Norfolk Garden Tour April 21, 2011
Historic Garden Week in Virginia will celebrate its 78th anniversary season this spring. Visitors will step through the gates of more than 250 of Virginia’s most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks during “America’s Largest Open House,” April 16-24, 2011.
The Norfolk Home and Garden Tour will be held in the Hague neighborhood on Thursday, April 21, 2011, and is hosted by the Garden Club of Norfolk and Harborfront Garden Club. There are five private homes and one private garden that will be open to tour, as well as The Williams School. Last year the Norfolk tour donated close to $20,000 for historic restoration.
The Hague Neighborhood began in May of 1890, when the Norfolk Company was chartered for the purpose of buying, selling, improving, and developing real estate in Norfolk. 250 acres of land were subdivided into lots, and streets were laid out to conform to the contour of the land with a crescent shaped boulevard, Mowbray Arch, along the water. Streets and sidewalks were paved, sewer and water systems were installed, and trees were planted throughout the area. The first home completed, was a large Georgian Revival house which set the tone for future development A variety of architectural styles were popular during this time period, including the Shingle Style, Dutch Colonial Revival, and Queen Anne Styles.
Your participation in Historic Garden Week directly benefits the restoration of some of Virginia’s most important historic public gardens. Since 1929, Historic Garden Week has raised more than $15 million for restoration of historic gardens throughout the Commonwealth. Last year the combined tours raised more than $700,000. Examples of restoration programs include those at Mount Vernon, Monticello, Montpelier, the University of Virginia, Adam Thoroughgood House, Bacon's Castle, Eyre Hall, Historic Portsmouth Courthouse, Historic Smithfield, Historic St. Luke's Church, Lee Hall, Moses Myers House and more than three dozen other significant sites.
For more information on Virginia's Historic Garden Week, please visit www.vagardenweek.org.
