 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The site of the Historic Norfolk Public Library contains a total of 0.2085 acres (9,083 square feet) fronting 74.45 feet on the south side of West Freemason Street, 113 feet east of Botetourt Street, in the City of Norfolk's West Freemason Historic and Cultural Conservation District.
Existing building improvements consist of a historic, two and a half story structure that was formerly the Norfolk Public Library building; built in 1903, and contains a total of 10,800 square feet of gross building area. The building is constructed of masonry (stone and marble), and depicts a level of craftsmanship and grandeur seldom seen today.
Interior office partitioning is of mahogany, and the original plaster-casts and friezes have been preserved and restored. The building was converted for office use during the 1970's and renovated about three (3) years ago. Class A office space is available for leasing.
Kenneth Harris (1904-1983); "West Freemason Street Looking West Toward Library", 1951.
Chrysler Museum Collection, Norfolk, Virginia.
The subject property is located on the western border of Downtown Norfolk in the West Freemason Historic and Cultural Conservation District. The neighborhood is located just west of the Elizabeth River/Freemason Harbor, is one of the oldest sections of the City of Norfolk and is comprised of a mix of residential and carefully-controlled commercial uses. The Freemason District is bounded primarily by Downtown Norfolk, and its financial district, the affluent residential neighborhoods of Ghent and West Ghent and the Elizabeth River.
The West Freemason Historic and Cultural Conservation District is of substantial historic and cultural significance because it contains a range of harmonious and compatible buildings, including individual structures of particular architectural importance, from the late 18th and 19th centuries. The district contains the last remaining concentration of such structures within downtown Norfolk. The general area and some individual buildings within it are included in both the Virginia Landmarks register and in the National Register of Historic Places.
The surrounding area of Historic Ghent includes the newly renovated apartments, condominiums and single-family homes, and a complete infrastructure to support residential housing including retail shopping, entertainment, restaurants, grocery stores, highly rated hospitals and strong public and private school facilities. Just a short drive and residents can be in downtown Norfolk, which has and is expected to continue recent exponential growth for the next decade.
The facility is ideal for commercial leasing to small professional firms with moderate traffic. Located along historic Freemason Street, the site is appealing to those tenants seeking the quaint historic aspects of Norfolk while in a contemporary setting. The site is close to the Macarthur Center Mall and Waterside, an urban entertainment complex.