North Newport News , Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Lee Hall Village

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 31, 2010

1. Lee Hall Village Marker

Inscription. As passenger and freight activity became significant, the village of Lee Hall developed around the depot. Numerous places of business sprang up to support the activity generated by the depot including a schoolhouse, Dozier’s dairy, H.M. Clements’ store, Emma Curtis’ cafe, and S.R. Curtis’ grocery, post office and hotelry.

H.M. Clements’ store provided residents with a meat shop, grocery, dry goods and other materials, as well as a home to salesmen renting upstairs apartments. Buildings erected on either side—a bar, bowling alley and barber shop—supported his business and added entertainment. Emma Curtis’ cafe and tavern next door fed residents and travelers.

The size of the village fostered a close-knit feeling of community. Vada Curtis opened her home as a hostess house and dance hall during World War I to welcome returning soldiers, while Dozier’s farm and dairy provided milk and meat for residents. As the village expanded, other businesses were established: a Maxwell Car Company dealership (later Ford), tomato packing plant, pickle factory, Esso station, telephone exchange and D.P. Pender chain store.

During

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the world wars, the depot enjoyed heavy military traffic from nearby Camp Eustis, now Fort Eustis. For Lee Hall residents during World War II, it was commonplace to see POWs and soldiers passing through their village enroute to and from camp. The village’s economic vitality began to fade after the war. Cars and trucks replaced trains as the prime movers of products and people.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • War, World II.

Location. 37° 11.641′ N, 76° 34.343′ W. Marker is in Newport News, Virginia. It is in North Newport News. It is on Elmhurst Street 0.1 miles south of Yorktown Road (U.S. 238), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Newport News VA 23603, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula,

in Hampton Roads,

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,

The Boxwood Inn at Lee Hall Village image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bernard Fisher, July 31, 2010

2. The Boxwood Inn at Lee Hall Village

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 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: Lee Hall Depot (here, next to this marker); C&O "Peninsula Extension" (here, next to this marker); The Simon Reid Curtis House (a few steps from this marker); Chessie System Caboose (within shouting distance of this marker); Lee Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); An Earthwork In Front (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Lee Hall (approx. 0.4 miles away); Largest and Most Valuable Estate in the County (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport News.

Another marker is no longer nearby. An Earthwork in Front (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. On the upper left is a photo with the

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 26, 2021

3. Lee Hall Village Marker

caption, "A look toward Yorktown Road from Lee Hall Village with early automobiles and trucks parked in the middle of present day Elmhurst Street."

On the middle left is a photo of "H.M. Clements’ store across from the S.R. Curtis house."

On the lower left left is a photo with the caption, "A view from Lee Hall Village toward Lee Hall Mansion’s main driveway. The school house is in the distance in the woods, and the grove of trees on the far left marks the old Confederate redoubt."

On the upper right is a photo with the caption, "Lee Hall Village during World War I. The S.R. Curtis house is on the left, the depot is in the middle and the Clements’ store is on the right."

Photos courtesy of Naomi Hoover

Also see . . .
1. Lee Hall Depot. Historic Newport News (Submitted on August 4, 2010.)

2. Historic Boxwood Inn. (Submitted on August 4, 2010.)
3. Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society. Preserving the history of the C&O Railway (Submitted on August 4, 2010.)

4. Lee Hall Depot. National Register of Historic Places (Submitted on August 4, 2010.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 4, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,313 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 4, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3. submitted on March 1, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.