Lower Norfolk County, Virginia facts for kids

Lower Norfolk County was an old county in colonial Virginia. It existed from 1637 until 1691, when it was divided into new areas.

How Lower Norfolk County Began

In 1634, the King of England decided to divide the Virginia colony into eight main areas called shires or counties. One of these was Elizabeth City Shire.

Just two years later, in 1636, a new area called New Norfolk County was created from part of Elizabeth City Shire. This new county covered a large area that today includes several cities in southeastern Virginia, like Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.

Then, in 1637, New Norfolk County was split into two smaller counties: Upper Norfolk County and Lower Norfolk County.

Life in Lower Norfolk County

Lower Norfolk County was an important part of the growing Virginia colony. As more and more settlers moved into the area, the county needed to protect its people.

On October 20, 1673, the "Grand Assembly" in Jamestown (which was like the government of the colony) gave permission for Lower Norfolk County to build a fort. This fort would help defend the settlers.

How Lower Norfolk County Changed

As the population kept growing, Lower Norfolk County became too big to manage easily. So, in 1691, it was divided again. This time, it was split into two new counties: Norfolk County and Princess Anne County. These two new counties existed for a very long time.

Modern Cities from Old Lands

The land that was once Lower Norfolk County continued to change over centuries. In 1963, a big change happened for the areas that used to be Norfolk County and Princess Anne County.

• In 1963, the people living in the City of South Norfolk and the rest of Norfolk County voted to combine. The Virginia General Assembly (Virginia's state government) also approved this. They formed a brand new independent city called Chesapeake, Virginia. This helped prevent the larger City of Norfolk from taking over more land.

• Also in 1963, the people in the City of Virginia Beach and the rest of Princess Anne County voted to combine. With approval from the Virginia General Assembly, these areas joined together to form one large independent city. They decided to keep the well-known name of Virginia Beach.

So, even though Lower Norfolk County no longer exists, its history is part of how modern cities like Chesapeake and Virginia Beach were formed.