Huntersville, Norfolk, Virginia facts for kids
Huntersville is a historic neighborhood in Norfolk, Virginia. It's located close to downtown Norfolk. This area is special because it wasn't planned all at once by a big company. Instead, it grew and changed naturally over many years, making it one of Norfolk's oldest neighborhoods from the late 1800s that still looks much like it used to.
Where is Huntersville Located?
Huntersville is surrounded by other parts of Norfolk. To the west, you'll find Church Street and Elmwood Cemetery. The Lindenwood neighborhood is to the north. Tidewater Drive is on the east side, and Huntersville Park along with the Barberton neighborhood are to the south.
To give you a better idea, the northern edge of Huntersville is around E. 29th Street and Church Street, stretching towards the Lafayette River. The eastern side goes from the Lafayette River down to Princess Anne Road. The southern boundary extends west from Corprew Avenue towards Church Street and Armistead Avenue.
A Look Back at Huntersville's History
Part of the land that became Huntersville once belonged to a person named Samuel Boush around 1761. By the late 1800s, the area had many small wooden houses, especially near Church Street. Huntersville is unique because it grew organically over time, rather than being designed by a large group or company.
In the past, Huntersville had interesting places like Lesner's Park, which was a park with plants and animals. There was also an old burial ground. The neighborhood was home to different businesses, including a railroad and a place that made drinks. Around the early 1900s, many white residents owned land, but they often rented homes to a mix of people. This included white families, European immigrants, people of Jewish background, Asians, and Black families. Huntersville officially became part of the city of Norfolk in 1911.
A cool fact from 1916: people living in Huntersville worked together to raise money for a hospital. In just two days, they collected $3,500, which was a huge amount of money back then!
What Huntersville is Like Today
Huntersville is mostly a place where people live. It was the only neighborhood with a majority Black population that became part of Norfolk during a long period of city expansion. Today, just like in the early 1900s, it's a diverse neighborhood with people from many different backgrounds.
The neighborhood has a community center run by the city of Norfolk. This center offers many helpful social services. For example, it provides support for finding employment through the Urban League. The Head Start program, which helps young children get ready for school, also has a location in Huntersville.
You might sometimes see Huntersville called "Olde Huntersville" on maps. A local football league called Pop Warner often plays games at Huntersville Park, which is a fun spot for kids and families.
The boundaries of the Huntersville Neighborhood is: The northern boundary roughly extends from the intersections of E. 29th Street and Church Street, along Waverly Way, terminating at the Lafayette River. The eastern boundary extends from the Lafayette River to Summit Avenue, along Summit Avenue to the intersection of Summit Avenue and Ludlow Street. It then extends in a southeasterly arc from this point along Rugby, Taggart, and Bolton Streets, to Princess Anne Road. From Princess Anne Road, this boundary extends east to Park Avenue, following Park Avenue to Corprew Avenue. The southern boundary extends west from Corprew Avenue, to Bagnall Road, then northeasterly from the intersections of Chapel Street and Bagnall Road, to the intersection of Tidewater Drive and Princess Anne Road. It then extends roughly to Church and Goff Streets, then to the intersection of Princess Anne Road, and Armistead Avenue. The southern boundary roughly extends north along Armistead Avenue to 22nd Street, from 22nd Street to Church Street, and from Church Street to E. 29th Street.
—City of Norfolk government website
