Friday, February 7, 2025

Where We Live: This condo has history and a great location

NORFOLK — There’s a whimsical old saying involving walls and how interesting it would be if they could talk. While there’s absolutely no chance that it could ever happen, it’s still fun to think about.

The structure at 1115 Colley Ave. is a perfect example.

Built 102 years ago in 1916 during World War I, the apartments were intended to provide additional housing for the growing Naval Base nearby.

The building appears to have been originally christened the Weyanoke Apartments, named after the Weyanoke Indians who once lived in the area of Charles City County.

According to Ruth Jones, Realtor with Long and Foster Real Estate, the two-story structure that is now the Merrimac condominiums was originally three stories.

“There was a fire sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s, and that was when the top floor was demolished,” she said.

Inside the Merrimac, Unit A4 is a one-bedroom, one-bathroom, 913-square-foot condo with an enclosed sunroom that overlooks the busy intersection of Colley Avenue and West Princess Anne Road.

“The location is amazing. It’s just a few blocks form Eastern Virginia Medical School, very near shops on Colley Avenue like Press and Public House, and of course it’s close to many parks and green spaces,” Jones said.

Jones said after the fire led to the removal of the topmost floor the building was renovated and renamed the Merrimac, and the apartments became condos.

Also at that time, the trees in the front of the structure were painted blue. A short time later they were painted brown. Jones said it isn’t clear who did all of that painting and repainting or why they did it.

“It really is the most charming condo… overlooking Colley and Princess Anne, and with a great sense of Ghent history connected to it,” she said.

For information on the condo, visit Jones and Long and Foster Real Estate online.

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