By Jerome Kirkland
Hampton Roads Naval Museum Educator
In 1917, the U.S. Navy acquired the land that had been
developed for the 1907 “Jamestown Ter-centennial Exposition” at Sewells point,
just north of Norfolk, Virginia. This land, and many of the buildings that came
with it, including numerous private homes, would become the Norfolk Naval
Operating Base. Nearly 100 years later, a set of books discovered in the attic
of one of these homes would shed light on the comings and goings of some of the
most influential figures in naval history, from 1918 to 1941.
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| Photograph by M.C. Farrington |
The Jamestown Exposition of 1907 was held to celebrate the 300 year anniversary of the founding of the Jamestown settlement in 1607. It was held in Norfolk due to its more centralized location and the deep water ports that would allow the modern ships of the Navy’s all steel fleet to shine among those of other nations gathered for an International Naval Review on opening day, April 26. About two weeks after the exposition’s conclusion on November 30, the “Great White Fleet” set sail for its historic around the world voyage.
The planners of the exposition had high hopes for this “worlds fair” type event, but they never realized those hopes. After the exposition’s seven-month run, many of the buildings fell into disrepair. Developers tried to make the area a profitable venture without much luck until the U.S. Navy stepped in, saving many of the buildings that were left. Many of the so-called "State Homes" were privately owned and escaped the fate that befell many of the exposition buildings, many of which simply ceased to exist. These were converted to house senior officers and their families.
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| Photograph by M.C. Farrington |
Jump forward 96 years, to 2013, and a set of
books would be discovered in the attic of one of these state houses that would
document the comings and goings of naval officers from 1918 to 1941, some of
them quite famous. A representative of Lincoln Military Housing, the contractor
that oversees housing for naval personnel for the base, discovered two books in
the attic of the Ohio House. She turned them over to Mrs. Sissy Cutchen,
resident of the Maryland House and wife of Rear Admiral Bryan Cutchen, who in
turn turned them over to the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.
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| Exhibits Specialist Marta Joiner competes the finishing touches on the latest Artifact of the Month display. (Photograph by M.C. Farrington) |
One of the notable entries found included “Capt. E. King”
occupying the “Commanding Officer Naval Air Station” residence (formally the
Connecticut House), from May 4th 1928 to September 30th
1930. Captain E. King would go on to become Fleet Admiral Ernest King. King started
out serving on board USS San Francisco during the Spanish American War, while
still enrolled in the Naval Academy. He went on to command submarines before
transferring to naval aviation, becoming a pilot and commanding officer of the
aircraft carrier USS Lexington in 1930.
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| Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King. (Wikimedia Commons) |
Admiral King’s career almost ended in 1939 with a posting to
the General Board but was saved when Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Harold
R. Stark appointed King Commander-in-chief, Atlantic Fleet in 1940. A little
over a year later, when the U.S. entered WWII, Adm. King was promoted to
Commander-in-Chief United States Fleet (COMINCH). Less than three months later,
King was chosen to replace Stark as CNO, while still holding the post of
COMINCH, making King the only person to hold the posts of CNO and COMINCH at
the same time.
Despite reaching the “mandatory retirement age” of 62 in November
of 1942, King would stay another three years, seeing the U.S. Navy through the
war. Admiral King was so well respected
that even after his retirement in 1945, and several years of bad health, he was
recalled in 1950 as an advisor to Secretary of the Navy Francis P. Matthews.
Photograph by M.C. Farrington
The occupancy log books contain many other famous names,
such as: Admiral George Murray who commanded USS Enterprise during the
famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo and during the Battle of Midway; Adm. William
Parsons, who helped develop the atomic bomb and flew in the “Enola Gay” to arm
the bomb after successful takeoff; and Adm. Robert Coontz, executive officer of USS Nebraska during the “Great White Fleet” tour of 1907-1909. He became CNO in 1925 and a powerful advocate
for naval aviation, leading the charge to have the battle cruisers Lexington
and Saratoga converted to aircraft carriers. Another notable former resident was Adm.
Joseph Taussig, who served from the Spanish American War to WWII, receiving
major wounds while leading land action during the Boxer Rebellion in China, commanded
Norfolk Navy Yard like his father before him, and was forced to retire in 1941
only to be called back in 1943. Even
Naval Aviator #1, Captain Theodore Ellyson, who was taught to fly by Glenn
Curtiss, appears within their pages.
A chance find in 2013, now in the collection of the Hampton
Roads Naval Museum, has helped illuminate some of the important roles Naval
Station Norfolk has played in history by documenting the comings and goings of
some of the most respected and influential figures in naval history.
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