Welcome to The Olde Wythe Neighborhood

Robinson Creek was once loaded with ducks. At left is Claudia Little, in front of her Chesapeake Avenue home with a baby duck, 1966. Right, a few years later, Claudia holds up a mallard hen. (Courtesy Jeanie Lankes)

This snapshot was taken by Dave Dutrow at the corner of Harbor Drive in October of 1947 and depicts an unusually high tide. Bob Boerner (left) and Clark Woodcock, both of Raleigh Ave, are in "Boots", the boat. Mrs. Dutrow is on the porch. Thanks to Jack Boerner for the memory and photo.

The Northerners who came after the Civil War tended to create their own society in the midst of Hampton's demographic turmoil and the economic shambles of the prewar tax base. This 1887 gathering was an oyster roast at Hewins' farm on Indian River. General Armstrong founder of Hampton Institute is the third man from the left in front, with Capt Hewins to his left. The J. S. Darlings are at the extreme right, Lining the back row are students from the Hampton Normal School. (Courtesy Beverly Robinson.)

James Guy Crenshaw Sr. lived at 43 Hollywood Avenue. A bookkeeper by trade, he was also Business Manager of the Peninsula Shipbuilders Association of Newport News Shipbuilding, County Supervisor for the Wythe Magisterial District, member of the Wythe District Fire Department, President of the Firemen's Association of Tidewater Virginia, and first Mayor of the consolidated City of Hampton in 1952. (Courtesy Tom Norris.)

George B. Colonna and family lived at 47 Alleghany Ave beginning in the 1930s. He became President of Dixie Hospital and a district Rotary leader in the 1960s, Seen here in 1954 his son George B. Colonna III playing with Booker Andrews along with George Jr. at the Andrews home at 3612 Kenmore Avenue. (Courtesy Cynthia Andrews.)

There were goats in Wythe in the 1930s. Small ones were kept to eat brush in the yards, while larger ones were used for milk or to pull wagons in harness. Sears Roebuck even sold two-wheel carts for the purpose. Traveling salesmen also came around with photogenic animals to take pictures like this one for a fee. The child is Jean Ann Mansfield, at 213 Claremont Avenue in 1939. (Courtesy William Pettitt.)

Thomas Wirt Sale Jr. grew up at 327 Hollywood Avenue. His father owned the pharmacy at 819 Kecoughtan Road. This 1931 picture shows young Tom in cowboy costume with English setter, Pal. Tom went in the Army at age 18, joining Third Army as a machine gunner crossing the Rhine in World War II. After the war, he became a surgeon with a prominent practice in Hampton. (Courtesy Thomas Sale Jr.)

In this 1942 picture, Charles Nelson is tending his chicken run at 140 Powhatan Parkway. During World War II, meat was rationed along with other foods. Many Wythe residents raised chickens in their back yards for food and used their garages as hen roosts to have eggs for their families. (Courtesy Warren Wetmore.)

Blair Blanton was a local musician. Although blind, Blair was an avid piano player. In this picture, he is shown in his orchestra uniform at his home on O�Canoe Place. In addition to playing the piano, Blair also repaired pianos for local residents in his garage. (Courtesy Helen H. Blanton.)

That�s Jean Lankes Toth being pushed by her sister Betty down Robinson Road, in 1956. The �Park House� as it was called in Robinson Park is in the background. The park house was a pavilion/picnic shelter with columns made of unevenly-stacked concrete slabs and a shingled roof that was pointed on the top like a carousel. The old �park house� provided shelter for many happy, memorable events for school groups, scouts, church picnics. (Courtesy of Jean Lankes Toth) 

As a teenager in the 1870�s, John C. Robinson moved to Hampton from Greenfield, Massachusetts to join his father, who had relocated here in search of business opportunities after the Civil War. Within five years, John Robinson was the captain of a menhaden fishing steamer and was forever known as Captain Robinson. In 1886 he established a fish business at the mouth of Smith Creek, now known as Robinson Creek. With the success of his fish business, Captain Robinson obtained oyster rights in the 1890�s and added oyster packing to his ventures. In 1910 Captain Robinson continued to expand his business with the addition of crab packing. In 1914 he further expanded his business ventures with the organization of Clay Products Company. Bricks made on the Chickahominy River were shipped by barge to his landing on Robinson Creek and sold to local builders.

Along with the seafood and brick businesses Captain Robinson also dealt in real estate. He donated land for the development of the Boulevard (Chesapeake Avenue) along with the Hewins� and the Armstrongs. Upon his retirement from his business enterprises in the 1920�s, Captain Robinson devoted his time to real estate development and had an active interest in community affairs. In the 1940�s he divided his land between Robinson Creek, Chesterfield, and Kecoughtan Roads into lots and named the area Wythe Place and Wythe Crescent. Captain Robinson donated a tract of land for a park to be established in this area, now known as Robinson Park. Captain John C. Robinson died in 1952 and is buried in St. John�s churchyard in downtown Hampton. (Courtesy Charles and Elizabeth Zimmerman and Beverly Robinson)

Raymond Brown bought the original, exclusive Newport News Coca Cola franchise March 1, 1914, for $4500. He also later manufactured a bottle cap opener. He settled his family at 1221 Chesapeake Avenue in the 1930s. The six boys of the Raymond Brown family led active lives, including sailing and riding. This picture was taken in the back garden and shows Zipper, Peter Brown, Tucker, Ray Brown Sr, Billie, and David Brown. (Courtesy John H. Brown.)

In the summer of 1942, the Daily Press began a campaign to sell War Bonds by having paper carriers sell stamps to customers on their routes. The stamps cost 25 cents each and were collected into books that held $18.75 worth of stamps. When filled, the stamp books could be redeemed for a $25.00 war bond. Pictured is Jerry Galloway of Chesterfield Rd. posing for a promotional photo for use in the newspaper. (Courtesy of Jerry Galloway)

1938 Hampton High Graduates who lived in Wythe, from the left is Mary Todd Wiatt who later became Mrs. John Lankes; on the right is Ada Bruce Desper who later became Mrs. Kenneth Bradshaw. (Courtesy Jean Lankes)

This is Alex Wiatt in 1931, who later became a well-known Hampton veterinarian. His uncle snapped this picture of Alex on his pony "Field Mouse" near the Wiatt family home on Osprey Avenue. (Courtesy Jean Lankes)

During World War II, the Navy installed a radar tower just off the shore of Olde Wythe in the Hampton Roads Harbor. This tower became a landmark for many years. For several years after the war it became a place for the neighborhood kids to dive off of and play on before the navy removed it. You can see the tower in the background from this photo from 1949/1950. The raft in the picture washed up in front of the Hookers home on Chesapeake Avenue. Pictured on the raft is from left to right Anne Hooker, Jacquie Huerer, and Gene the cousin of Vickie Beddoes who is behind him. The raft did not last long at the Hookers, when only a few weeks later the raft was taken by some boys. The map shows the exact location of the radar tower in the harbor. (Courtesy Anne Mallsion Hooker Clark)

Among Wythe's active Girl and Boy Scout troops., GS Troop No. 25, was a national award winning troop Pictured are: (first row) Margaret Clark, troop mascot; (second row) Joyce Ann Gray, Nellie Horsely, Virginia Lee Kemp, Martha Grant, Kathryn Clark; (third row), Jane Ross Knowles, Rita Martin, Joanne Smith, Carolyn Green, Mrs. P. H. Clark, troop leader, Beverly Jacobson, Nancy Powell, Peggy Saunders. (Courtesy Beverly Shelton.)

In 1961, a small group of Wythe residents organized to create a recreation facility for the growing community. They leased a small parcel of city land beside Wythe Elementary and borrowed $30,000 to build a swimming pool. With this, the George Wythe Recreation Association was born. Thousands of Wythe children learned to swim and competed on the Wahoos swim team. (Courtesy William Robertson and Family.)

Hampton Roads Golf and Country Club was Virginia�s first golf course. It was built in 1893 by local businessmen on land between East Avenue and Hampton Roads Avenue. Harry Vardan played the course on his tour of America in 1900. President Woodrow Wilson played two different times during his presidency. The course closed in the early 1920s. and the club house was sold as a private residence; before it was torn down to make way for modern homes in the area.

Pictured is the 1983 Easter Egg Hunt in Robinson Park, sponsored by the Indian River/ Robinson Park Neighborhood Association, a forerunner of today�s Olde Wythe Neighborhood Association. Other events the association organized included a neighborhood wide garage sale day, band concerts, and fall festivals. The Association also produced a monthly newsletter called �Round the Creek,� a phone directory, and a cook book. (Courtesy Jerry and Sandy Cobb.)

In 2000, the Olde Wythe Neighborhood Association working in partnership with the City of Hampton started the process of converting the scenic overlooks along Chesapeake Avenue from drive on to pedestrian friendly seating areas. After hundreds of volunteer hours in the planning and execution of the project the overlooks were completed in 2003. As a result, these overlooks are now a asset to the neighborhood instead of an eye sort with benches, trash cans and brick paver walk way. In 2008 historical signs were placed at each overlook highlighting a different Olde Wythe history event.

In earlier days, goats were not uncommon in Olde Wythe. Smaller ones ("brush goats") were used to keep small yards tidy, while larger ones were used for milk or pulling carts. Bob Miller, of 213 Claremont Ave, loved making harnesses and vehicles for his goats�he had up to three goats at times. In this 1940 photo, Sweet William II is displaying a homemade harness rig and miniature garden plow which he was trained to pull. Bob also made a cart and a wagon with goat harnesses, the latter of which won a prize at the 1940 horse show in Darling Stadium. Thanks to Bill Pettitt for the photo and the memory.

The house at 3629 Chesapeake Avenue is the oldest in Wythe, built by John Simpson in 1849. Local legend says that William Armstrong Custer watched the Battle of the Ironclads from the porch roof, though no proof of this exists. In 1866, Simpson's land became part of Daniel Cumming's Otley Estate, which ran along present La Salle Avenue to Shell Road. (Courtesy Melissa Gilliland.)

Albert T. LaVallette lived in this houseboat off the mouth of Church Creek for at least twenty years before the Storm of 1933. Originally an Eastern Shore fisherman, Captain LaVallette farmed terrapins near the houseboat and processed soft shell crabs. A grandson of the Captain of the USS Constellation 1825-28, he commanded a pilot boat off the Virginia Capes in World War I. (Courtesy Barbara Granger.)

Capt J. C. Robinson built his second home at 1500 Chesapeake Avenue in 1900. This waterside view, c. 1920, shows the wide expanse of marsh, now all gone. The large tree was a mulberry which served as a tree house for neighborhood children (including the Despers) and a landmark for nearby oyster beds. The windmill powered a water pump from an underground stream. (Courtesy W. E. Rouse Library.)

In this 1924 view, Indian River Park stands out from the farmland to the west and the Armstrong property to the east. Early residential development can be seen on the land which had recently been part of the golf course. Capt J. C. Robinson's dock, seafood plant and brick barges are visible on the extreme lower left. Riverview can also be seen in the left rear along Electric Ave. (Courtesy W. E. Rouse Library.)

The old Celey lands from Salters Creek to Hollywood Ave were laid out in streets by several land companies ca 1891. Development began in earnest with the local World War I industrial buildup. In this c. 1920 view of Blair Avenue, the houses with backs on the right are 1205 and 1201 Chesapeake Ave, and the one straight ahead was later rebuilt by Coca Cola Brown. (Courtesy Nancy Cox.)

In 1920 or 1921, bank president and Virginia Delegate Nelson Groome built 3417 Chesapeake Avenue. One of three business leaders who assembled the real estate package for Langley Field, he died of a heart attack at age 53 in 1922. In 1930 his widow rented the house to ten engineers from Langley, who dubbed it the "X-Club�. This aerial view was taken in 1934. (Courtesy Warren Wetmore.)

During World War II, Sadie Garrett ran a boarding house at 3515 Chesapeake Avenue, largely for young engineers at NACA/Langley. She was among many who expanded the temporary housing stock by opening their homes to boarders. The house was a magnet for local young people who enjoyed the company and the nearby fishing pier. (Courtesy Selma West Moore.)

This home at 3505 Chesapeake Boulevard was one of the first homes built along the Boulevard. It was built between 1904 and 1905 for Miss Mary McMenamin. Her father, James, perfected the process of canning crabmeat for shipping around the world including the North Pole, and the Paris World Fair. The large turret and broad hipped roof are just a few of the notable features of this fine old Queen Anne. (Courtesy Helen Sampson.)

2404 Chesapeake Avenue is an example of Shingle style. It was designed by Captain William Daugherty and built by Fuller & Moran in 1890 for Captain Charles E. Hewins, one of the developers of Indian River Park. It had running water, using a basement cistern to collect and filter rain water. The water was pumped using wind mill power to a storage tank in the attic. (Courtesy Helen Sampson.)

Elizabeth Franklin Landon was widowed in 1915 with four small boys to raise. Her response was to open her home at 3209 Chesapeake Avenue as a resort hotel featuring water views and sports, �Christian surroundings,� and seafood caught out front. In 1930 she divided it into five apartments, which were returned to a single family dwelling by her descendants in the 1970s. (Courtesy Bill Boyer.)

Attorney Allan Jones Sr. built homes at both 109 and 113 Harbor Drive. Jones was instrumental in the establishment of Indian River Park and among the first to build there. His son Allan D. Jones became a noted artist whose paintings were widely exhibited in shows and galleries. During World War II, he worked at the Port of Embarkation, sketching events for posterity. He and his wife Jean Craig, an equally accomplished artist, made their home on Claremont Ave in Olde Wythe. (Courtesy Lewis Whitehouse.)

This house was built in 1919 on the banks of the Indian River. While serving in World War I, Franklin Lens saw a house overseas and liked the style so much he had this one constructed from memory. The home is a great example of French Colonial Revival. (Courtesy Maureen Webb.)

Back in the 40�s and 50�s there were no motels like we know today. Instead those traveling by car might stay in a tourist home, similar to today�s �Bed and Breakfast�. These post cards illustrate the Indian River Tourist Home located on O�Canoe Place.

You Never Know What You'll Find The next time you dig into undisturbed earth in the neighborhood, keep an eye out for minor treasure. This past year, one resident planting this tree along Chesapeake Ave found this 6-inch trolley track spike below the old dirt and paving materials. You can almost hear the wheels rolling along. Recently, another neighbor putting in a new deck found quite a trove of old pottery and glass pieces and, most specially, a metal button from a Virginia Confederate Officer's coat. Curiously, its maker's mark identifies it as made in Boston in 1910, so we surmise that it was part of a reunion uniform like those worn by local Civil War veterans from both sides well into the 20th century.

On June 25, 1813, between dawn and sunrise, 2500 British troops landed near the house of Daniel Murphy, in 20-30 launches holding 50-70 men each. They were two miles away from the 450 Virginian soldiers at Little England whose attention was distracted by British bombardment. That distance places the landings at Indian River and/or Robinson Creek, though no physical evidence is known. After crossing the tidal marshes, the British advanced along a farm road to the Celey Road (probably Shell Road). After defeating the Virginians, the British went on to sack Hampton, a well-documented outrage which helped mobilize public opinion against the invaders. (From B. J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812, published 1868, now in the public domain.)

Standing at the display of the Hampton Roads Golf and Country Club, local history historian Greg Siegel holds a silver cup, the only artifact that can be found from the club. This cup was awarded to Frank L. Small, a member of the Hampton Roads Golf and Country Club, for winning the Driving Contest during the 1901 Annual Tournament. The trophy is on permanent display at The Woodlands Golf Course in Hampton. ( Courtesy of Carol King)

As a child growing up in Wythe you could received many cards to keep in your purse or wallet that gave you access to school events or discounts at local businesses. Here are 2 cards from Jimmy Wallace�s wallet from 1941. (Courtesy of Shirley Sue and Jimmy Wallace)

In 1916, when the Indian River Park Development was selling lots for homes, one of the amenities included street lights. This was a new idea, as residential streets of the time did not have this appointment. Pictured is one of the last original street lights. This light was positioned in the traffic circle on Powatan Parkway and Secota. The street sign was added to the pole in the early 1920�s when The Indian River Association wanted to mark the main streets of the park to help visitors find their way. (Courtesy of Gregory Siegel)

This Coke bottle was found by Mr. Byrd of M.E.B. Construction, in the fall of 2009 while digging at the HRSD sewer pump station at Claremont and Chesapeake Avenues. He found it about 20 feet deep, so it was possibly left by a worker installing the plant. The plant is directly across from Coca-Cola Brown's house and rumors are that the plant was to be on the surface but Mr. Brown had enough pull to have it dug in and nothing was to be above ground level blocking the site lines of the harbor from Mr. Brown’s house. The bottom of the bottle is embossed with “ Newport News Va.”

Olde Wythe Photo Gallery