Early History

The area that is being called East Freemason is part of the original 200 acres granted to Captain Thomas Willoughby in 1636.  By 1736 Samuel Boush held title to 98 of the original 200 acres.  The Samuel Boush Plan subdivided the land into 160 lots by 1762.

In 1728 the land that is now the site of the Chamber of Commerce was conveyed to the Norfolk Borough authorities for the purpose of constructing a school.  The school was first called Norfolk Academy in 1787 and was incorporated by the General Assembly in 1804.  The existing building was constructed on this site in 1840.

The Moses Myers house was constructed in 1792 on land that fronted on Freemason Street and covered the entire block between Catherine (now Bank) and Brewer Streets.  In 1794 construction began on the Willoughby-Baylor House on the former site of Norfolk’s early Masonic Hall.  The Masonic Hall, which gave its name to Freemason Street, was destroyed on January 1, 1776 when Lord Dunmore attacked the city.

The land uses in the East Freemason area remained primarily residential thorough the 1800’s with exceptions being Norfolk Academy and various churches.  As previously stated, the Norfolk Academy, now Chamber of Commerce, was constructed in 1840.  Freemason Baptist Church, the only remaining church in the area, was dedicated in 1850.

Residential uses became more dense in the 1900’s, and commercial activities had begun working their way north.  By 1930 there was commercial activity on the block north of the Moses Myers House.  The area declined in the late1950’s and in the 1960’s most of East Freemason and the area to the south were cleared as part of an urban renewal project.

Architecture

The East Freemason Historic and Cultural Conservation District is comprised of varying styles of architecture.  Only four historic buildings remain in the area, yet each is a fine example of its particular style.  The two historic homes date from the 1790’s and the church and former school date from the mid 1800’s.

• Building Materials
  The two homes from the 1790’s are constructed of brick with stone detailing.  The church is of brick block covered with stucco and the Norfolk Academy building has stuccoed walls.  New construction in the district had been in brick to be compatible with the Moses Myers and the Willoughby-Baylor Houses.  Continuation of the use of brick will help to unify the area.
  

• Building Height
  Though different styles of architecture are represented in the district, the typical building height is two stories.  The exception to this is the Freemason Baptist Church, which is one story actually, but is perceived as a two-story building with a spire.  Recent construction in the area has maintained the two story building height.  Any new construction in the area should be sympathetic to the heights and massing of existing buildings.
  

• Building Spacing and Lot Coverage
  Building spacing and lot coverage are two factors, which are generally determined by site development.  The pattern of development in this district is characterized by a structures building almost to the front property line.  The side and rear yards vary from one structure to another with none of the parcels having complete lot coverage.  Open space exists around each building.
  

• Individual Structures
  This area has seven structures, with four of the buildings included in the National Register of Historic Places: the Moses Myers House, Willoughby-Bayor House, Freemason Street Church, and the Norfolk Academy (Chamber of Commerce.)  This section discusses some of the noteworthy features of the East Freemason Area found in the individual structures.
  
  

Structures Included in the National Register of Historic Places

Moses Myers House (1792)
East Freemason Street at Bank Street

This is a richly embellished, two-story brick townhouse of the Federal style.  The façade features a pedimented gable end roof and small aedicule-type portico surrounding the front doorway.  An eight-part fanlight appears on the third floor. Stonework is featured in the beltcourse and the lintels and keystone above the windows.  About 1796 a two-story octagon ended wing was added as a dinning room and this has been attributed to Benjamin Latrobe.  There is also a two-story service and kitchen wing attached at the rear. 

The interior has unusually rich ornamentation, including Adam style ceiling decorations, mantels and delicate staircase.

This is an outstanding example of Federal architecture and one of the first brick buildings constricted in Norfolk after the Revolution.

Moses Myers, the original owner, was the first known Jew to settle in Norfolk.  He was a predominate merchant, who served as local French Consul, superintendent of the Bank of Richmond, and president of the Common Council.  In 1828 he was appointed customs collector for the Port of Norfolk.  Lafayette, James Monroe, Stephen Decatur, and others were entertained in his home.

The house itself descended through five generations of the Myers family, who lived there until 1931.  It is now operated as an historic house museum and is on the Norfolk tour.

Willoughby-Baylor House (1794)
601 East Freemason Street

This detached two-story townhouse has elements of Federal and Greek revival architecture.  It is three bays wide and has a gable roof with a modillion cornice at the front and rear elevations.  A small one-story service wing projects from the rear.  About 1830, a porch was added and modifications were made to the entrance.  Two pairs of Doric columns support the porch, and doorway has revival trim.

Much of the original interior trim remains intact.  A fine walnut and poplar open string stair, and an Adam style plaster cornice in the hall have been retained.  A 1966 archeological excavation revealed a foundation of a large one-story kitchen and servant quarters in the back yard.

This house serves as a well-preserved example of sophisticated, medium-size townhouse of Norfolk’s post-Revolutionary period.  Its style represents the taste of middle-income families.

Captain William Willoughby, a retail merchant and contractor, purchased the lot in 1794.  The house was built immediately afterward.  The home remained in the Willoughby family until 1845, when it was sold to Dr. Baynham Baylor.  It was again sold in 1890 to Mr. William Hannon.

The house is now operated as an historic house museum and is on the Norfolk tour.

Old Norfolk Academy (1840)
420 Bank Street

This structure is an excellent example of Greek revival architecture.  It was designed by Thomas U. Walter, a prominent architect who also design the dome on the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington.  The portions of this building were taken from the Temple of Thesis in Athens.  Each end is embellished with six-columned Doric portico supporting a finely proportioned pediment.  The front wall has a center door and is ornamented with pilasters corresponding to the portico columns.  Very little of the interior design remains, due to several remodelings.

This building housed the Norfolk Academy, a boys’ school, from 1840-1915 with the exception of the Civil War years.  It is said that Edgar Allen Poe delivered his last public lecture here in September 1849.  The building was used as a post office in 1855 and as a hospital for Federal troops from 1862-1865.

Since its sale by Norfolk Academy, the building has several uses.  It served as a Juvenile Court of Norfolk from 1920-1971 and is currently the office of the Norfolk Division of Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.

Freemason Street Baptist Church (1848-1850)
East Freemason Street and Bank Street

This Gothic Revival church is one of the three buildings in Norfolk designed by the noted architect Thomas U. Walter.  This one-story brick block building is stuccoed and on the gabled end is at the base of the projecting belfry and tower.  The square tower is topped by an octagonal spire whose base flanked by eight pinnacles.  The windows between the buttresses have lancet arches with hood moulds.

The interior features a U-shaped gallery supported by slender iron columns, a flat ceiling with crossribs, and the original organ.  Construction of the Freemason Street Baptist Church began in 1848 and the church was dedicated in 1850.  The first pastor chosen to lead the congregation was Tiberius Gracchus Jones, a preacher and author.

From 1850-1879 the church was tallest building in Norfolk.  However, in 1879, a severe storm toppled the church steeple.  A new steeple was built in 1897 in a somewhat smaller scale than the original.  In 1958 an education wing was added, memorializing the Reverend Sparks D. Melton, pastor from 1908-1952.