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History
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In the 1980's, the last large tract of land in Bay Colony was developed. Known as the Princess
Anne Practice Field, the land was bordered by York Lane, E. Bayshore Drive and Bay Colony Dr.
The property had been previously owned by the W. Taylor Johnson family. Mr. Johnson owned an
insurance company and developed the Mayflower Apartments. Prior to development, the "Practice
Field" had been used for golf practice and was also a great gathering place for the community
and the site of many youth sports team practices as well as 4th of July fireworks. Led by former
Bay Colony resident and past president of the civic league Maurice Jackson, a few neighbors
organized a petition drive asking City Council to designate part of the practice field area a public
park. Two lots were purchased and are now the location of many community gatherings.
Today few vacant buildable lots remain and new homes are largely the result of "tear downs". A
strong sense of community remains and neighbors, young and old, know each other. With
natural resources such as Linkhorn Bay and Crystal Lake and with larger lots many heavily
wooded, Bay Colony is a great place to live. Susan Pender, whose family owned one of the oldest
homes and who grew up in Bay Colony says "Growing up, we never had to go anywhere because
everything was right there. We were close to the beach, we went crabbing and fishing, we boated
and road bikes."
Anne Practice Field, the land was bordered by York Lane, E. Bayshore Drive and Bay Colony Dr.
The property had been previously owned by the W. Taylor Johnson family. Mr. Johnson owned an
insurance company and developed the Mayflower Apartments. Prior to development, the "Practice
Field" had been used for golf practice and was also a great gathering place for the community
and the site of many youth sports team practices as well as 4th of July fireworks. Led by former
Bay Colony resident and past president of the civic league Maurice Jackson, a few neighbors
organized a petition drive asking City Council to designate part of the practice field area a public
park. Two lots were purchased and are now the location of many community gatherings.
Today few vacant buildable lots remain and new homes are largely the result of "tear downs". A
strong sense of community remains and neighbors, young and old, know each other. With
natural resources such as Linkhorn Bay and Crystal Lake and with larger lots many heavily
wooded, Bay Colony is a great place to live. Susan Pender, whose family owned one of the oldest
homes and who grew up in Bay Colony says "Growing up, we never had to go anywhere because
everything was right there. We were close to the beach, we went crabbing and fishing, we boated
and road bikes."
Nestled between Crystal Lake, Linkhorn Bay, First Landing State Park (formerly Seashore State Park) and Cavalier Drive, Bay Colony is one of the
oldest and most desirable neighborhoods in Virginia Beach. The 620 homes are an eclectic mix of older ranch style houses, stately colonials and
elegant waterfront mansions. Although just blocks from the oceanfront, the neighborhood is quietly tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the
summer crowds.
One of the first documentations of this area of Virginia Beach was a map of a Spanish expedition in 1570 which shows an inlet near Crystal Lake. At
the time, Crystal Lake was connected to the ocean by a broad inlet where 49th Street is today. Some historians speculate that one of the first explorers
of Virginia Beach, Sir Ralph Lane, came ashore somewhere along Crystal Lake on April 26th, 1607. The colonists encountered Chesapeake Indians
who retreated into the sand hills after being fired on by a cannon from the ship. The inlet connecting Crystal Lake and the ocean was ultimately silted in
and Rainey's Gut was created so that boats would not be landlocked.
oldest and most desirable neighborhoods in Virginia Beach. The 620 homes are an eclectic mix of older ranch style houses, stately colonials and
elegant waterfront mansions. Although just blocks from the oceanfront, the neighborhood is quietly tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the
summer crowds.
One of the first documentations of this area of Virginia Beach was a map of a Spanish expedition in 1570 which shows an inlet near Crystal Lake. At
the time, Crystal Lake was connected to the ocean by a broad inlet where 49th Street is today. Some historians speculate that one of the first explorers
of Virginia Beach, Sir Ralph Lane, came ashore somewhere along Crystal Lake on April 26th, 1607. The colonists encountered Chesapeake Indians
who retreated into the sand hills after being fired on by a cannon from the ship. The inlet connecting Crystal Lake and the ocean was ultimately silted in
and Rainey's Gut was created so that boats would not be landlocked.
Prior to 1950, Bay Colony was largely undeveloped. The oldest
known home was built in 1845 on Linkhorn Bay by a farmer with
the last name of Richardson.
A Norfolk attorney Hugh Davis purchased the property and in
1937 the house opened as the Bay Colony Club. The Bay
Colony Club was a weekend retreat and "brown bag" club for
residents of Norfolk .The Bay Colony Club was ultimately closed
and the home has changed hands and undergone renovations
several times. When the Wilson family purchased the home in
the 1940's, double green doors on one side of the home
opened to the basement which horses entered by walking down
a ramp. The house still stands and is privately owned.
We know from court records that at least one other family lived in
Bay Colony in its earliest days. A platt dated 1915 shows
property in Bay Colony owned by William H. Rainey being
divided into six equal parts all from 20 to 40 acres. The platt
shows a dwelling house, a tenement house, a burial ground,
corn bins, etc. located on these various parts. A road twenty feet
wide "commenced at the Oak at the end of the Public Road " and
continued through the Rainey Farm to Rainey's Gut.
The 1930's ushered in the start of development in Bay Colony
with about 9 homes being built along South and North Bay
Shore Drive, most of which were on Linkhorn Bay. Attorney Hugh
Davis was the developer of sites along S. Bay Shore Drive and
constructed four of the original homes on the landside of this
area. The new residents were unquestionably among the most
prominent in the region. Preston Hix of 106 S. Bay Shore was in
was the chief executive of Colonial Stores. W. Selden Grandy
and Peyton May were partners in the Investment Corporation of
Virginia and built adjacent houses on S. Bay Shore. Dr. David
Pender who built a home on N. Bay Shore Dr. was the son of the
founder of D. Pender Stores which later became Colonial Stores.
known home was built in 1845 on Linkhorn Bay by a farmer with
the last name of Richardson.
A Norfolk attorney Hugh Davis purchased the property and in
1937 the house opened as the Bay Colony Club. The Bay
Colony Club was a weekend retreat and "brown bag" club for
residents of Norfolk .The Bay Colony Club was ultimately closed
and the home has changed hands and undergone renovations
several times. When the Wilson family purchased the home in
the 1940's, double green doors on one side of the home
opened to the basement which horses entered by walking down
a ramp. The house still stands and is privately owned.
We know from court records that at least one other family lived in
Bay Colony in its earliest days. A platt dated 1915 shows
property in Bay Colony owned by William H. Rainey being
divided into six equal parts all from 20 to 40 acres. The platt
shows a dwelling house, a tenement house, a burial ground,
corn bins, etc. located on these various parts. A road twenty feet
wide "commenced at the Oak at the end of the Public Road " and
continued through the Rainey Farm to Rainey's Gut.
The 1930's ushered in the start of development in Bay Colony
with about 9 homes being built along South and North Bay
Shore Drive, most of which were on Linkhorn Bay. Attorney Hugh
Davis was the developer of sites along S. Bay Shore Drive and
constructed four of the original homes on the landside of this
area. The new residents were unquestionably among the most
prominent in the region. Preston Hix of 106 S. Bay Shore was in
was the chief executive of Colonial Stores. W. Selden Grandy
and Peyton May were partners in the Investment Corporation of
Virginia and built adjacent houses on S. Bay Shore. Dr. David
Pender who built a home on N. Bay Shore Dr. was the son of the
founder of D. Pender Stores which later became Colonial Stores.
David Pender III was one of only 5 children who grew up in Bay Colony in its earliest days. The other four children were David's sister Mary, Ann and Charles
Grandy and Ann May. The children attended W.T. Cooke School on 15th Street and got there by carpooling or by riding their bicycles down Bay Colony Drive to
the Cavalier Hotel or 49th Street. They then boarded the rail bus which travelled down Atlantic Avenue to 17th Street. Children also rode their bicycles up to the
North End to visit friends.
Mr. Pender tells us the only paved roads in Bay Colony were Bay Colony Drive and South Bay Shore Drive. He remembers seeing red coated fox hunters riding
their horses through the neighborhood on weekends during the hunting season. Jumps were located on the waterside of North Bay Shore Drive and at the
intersection of East Bay Shore and Wythe Lane. Mr. Pender and his grandfather enjoyed riding ponies from the Cavalier Hotel to the "pea patch" where they
hunted quail.
An additional 7 homes built in the 1930's were scattered about Bay Colony. One notable home named "Four Oaks" was built by F. Shephard Royster, whose
family owned Royster Fertilizer. The property was the former site of the Princess Anne Hunt Club which was in such disrepair it was torn down. Mr. Royster was
a bachelor at the time he built the house but married several years later and so the home was enlarged. One room, called the "Tree Room" was built to enjoy
the view of a magnificent oak tree which unfortunately no longer stands.
Also during the 1930's, a large tract of land known as the "pea patch" located between North Bay Shore and York Lane was valuable farmland used for growing
soybeans
.
Grandy and Ann May. The children attended W.T. Cooke School on 15th Street and got there by carpooling or by riding their bicycles down Bay Colony Drive to
the Cavalier Hotel or 49th Street. They then boarded the rail bus which travelled down Atlantic Avenue to 17th Street. Children also rode their bicycles up to the
North End to visit friends.
Mr. Pender tells us the only paved roads in Bay Colony were Bay Colony Drive and South Bay Shore Drive. He remembers seeing red coated fox hunters riding
their horses through the neighborhood on weekends during the hunting season. Jumps were located on the waterside of North Bay Shore Drive and at the
intersection of East Bay Shore and Wythe Lane. Mr. Pender and his grandfather enjoyed riding ponies from the Cavalier Hotel to the "pea patch" where they
hunted quail.
An additional 7 homes built in the 1930's were scattered about Bay Colony. One notable home named "Four Oaks" was built by F. Shephard Royster, whose
family owned Royster Fertilizer. The property was the former site of the Princess Anne Hunt Club which was in such disrepair it was torn down. Mr. Royster was
a bachelor at the time he built the house but married several years later and so the home was enlarged. One room, called the "Tree Room" was built to enjoy
the view of a magnificent oak tree which unfortunately no longer stands.
Also during the 1930's, a large tract of land known as the "pea patch" located between North Bay Shore and York Lane was valuable farmland used for growing
soybeans
.
Bay Colony looking
Southeast.
The Cavalier Hotel is at
the top left.
Picture with permission from
Russ Taylor.
Southeast.
The Cavalier Hotel is at
the top left.
Picture with permission from
Russ Taylor.
| This history was submitted by Demaris Yearick. (A special thank you to Dan Proulx, Maurice Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. David Pender III, Susan Pender, Ann Hodgson Perry and Nick Wilson for sharing their memories of Bay Colony. Thank you also to Dick and Shirley Roberts, Bridget Ritter, Fielding Tyler, Rendy Adams, Mary Susan Millar, the Bay Colony Garden Club and the Bay Colony Civic League. Information also obtained from Virginia Beach Real Estate records, "Virginia Beach -a Pictorial History" by James and Frederick Jordan, "The Beach" by Kathleen Eighmey and newspaper articles ). |
Looking
Northwest to
Rainey's Gut,
The Narrows and
Broad Bay. The
Cavalier Hotel is
at the bottom
right of the
picture.
Picture with
permission from Russ
Taylor.
Northwest to
Rainey's Gut,
The Narrows and
Broad Bay. The
Cavalier Hotel is
at the bottom
right of the
picture.
Picture with
permission from Russ
Taylor.
Air View of Virginia Beach showing Cavalier Hotel and Princess Anne Golf Links 1930. Picture received from Henry Bliley. |
The History of Bay Colony Cavalier Park Neighborhood and Links to Parks and Schools
| One of the ranch style houses in Bay Colony in 1965 |
. Another part of the neighborhood bordered by Crystal Lake and Bay Colony Dr. was home to riding stables. "Quail
Roost Stables" was a small stable owned by Watts Hill whose grandfather was the founder of the American
Tobacco Co. In 1945, the stables were converted to a residence which is still privately owned. Also on that property,
a red oak tree still stands which is reported to be close to 300 years old. Another small stable in the area was
owned by Antionette Darden who taught riding lessons.
Of the original fourteen known homes in Bay Colony in the 1930's, eleven remain.
More homes were built in the 1940's, many along North Bay Shore Drive. One very exceptional home at 1109 S.
Bayshore is Shirley Hall completed in 1942. The house was designed in the late 1930's by William G. Perry a
celebrated Boston architect. The home features floors recovered from an 1840 Louisiana plantation, a staircase
and dado from an 1826 Princess Anne County house and mantels from London, New England and Virginia
buildings dating to the 18th century. This home has been designated a Virginia Landmark and placed on the
National Register of Historic Places due to its architectural significance.
As in many parts of the country, suburbia arrived in Bay Colony in the 1950s with the initial development of the "pea
patch". The vast majority of the houses were built by the Hodgson brothers, Vivian and Andreae, sons of Alice
Hodgson who owned and operated the Breaker's Hotel on 25th and Atlantic. The brothers formed the Hodgson
Construction Company and purchased the property between Abingdon Road, Wythe Lane, East Bay Shore Drive and
North Bay Shore Drive from a Mr. Joyner of Suffolk for a sum of $4000.00.
Roost Stables" was a small stable owned by Watts Hill whose grandfather was the founder of the American
Tobacco Co. In 1945, the stables were converted to a residence which is still privately owned. Also on that property,
a red oak tree still stands which is reported to be close to 300 years old. Another small stable in the area was
owned by Antionette Darden who taught riding lessons.
Of the original fourteen known homes in Bay Colony in the 1930's, eleven remain.
More homes were built in the 1940's, many along North Bay Shore Drive. One very exceptional home at 1109 S.
Bayshore is Shirley Hall completed in 1942. The house was designed in the late 1930's by William G. Perry a
celebrated Boston architect. The home features floors recovered from an 1840 Louisiana plantation, a staircase
and dado from an 1826 Princess Anne County house and mantels from London, New England and Virginia
buildings dating to the 18th century. This home has been designated a Virginia Landmark and placed on the
National Register of Historic Places due to its architectural significance.
As in many parts of the country, suburbia arrived in Bay Colony in the 1950s with the initial development of the "pea
patch". The vast majority of the houses were built by the Hodgson brothers, Vivian and Andreae, sons of Alice
Hodgson who owned and operated the Breaker's Hotel on 25th and Atlantic. The brothers formed the Hodgson
Construction Company and purchased the property between Abingdon Road, Wythe Lane, East Bay Shore Drive and
North Bay Shore Drive from a Mr. Joyner of Suffolk for a sum of $4000.00.
Dan Proulx, a long time Bay Colony resident, remembers
the sequence of the building. "The first portion to be
developed was the 1000 and 1100 blocks of Abingdon,
followed by Brandon, then Chumley and from there
Berkshire and Bruton, Ditchley, Windsor and parts of Bay
Shore". The Hodgson homes had good floor plans and
were of good quality all featuring crown molding and chair
rails. The first homes were smaller and on 1/2 acre lots.
They became bigger with larger lots as they progressed to
Brandon and Chumley since the Hodgsons were
generating income. Houses sold for $12,500.00 to
40,000.00 primarily to young couples.
Mr. Proulx's family became involved with the development
when his stepfather Millard Forbes "Babe" Braithwaite
began a well drilling business to accommodate the new
homes. The company put in about 100 wells many only
30-35 deep. For many years, residents drank this well
water, with no ill affects, until city water was installed. The
Hodgsons had small saplings planted on the properties
which are the large trees we see now. Development of the
"pea patch" continued through the 80's.
the sequence of the building. "The first portion to be
developed was the 1000 and 1100 blocks of Abingdon,
followed by Brandon, then Chumley and from there
Berkshire and Bruton, Ditchley, Windsor and parts of Bay
Shore". The Hodgson homes had good floor plans and
were of good quality all featuring crown molding and chair
rails. The first homes were smaller and on 1/2 acre lots.
They became bigger with larger lots as they progressed to
Brandon and Chumley since the Hodgsons were
generating income. Houses sold for $12,500.00 to
40,000.00 primarily to young couples.
Mr. Proulx's family became involved with the development
when his stepfather Millard Forbes "Babe" Braithwaite
began a well drilling business to accommodate the new
homes. The company put in about 100 wells many only
30-35 deep. For many years, residents drank this well
water, with no ill affects, until city water was installed. The
Hodgsons had small saplings planted on the properties
which are the large trees we see now. Development of the
"pea patch" continued through the 80's.
Article and photo circa
1955 submitted by
Michael Via. Chamie
and Selden
(Sunbeam) Grandy
lived at and Michael's
grandmother Beeba
May and Grandfather
Peyton all lived on
South Bay Shore Drive.
1955 submitted by
Michael Via. Chamie
and Selden
(Sunbeam) Grandy
lived at and Michael's
grandmother Beeba
May and Grandfather
Peyton all lived on
South Bay Shore Drive.
Alan Shephard lived in Bay
Colony in the 1960's. Was he
your neighbor? Did you go to
school with his children at
Linkhorn Park Elementary? The
webmaster and The
Virginian-Pilot would love to know
any memories you might have!
Here are some links.
Alan Shepard newspaper link
More information about his family
living in Virginia Beach
Colony in the 1960's. Was he
your neighbor? Did you go to
school with his children at
Linkhorn Park Elementary? The
webmaster and The
Virginian-Pilot would love to know
any memories you might have!
Here are some links.
Alan Shepard newspaper link
More information about his family
living in Virginia Beach