Gilded Age Norfolk, Virginia: Tidewater Wealth, Industry and Propriety

Norfolk's rise as a premier seaport brought with it an increase in power, wealth and industry in the nineteenth century. Local prominent families lived in exquisitely crafted homes and owned flourishing local businesses. Cobblestone lined the Freemason District and downtown streets. The area's elite participated in numerous social clubs, religious groups and philanthropic organizations. One family, the Hunters, lived so luxuriously that they became one of the most fashionable families in th...