Ghent in Norfolk, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Blair Junior High School

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. Blair Junior High School Marker

Inscription.
James W. Blair
Junior High School
Has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
By the United States
Department of the Interior
1921

Erected 2020 by City of Norfolk.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1921.

Location. 36° 52.11′ N, 76° 17.783′ W. Marker is in Norfolk, Virginia. It is in Ghent. It is at the intersection of Spotswood Avenue and Colley Avenue, on the left when traveling east on Spotswood Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 730 Spotswood Ave, Norfolk VA 23517, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads,

specifically in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and in the Tidewater.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once

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the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Norfolk 17 (here, next to this marker); The Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1855 (approx. ¼ mile away); a different marker also named The Norfolk 17 (approx. 0.4 miles away); Craney Island (approx. 0.7 miles away); Welcome to Historic Fort Norfolk (approx. 0.8 miles away); West Point Monument at Elmwood Cemetery (approx. 0.8 miles away); West Point Monument (approx. 0.8 miles away); Elizabeth River Restoration (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Norfolk.

Regarding Blair Junior High School.
National Register of Historic Places Abstract:

James Blair was one of the first two junior high schools constructed in the city of Norfolk. Built in 1922, it was designed by Calrow, Wrenn, and Tazewell and constructed at a cost of $595,400. The concept of the junior high schools was new in Virginia and had only been approved in the 1917-1918 school year by the State Board

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. Blair Junior High School Marker

of Education. It was determined that median school-age students fared better separate from the upper and lower grades. These schools were also formed at a time when the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools had begun accrediting high schools. The school was named from James Blair, a prominent Virginia educator, who founded the College of William and Mary. This school is the only remaining of the two originals and still serves the median grades, though now a middle school.

The building is significant under Criteria A due to its role as one of the first junior high schools in Norfolk, Virginia and a symbol of evolving attitudes toward models of education in Virginia It is also significant under Criteria C as a fine example of an early 20th century Beaux Arts school designed by a prominent architect, noted for his school designs in Virginia.

Also see . . . Urban Renewal in Norfolk, VA: Race, Segregation, and the (Re)production of Landscapes of Inequality. NonSite website entry (Submitted on July 23, 2025, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Blair Junior High School image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

3. Blair Junior High School

James Blair, Founder of William & Mary College image. Click for full size.

Public Domain

4. James Blair, Founder of William & Mary College

Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 13, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 181 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 13, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.