1612), the Chesepians were wiped out by Chief Wahunsunacock, the head of the Virginia Peninsula-based Powhatan Confederacy, some time before the arrival of the English at Jamestown in 1607. The Chesepians were eliminated because Powhatan's priests had warned him that "from the Chesapeake Bay a nation should arise, which should dissolve and give end to his empire." After eliminating the original Chesepians, loyal Powhatans occupied their lands and villages and assumed their tribal name as well.

Cape Henry: first landing

In December, 1606, 105 men and boys sponsored by the proprietary London Company section of the Virginia Company set sail on three ships commanded by Captain Christopher Newport to establish a settlement in what is now Virginia. They had an unusually long voyage of 144 days. On April 26, 1607, they made their first landfall at Cape Henry, in the northeastern part of today's independent city of Virginia Beach, a point where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. It was named in honor of Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King James I of England. However the settlers left the area under orders from England to seek a site further inland which would be more sheltered from ships of competing European countries.

Today, the site of their "First Landing" is within the boundaries of Fort Story, a U.S. Army installation used for training by the Army, Navy, and Marines. A memorial cross near the landing site and the historic Cape Henry Light are accessible to the general public. First Landing State Park (formerly Seashore State Park) nearby was named to commemorate this event.

Adam Thoroughgood

Adam Thoroughgood (1604-1640) of King's Lynn, Norfolk, England is one of the earliest Englishmen to become enamored with the area which became Virginia Beach. At the age of 18, he became an indentured servant to pay for passage to the Virginia Colony. Around 1622, he settled in an area south of the Chesapeake Bay a few miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. This area had been passed by when the earlier settlements such as Jamestown were established beginning in 1607 in favor of locations further inland which would be less susceptible to attacks by other European forces, such as the Spanish.

Serving his period of indenture, he earned his freedom and became a leading citizen of the area. He was elected to the House of Burgesses for Elizabeth City (or "citiie" as it was then called) in 1629. He also served on the (Royal) Governor's Council, and as a Justice of the Court. He also became a Captain in the local militia.

The London Company lost its franchise and Virginia became a royal colony in 1624. In 1634, the Colony was divided into shires, soon renamed counties, a term still in use in Virginia 350 years later. He is credited using the name of his home in England when helping name New Norfolk County when it was formed from Elizabeth City County in 1637. The following year, New Norfolk County was split into Upper Norfolk County (soon renamed Nansemond County) and Lower Norfolk County, which was still quite large, encompassing the entire area now within the modern cities of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Virginia Beach.

His choice of residence after 1634 was along the Lynnhaven River, also named for his home in England. Thoroughgood appears to have had the foresight to realizing earlier than many other leaders that Lower Norfolk County was too large for a single site for convenient worship and court affairs. He led the effort to establish a second parish church, court, and glebe house at what was then known as Churches Point on the Lynnhaven River. Adam Thoroughgood suddenly became ill and died at the age of only 36 in 1640. He was buried at Churches Point in a location now believed to be submerged.

Today, some of the evidence of early English 17th century settlement in the city survives, including the Adam Thoroughgood House museum and the Adam Keeling House, a private home also on the Lynnhaven River.

1638-1691 Lower Norfolk County grows, splits

Lower Norfolk County was quite large, and stretched all the way from the Atlantic Ocean west past the Elizabeth River and, as Thoroughgood had earlier envisioned, soon required two courthouses to service the citizenry. Finally, in 1691, Lower Norfolk County was in turn divided to form Norfolk County and Princess Anne County. Princess Anne, the easternmost county in South Hampton Roads, extended northward from the North Carolina border to Cape Henry at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and included all of the area fronting the Atlantic Ocean. Princess Anne County was to last from 1691 to 1963, over 250 years.

Kempsville

Originally named Kemp's Landing, in November 1775, Kempsville was the location where John Ackiss was killed by Royal Governor Lord Dunmore's militia during an incident later called the "Skirmish of Kempsville". Ackiss became the first Virginian casualty of the American Revolutionary War. The Daughters of the American Revolution later erected a placque near the site.

Extant homes from colonial period

Houses from the Virginia colony in Virginia Beach which are still extant as of 2007 include the Adam Thoroughgood House, Adam Keeling House, Lynnhaven House, Pembroke Manor, Upper Wolfsnare House, Wishart House and Francis Land House.

Incorporated town in 1906, independent city in 1952

Beginning in the late 19th century, the small resort area of Virginia Beach grew in Princess Anne County, particularly after 1888 with the arrival of rail service and electricity. Developers built the original Princess Anne Hotel which opened in 1890 at the oceanfront near the tiny community of Seatack, named for a British "attack by sea" during the War of 1812. In 1891, guests at the new hotel watched the wreck and rescue efforts of the United States Life-Saving Service for the Norwegian bark "Dictator". The ship's figurehead, which washed up on the beach several days later, was erected as a modest monument to the victims and rescue along the oceanfront for more than 50 years, and then became the inspiration for the current Norwegian Lady Monuments which were dedicated in 1962 in Virginia Beach, and Moss, Norway.

The "Gay Nineties" and the turn of the century saw a boom in construction of hotels and guest cottages to accommodate increasing numbers of summer vacationers flocking to the seashore. Over time, the grand old hotels and cottages succumbed to fire and the wrecking ball, to be replaced by the modern high-rise hotels and motels that line the shore today. Only one of the old Victorian cottages of that period still exists and continues to welcome guests - Barclay Cottage Bed and Breakfast.

Although the resort was initially dependent upon railroad and electric trolley service, completion of the concrete Virginia Beach Boulevard extending from Norfolk in 1922 opened access for automobiles, buses, and trucks, and passenger rail service was eventually discontinued.

A railroad passenger station at Cape Henry built in 1902 and served by the original Norfolk Southern Railway was restored late in the 20th century and is used as an educational facility by Fort Story. Another railroad station near 18th Street and Pacific Avenue was torn down. (Part of the original railroad from Norfolk near the Oceanfront is now used as a pedestrian and bicycle path).

The growing resort of Virginia Beach was incorporated as a town in 1906. B.P. Holland was chosen to be the Town's first mayor. He had been a clerk of the original Princess Anne Hotel many years earlier, and had witnessed the wreck of the "Dictator". During the next 45 years, Virginia Beach continue to grow in popularity as a seasonal vacation spot, and casinos gave way to amusement parks and family-oriented attractions.

Virginia Beach became a tiny independent city politically independent from Princess Anne County in 1952, although the numerous ties between Virginia Beach and Princess Anne remained. The change was seen as part of a larger reorganization of the boundaries and structures of almost all of the counties, cities and towns in southeastern Virginia which took place between 1952 and 1976.

In the mid 20th century, the northwestern borders of Princess Anne County lost territory to annexation suits by the City of Norfolk after annexing the entire northeastern portion of Norfolk County. A merger with the tiny city of Virginia Beach became seen by leaders and residents of Princess Anne County as a way to prevent the independent City of Norfolk from annexing more (or potentially all) of the county, since cities in Virginia cannot annex land from each other.

1963: consolidation with Princess Anne County

In 1963, after approval by referendum of the voters of the City of Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County, and with the approval of the Virginia General Assembly, the two political subdivisions were consolidated as a new, much larger independent city, retaining the better-known name of the Virginia Beach resort. About the same time, at similar risk of annexations, the remaining portion of Norfolk County took similar action, consolidating with the small independent City of South Norfolk and forming another new city. The City of Chesapeake became Virginia Beach's new neighbor to the southwest.

Today, most of the area formerly in Princess Anne County when it was formed in 1691 is now located within the City of Virginia Beach. The only exceptions are some territory of the northwestern portion which became part of the City of Norfolk through annexation and a land swap agreement between the two cities in 1988.

1989: "Greekfest" riots

Over the Labor Day weekend in 1989, Virginia Beach experienced the worst civil disturbance in its history. This came to be called the "Greekfest Riots" and resulted in over 500 arrests and citations and millions in property damage, as well as the damage to the city's reputation. Many students attendingthe annual "Greekfest", an annual festival named for the Greek alphabet designations used by the fraternities and sororities involved, as well as local youths became intoxicated and rioted in the streets, breaking windows, looting shops, and vandalizing property.

Although problems with vacationing college students and partygoers have occurred in many other beach resorts such as Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Daytona Beach, Florida, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, usually in the context of the Spring Break holidays, the 1989 conflict of between these groups and police in Virginia Beach differed for its overtones of racism and the outbreak of rioting, as many of the participants were African Americans.

While an increasing number of college students had converged on Virginia Beach for the Labor Day Weekend each year, specific events during the 1988 "Greekfest" are seen as having presaged the riots of 1989. First, the looting of an oceanfront "7-Eleven" convenience store may have emboldened celebrants during the following year’s riots, as the 1988 looters were never challenged by local law enforcement due to their large numbers. Second, during the 1988 event, several hotels were beset with acts of vandalism which included the smearing of human fecal matter on room walls, furniture burning, and extensive water damage. These hotels in turn revised their reservations and deposit procedures for 1989, an act that was apparently perceived to be racially motivated and which led to higher racial tensions. The third and least important occurred when 3,000 people could not get into a scheduled concert at the Virginia Beach Pavilion because of the insufficient capacity of the venue, which led to $6,000 in property damage and an assault on a female security guard. Managers afterward felt the number of attendees simply overwhelmed Virginia Beach's capacity for large events. Organizers of the event were told that they could not rent the public facilities again.

Some suggest that if the City had worked more closely with college organizers and created more event activities, the students would not have gotten intoxicated and rioted. However, this does not take into account two facts: 1) Beach locals and students alike will testify that most, if not all of the rioters, were not actually college students. Most were local and regional non-student partygoers who had learned about the previous year's mischief and were looking for more mayhem. 2) The year following the 1989 riot, the City became greatly engaged and spent millions of dollars to create a safe and fun Greekfest environment. However, the students and partygoers felt that the event had become overly organized and within two years the festival was virtually abandoned. The creation of events for people to attend actually destroyed the raucous and freewheeling nature of the gathering.Fact|date=February 2007

Many people predicted a riot weeks in advance, suggesting that the city went out of its way to make the students feel unwelcome.Fact|date=February 2007 Some claimed that the students rioted not out of anger, but out of a simple desire for the clothing displayed in the shops along the Boardwalk. Others claimed that the police were out of control, attacking anyone who was black, looter or not. Most likely the biggest reason was that due to the acts of vandalism seen the year prior, the National Guard troops were posted all throughout the beachfront area. There were M-16 wielding National Guard troops on every corner, and patrolling the streets in jeeps with 50 caliber machine guns mounted on the back.

One tourist recalls, "I was there that weekend attempting to enjoy the long weekend. We [were] met with belligerent attitudes and observed several incidents of inappropriate behavior and language. Many of those in our group were over 60 years of age. I, with my two-year son in his stroller, was forced off the sidewalk several times."citequote

This doesn't seem to be the experience that was shared by everyone, however. Michael Mirenzi, an Aviation Electrician in the U.S Navy stationed at Norfolk, VA and frequenter of the VA Beach oceanfront recalls that "While I could feel tension in the air along the "strip" that day, no one was behaving threatening towards me. My friend and I could tell, however, that something was about to happen and decided to leave. We went back to our car in a satellite parking lot. There were some African American youths in the lot "tailgating" out of a Monte Carlo. They offered us drinks, and we shared some gin and juice with them and had a few laughs, then got in our car and headed back to the Norfolk Naval base."

Community leaders struggled in the aftermath to find a balance for the future. The city established a Labor Day Task Force Commission, which assumed the chores of figuring out what led to the 1989 riots and how to prevent a repeat of that spectacle. Videotape of the incident showed a few clips of police striking students who disobeyed police orders intermixed with many shots of rioting youth kicking in store windows and looting businesses.

Over the years, a series of measures were implemented, ranging from increased police patrols to the 'Beach Behavior Campaign', and increased surveillance measures, some of which were quite controversial and raised civil liberties questions. To this day, there are "No Profanity" signs all over the oceanfront area and police chaplains patrol with the officers in hopes that youth may follow police directives out of respect for the chaplains. Recently, the city installed a sound system mounted to lampposts along Atlantic Avenue which broadcasts easy listening music during the day (possibly a ploy to deter loitering and disruptive behavior)

Today, the city hosts the American Music Festival and the Rock and Roll Half-Marathon and many other large events (as it had done for years even prior to the Greek Festival) on Labor Day Weekend with great success and without major public safety issues. The city is actively pursuing about 20 multicultural conventions at the moment. Fact|date=February 2007

Beltway Sniper trial

Virginia Beach made national headlines in 2003 when it hosted the first trial of convicted Beltway sniper murderer John Allen Muhammad. The area was selected due to a court order for a change of venue. His trial began in October 2003, and the following month, he was found guilty of capital murder in one of the series of shootings and extortion attempts. Four months later, the judge agreed with the jury's recommendation, and he was sentenced to death. In April 2005, the Virginia Supreme Court affirmed the local court's verdict and the death sentence. Muhammed is awaiting execution in Virginia, as well as facing possible trials in other states with additional murder charges pending.