Buckroe Beach in Hampton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Bay Shore Hotel

Photographed By Brandon D Cross, January 20, 2019

1. Bay Shore Hotel Marker

Inscription. A group of prominent local African Americans formed the Bay Shore Hotel Company, purchased land here, and in 1898 opened a resort for black travelers. Ravaged by an Aug. 1933 hurricane, the resort was rebuilt and operated until the 1970s. Featuring a dance pavilion, café, private beach, and an amusement park, the resort hosted state and national conferences, sporting events, concerts, honeymoons, family vacations, and day trips. Jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington performed here. The American Bridge Association held its first national tournament here, and the Tri-State Dental Association, later the National Dental Association, was founded here.

Erected 2014 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number W-107.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Entertainment • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list.

Location. 37° 2.211′ N, 76° 17.568′ W. Marker is in Hampton, Virginia. It is in Buckroe Beach. Marker is on South Resort Boulevard, 0.1 miles south of Seaboard Avenue, on the

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

left when traveling south. Marker is near the James T. Wilson Fishing Pier. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 330 S Resort Blvd, Hampton VA 23664, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Virginia Green Book Location (here, next to this marker); Bay Shore Beach & Resort (here, next to this marker); Buckroe (approx. 0.3 miles away); Buckroe Beach (approx. 0.3 miles away); Harbor Defense Regimental Distinctive Insignia (approx. 1.8 miles away); Chesapeake & Ohio (approx. 1.9 miles away); The Legend Of The Oozlefinch (approx. 2 miles away); Phoebus - The Gateway To The New World (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hampton.

Also see . . . First Virginia Green Book Location Marker Added. A small marker, for the first of many other Virginia Green Book locations, was dedicated on Oct. 12th, 2023. The Green Book was an annual guidebook for African American travelers. It was started and published by African American New York City postal worker Victor Hugo Green from 1936 to 1966, during the era of Jim Crow laws, when open and often legally prescribed discrimination against African Americans was widespread. (Submitted on October 13, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)

Photographed By Brandon D Cross, January 20, 2019

2. Bay Shore Hotel Marker

Bay Shore Hotel, circa 1910 to 1920 image. Click for full size.

C.E. Cheyne Postcard/Buckroe Historical Society

3. Bay Shore Hotel, circa 1910 to 1920

C.E. Cheyne Postcard/Buckroe Historical Society

4. Bay Shore Hotel, circa 1910 to 1920

Credits. This page was last revised on March 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 11, 2019, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 554 times since then and 137 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 11, 2019, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of this marker with Virginia Green Book Location marker attached. • Can you help?