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

Monticello Hotel, 1898

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, August 10, 2010

1. Monticello Hotel, 1898 Marker

Inscription. The Monticello Hotel, which opened at the corner of City Hall Avenue and Granby Street on September 27, 1898, was the largest and finest hotel in Norfolk for over 60 years. The hotel was built on filled land. By 1885 Town Back Creek had been filled to Granby Street. Construction of the hotel spurred additional development along the new City Hall Avenue. The hotel suffered a devastating fire on January 1, 1918. In addition to the flames, fire fighters had to deal with bitter cold and ice. When it reopened in 1919, two additional floors had been added, including a large dining room and horseshoe-shaped ballroom known in later years as the Starlight Room. This became a favored location for balls, dances, and community events. The grandly appointed mahogany bar doubled as a billiards parlor during Prohibition. During the 1933 hurricane, the hotel and broad area of downtown suffered considerable flood damage. The Monticello Hotel was the first building in Norfolk to be imploded in January 1976 to make way for the Norfolk Federal building now on this site.

Erected by City of Norfolk.

Topics. This historical marker

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is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1787.

Location. 36° 50.882′ N, 76° 17.475′ W. Marker is in Norfolk, Virginia. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of East City Hall Avenue and Granby Street, on the right when traveling west on East City Hall Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Norfolk VA 23510, 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,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 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: Margaret Douglass (a few steps

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, January 19, 2019

2. Monticello Hotel, 1898 Marker

from this marker); Town Back Creek and Stone Bridge (within shouting distance of this marker); Tripoli Street (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Governor Tazewell (about 400 feet away); Littleton Waller Tazewell (about 500 feet away); Granby Street (about 500 feet away); Col. Samuel Leroy Slover (about 600 feet away); Old City Hall and Courthouse, 1850 (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Norfolk.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, August 10, 2010

3. Monticello Hotel, 1898 Marker

Early 1900's view of Hotel. Courtesy of Norfolk Public Library image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, August 10, 2010

4. Early 1900's view of Hotel. Courtesy of Norfolk Public Library

New Years Day Fire, 1918. Courtesy of Norfolk Public Library. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, August 10, 2010

5. New Years Day Fire, 1918. Courtesy of Norfolk Public Library.

Hotel Interiors, c 1920. Courtesy of the Library of Virginia. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, August 10, 2010

6. Hotel Interiors, c 1920. Courtesy of the Library of Virginia.

Monticello Hotel - Norfolk, VA image. Click for full size.

Norfolk Public Library, 1902

7. Monticello Hotel - Norfolk, VA

Sargeant Memorial Photograph Collection

Norfolk Fire Department, 1918 image. Click for full size.

Norfolk Public Library, 1918

8. Norfolk Fire Department, 1918

Sargeant Memorial Photograph Collection

Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2011, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 3,227 times since then and 158 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 13, 2011, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 2. submitted on February 5, 2019, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 13, 2011, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 7, 8. submitted on October 13, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.