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

Taylor-Whittle House, 1791

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, August 10, 2010

1. Taylor-Whittle House, 1791 Marker

Inscription. This Federal style house is one of the oldest remaining buildings on Freemason Street, a fashionable address in the expanding Borough of Norfolk at the turn of the nineteenth century. It stands on property confiscated from the estate of Loyalist Thomas McKnight after the Revolutionary War and sold to George Purdie in 1788. Purdie built the house in 1791 but apparently never lived here. Merchant John Cowper occupied the house when he became Mayor of Norfolk in 1801 and sold it to Richard Taylor (1771-1827), an importer and English immigrant, in December 1802. Taylor's descendents lived here until 1972, passing the home down from generation to generation through the female line. Prominent nineteenth century Naval officers who resided in the house included Taylor's son-in-law Captain Richard Lucien Page, who accompanied Commodore Perry on his historic voyage to open up trade with Japan in 1854, and Page's son-in-law William Conway Whittle, the executive officer and an navigator of the Confederate blockade runner CSS Shenandoah. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Erected by City of

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Norfolk.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1802.

Location. 36° 51.115′ N, 76° 17.532′ W. Marker is in Norfolk, Virginia. It is in West Freemason. It is at the intersection of West Freemason Street and Duke Street, on the right when traveling east on West Freemason Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 227 W Freemason St, 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

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, August 10, 2010

2. Taylor-Whittle House, 1791 Marker

are within walking distance of this marker: West Freemason Street Historic District (within shouting distance of this marker); James W. Hunter House, 1894 (within shouting distance of this marker); Norfolk College for Young Ladies (approx. 0.2 miles away); Epworth United Methodist Church, 1894 (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old Norfolk Public Library (approx. 0.2 miles away); Littleton Waller Tazewell (approx. 0.2 miles away); Governor Tazewell (approx. 0.2 miles away); Observation Tower (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Norfolk.

Also see . . . Whittle House (pdf file). National Register of Historic Places (Submitted on October 13, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2011, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 1,707 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 13, 2011, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.