Kempsville is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

in the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, a historic section with origins in US colonial times located in the former

Princess Anne County County of Princess Anne is a former county in the British Colony of Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States, first incorporated in 1691. The county was merged into the city of Virginia Beach on January 1, 1963, ceasing t ...

. In modern times, it is a community within the

urbanized ''Urbanized'' is a documentary film directed by Gary Hustwit and released on 26 October 2011. It is considered the third of a three-part series on design known as the Design Trilogy; the first being ''Helvetica'', about the typeface, and the seco ...

portion of the

independent city An independent city or independent town is a city or town that does not form part of another general-purpose local government entity (such as a province). Historical precursors In the Holy Roman Empire, and to a degree in its successor states ...

of Virginia Beach, the largest city in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

History

Kempsville was originally called Kempe's Landing, and subsequently Kemp’s Landing, after George Kempe, an industrious

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, and ...

, who in the 1600s acquired land along the

Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River The Eastern Branch Elizabeth River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 tidal river in the Hampton Roads area of the U.S. state of Virginia. The river fl ...

and developed it into a

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

port for the shipment of

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and other goods."What's in a Name? Kempsville" by Bill Bartel
''Virginian-Pilot'' (Dec 5, 2011)Ferebee, E.E. and J. Pendleton Wilson, Jr.; "An Economic and Social Survey of Princess Anne County"
University of Virginia, 1924. "Early Towns in Princess Anne County", pp. 12-16 Kemp’s Landing was laid out into half acre lots which were sold at public auction after being advertised in the ''Virginia Gazette''. The purchasers held the lots subject to building within three years a dwelling house at least 20 feet square with a brick chimney.Ferebee, Wilson; p. 14 Tugs and sailing vessels (frequently two masted schooners) often came to Kempsville. A large

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable ...

crossed the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River where the much smaller bridge of Princess Anne Road now crosses the river.Ferebee, Wilson; p. 15 Kempsville was the shipping point for most of the products of Princess Anne County. The County was then a very large producer of corn and wheat. Several large warehouses lined the banks of the river which was then much wider than today. Great quantities of oak “knees” and all kinds of timber were shipped from Kempsville to Norfolk Navy Yard. Until 1861 Kempsville was quite a busy place. It had a tobacco warehouse and an inspector whose salary was £35 a year. The warehouse receipts were used as currency. However, the growing of tobacco made little headway in the sandy soil of Princess Anne County.Herndon, Melvin; "Tobacco in Colonial Virginia"
p. 20 A canal company was incorporated to connect the headwaters of the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River with the headwaters of the Lynnhaven River. The Commonwealth of Virginia government bought part of the stock of the canal company, but the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

put an end to digging of the canal and it was never finished. From 1762 to 1770, George Logan, a Scot, was the Princess Anne County High Sheriff. From 1772 to 1775, George Logan was one of the Princess Anne County Justices. During the Revolution, George Logan was a Loyalist. On November 14 or 15, 1775,

John Ackiss John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, the son of a former member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and six others were killed by Colony of Virginia Governor

Lord Dunmore Earl of Dunmore is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. History The title was created in 1686 for Lord Charles Murray, second son of John Murray, 1st Marquess of Atholl. He was made Lord Murray of Blair, Moulin and Tillimet (or Tullimet) and V ...

's British forces during the

Battle of Kemp's Landing The Battle of Kemp's Landing, also known as the Skirmish of Kempsville, was a skirmish in the American Revolutionary War that occurred on November 15, 1775. Militia companies from Princess Anne County in the Province of Virginia assembled at Ke ...

. These seven men were the first

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

casualties in Virginia. In 1929, the

Daughters of the American Revolution The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence. A non-profit group, they promote ...

erected a plaque " Skirmish of Kempsville" near the site. On November 16, 1775, Lord Dunmore entered Kempsville in triumph. Dunmore captured the Colonial Commander then set up his headquarters at Logan’s home. Those who swore an oath of allegiance to King George III wore a red badge on their breasts. After the November 16, 1775 Battle of Kempsville, George Logan entertained Lord Dunmore at his home. This house became the home of Dr. R. E. Whitehead. In 1778, the

Court House was moved to Kemp’s Landing from New Town. From 1778-1824, Kempsville was the location of the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

On August 13, 1779, nine African slaves were sold at public auction at Kempsville. They had been taken by the Continental frigates Boston and Deane then transported in the privateer Enterprise

Also on August 13, 1779, a British sloop of war the “Mermaid,” was sold at public auction at Kempsville by order of the Admiralty Court then held at Hampton

On May 5, 1783, the town of Kempsville was incorporated in

.

On September 5, 1814, during the War of 1812, the Princess Anne County Court ordered that its records be moved to safety in North Carolina. On March 6, 1815, the Court ordered the clerk to retrieve its records from North Carolina. On July 28, 1815, the Court allocated money to six men to retrieve the records

In 1824, the

was moved to its current location at

Princess Anne, Virginia Princess Anne is a community located in the independent city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States at the junction of Princess Anne Road and North Landing Road near the West Neck River. The community, which dates from 1691, was named after Pri ...

.

In July 1843 the construction of Emmanuel Episcopal Church was completed on land that had been donated by David Walke. On November 27, 1843, the Right Reverend William Meade consecrated the Emmanuel Episcopal Church building

Portions of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church‘s outer walls are original. The cemetery on the church grounds includes the graves of nine veterans of both the Confederate States of America and United States of America Armies who fought in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. It also contains the more recent grave of Allen Jones "Al" "Two Gun" Gettel, a local boy that made his first pitch on the ball fields now preserved as Kempes Landing Park, who grew up to be a major league pitcher for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

, the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

, and the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

over a 10-year career (1945–55)

The Princess Anne Academy was located at the old jail in Kempsville. The Academy closed in 1850. The ancestors of many of the prominent families of the city of Norfolk and Princess Anne County attended the Academy. For example, in December 1835 then again in 1838, the Academy’s principle trustee, Mr. Rogers, advertised in the Norfolk and Portsmouth Herald for a teacher for 1836 then 1839 of Latin, Greek, English, and Math, including the elements of Euclid if required.

In 1850, a number of prominent citizens of Kempsville advocated for a turnpike road from Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk to Kempsville. However, the road was not constructed until 1871 or 1872. After

Reconstruction Reconstruction may refer to: Politics, history, and sociology *Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company *'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...

, during an election, several African Americans were killed and many wounded in a riot. A number of European Americans were brought before the court but nothing came from this proceeding

In 1897, the tavern that had been erected on the former Court House land was destroyed by fire

In 1922, the former Court House and jail were still in use. The former Court House was remodeled in 1902

In 1922 Kempsville was a “beautiful little country village” with two churches, a few stores of general merchandise, and a modern brick school building. This farming community had extremely fertile land that mainly grew potatoes, cotton, corn, and many truck crops

Formation of the City of Virginia Beach

In 1963, when the "new" city of Virginia Beach was created from the merger of the small Virginia Beach Oceanfront, oceanfront

resort city A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...

Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

and

, Kempsville became one of seven

boroughs A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle Ag ...

of the new city. The other six were Bayside, Blackwater, Lynnhaven,

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...

, Pungo, and Virginia Beach (oceanfront). Kempsville grew in population during the explosive economic growth of the 1960s and 1970s. Kempsville transformed into a sprawling suburban community of the largest

in Virginia. Many of the important historical buildings of Kempsville were either moved or torn down during this transformation. Only two buildings remain from the Revolutionary War period, including the Carraway House (built 1734) on South Witchduck Road

and Pleasant Hall (1779

Present day

Kempsville is one of seven residence districts in the

City of Virginia Beach Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

, and is thereby associated with one seat on City Council. Although the official land area of the Kempsville district is small relative to the size of the City of Virginia Beach, Kempsville's historical influence stretches the entire span of Princess Anne Road from the Norfolk border to the Courthouse and Pungo areas of the city.

Schools

The community of Kempsville operates under the Virginia Beach City Public School System. There are three high schools, three middle schools, and nine elementary schools, respectively:

Kempsville High School Kempsville High School is a comprehensive public high school for students in grades 9–12 in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools system. In the western section of the city, the Kempsville High School covers approximately 12 sq. miles and d ...

Tallwood High School Tallwood High School is a secondary school in southwest Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was built on the site of an old colonial plantation whose manor house was Tallwood, hence the name of the school. Tallwood was remodeled during 2004–2005. One ...

, Salem High School, Kempsville Middle School, Brandon Middle School, Larkspur Middle School, Arrowhead Elementary, Centerville Elementary, Fairfield Elementary, Indian Lakes Elementary, Kempsville Elementary, Kempsville Meadows Elementary, Point O' View Elementary, Providence Elementary Tallwood Elementary, and Woodstock Elementary.

Regent University Regent University is a private Christian university in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The university was founded by Pat Robertson in 1977 as Christian Broadcasting Network University, and changed its name to Regent University in 1990. Regent offers ...

, a private Christian facility founded in 1977 by

Pat Robertson Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an American media mogul, religious broadcaster, political commentator, former presidential candidate, and former Southern Baptist minister. Robertson advocates a conservative Christian ...

, is located in Kempsville, as are the

Christian Broadcasting Network The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is an American Christian media production and distribution organization. Founded in 1960 by Pat Robertson, it produces the long-running TV series ''The 700 Club'', co-produces the ongoing ''Superbook'' an ...

headquarters and The Founders Inn & Spa. Virginia Beach Theological Seminary, a small Christian seminary offering a number of graduate degrees, is also located in this area.

Public safety

The 4th Precinct is based in Kempsville giving the community police protection by the Virginia Beach Police Department. Fire protection is provided by the Virginia Beach Fire Department through Fire Station 9 and Fire Station 10 in the VBFD system. The Kempsville Volunteer Rescue Squad provides ambulance transportation and EMS services as part of the Virginia Beach Department of EMS.

Retail

The two major shopping centers in the Kempsville community are located directly across the street from each other on the Southwest and Northwest Corners of the Kempsville Road and Providence Road intersection. They are Providence Square and Fairfield Shopping Centers, respectively. These areas are home to several restaurants including Five Guys Burgers and Fries,

Moe's Southwest Grill Moe's Southwest Grill, referred to informally as Moe's, is an American fast casual restaurant franchise chain that was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, in December 2000FOCUS Brands press release, FOCUS Brands to Acquire Moe’s Southwest Grill', April ...

, AJ Gator's Sports Bar, Vino Italian + Bistro, Papa John's, McDonald's, Wendy's, YNot Pizza, and Subway. They also house the grocery stores Kroger and Food Lion as well as some businesses such as banks, dental offices, Madison Jewelers, QW Alterations and Kitchen King Cabinets. About 0.1 miles north from the Kempsville Road and Providence Road intersection is the 4th VBPD Police Precinct Station, which is located next to the Kempsville Public Library. Also, across Kempsville Road is the Kempsville Presbyterian Church. Kemps River Crossing is another major shopping center, taking its name from its location at the intersection of Kempsville and Indian River Roads. Woods Corner is another major shopping center, located in "West Kempsville", at the intersection of Kempsville Road and Centerville Turnpike.

Neighborhoods

Kempsville residential neighborhoods include Acredale, Arrowhead, Avalon Hills, Bellamy Manor, Brandon, Brigadoon, Brigadoon Pines, Carolanne Farms, Charleston, Charleston Woods, Charleston Lakes South, College Park, Fairfield, Indian Lakes, Lake Christopher, Lake James, Larkspur Farms, Point o' View, Salem, Stratford Chase, and Whitehurst Landing. The neighborhood of Point o' View is situated on the banks of Kemps Lake that formed from the construction of Interstate 264/Virginia Beach Expressway. Kemps Lake provides opportunities for

water sports Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a s ...

with its deepest point of .

References

External links

History of Union Kempsville High School, the first school for African Americans in Princess Anne County (video)
{{Authority control Communities in Virginia Beach, Virginia Populated places established in 1781 1781 establishments in Virginia Boroughs of Virginia Beach, Virginia Former county seats in Virginia