To spot the Old Norfolk City Hall, just look ahead for a strong, boxy building made of yellow brick and stone, three stories tall, with grand columns and a dramatic triangle above its front entrance-right where the sidewalk meets the street corner.
Isn’t this a building that looks like it should house important secrets-or maybe a superhero’s headquarters? Picture it: the year is somewhere around 1900, horses clip-clop by while Norfolk bustles into the new century. This grand structure rises with its sturdy stone and sun-bright bricks, bursting with activity inside as mail arrives and court cases unfold. The entrance, guarded by bold Corinthian columns, almost dares you to step forward and deliver your own important message! Fast forward, and you’d stumble over stacks of mail sacks or perhaps a nervous lawyer whispering outside the courtroom.
But suspense struck in the 1930s when Norfolk’s federal courts and post office moved out, leaving this proud building wondering, “What’s next?” Don’t worry, our story gets a plot twist: in 1937, it gained a new life serving as city hall-decisions and debates echoing through those marble corridors. Then, just when you think retirement’s on the way, in 2009 it became Norfolk’s central library, and in 2014, it got a modern glassy neighbor. Now, the old city hall is a palace of books and stories, named for Mayor Slover, still at the heart of Norfolk’s adventures. Not bad for a building with more costume changes than a Broadway star!
