Seatack, Virginia is a historic neighborhood and community borough of
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the most populous city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeastern Virginia. It is the sixth-most populous city in the ...
, that was located in what used to be
Princess Anne County, and is now part of the Oceanfront resort strip and adjacent area 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 Seatack community of Virginia Beach includes an area inland from the resort strip along present-day
Virginia Beach Boulevard
Virginia Beach Boulevard is a major connector highway which carries U.S. Route 58 most of its length and extends from the downtown area of Norfolk, Virginia, Norfolk to the Oceanfront area of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Virginia Beach, passing throu ...
. Seatack Elementary School is located nearby on Birdneck Road. The 1903 Seatack Station of the
United States Lifesaving Service
The United States Life-Saving ServiceDespite the lack of hyphen in its insignia, the agency itself is hyphenated in government documents including: and was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian eff ...
(which was the historic precursor to the
Coast Guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a Maritime Security Regimes, maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with cust ...
) is now the
Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum at 24th street adjacent to the oceanfront boardwalk.
It is also the oldest
African-American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
neighborhood in the southern part of Virginia Beach (one of 14 historic formerly segregated African-American neighborhoods in Virginia Beach). Although it is currently a very diverse neighborhood and community that is home to many residents of several races and ethnicities , in the past, it was a practically all-African-American neighborhood until the 1970s. This changed due in part to the passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 () is a Lists of landmark court decisions, landmark law in the United States signed into law by President of the United States, United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during the King assassination riots.
Titles ...
(specifically the Fair Housing Anti-Discrimination Act of the CRA1968) and the developing of infrastructure that spread into the Seatack area of Virginia Beach through the 1960s and 1970s, as part of the city's tourism innovation and infrastructure projects for the resort strip of the
Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
[
]
History
Seatack was named so because it was the point on the coast of rural
Princess Anne County where the community was the target of cannonballs fired from British ships and was where troops came ashore during an attack in the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. The isolated stretch of beach place became known as "Sea Attack", and was gradually shortened to "Sea 'ttack", and then, finally to the
portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together. of, simply "Seatack". In 1891, while hotel guests watched,
surfmen from the Seatack station of the
United States Lifesaving Service
The United States Life-Saving ServiceDespite the lack of hyphen in its insignia, the agency itself is hyphenated in government documents including: and was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian eff ...
were involved in the rescue efforts for the shipwreck of the Norwegian
barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel with three or more mast (sailing), masts of which the fore mast, mainmast, and any additional masts are Square rig, rigged square, and only the aftmost mast (mizzen in three-maste ...
, the ''Dictator,'' which ran aground near present-day 37th street. Seven people died, including the Captain's wife and small child, leading to the
Norwegian Lady memorials and several local legends. The hotel burned down in 1907.
In the early 1900s, the name Seatack became more specifically applied to an area west of the beach where a segregated
African-American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
neighborhood
was established in Princess Anne County. According to official Virginia Beach history, before the passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968
The Civil Rights Act of 1968 () is a Lists of landmark court decisions, landmark law in the United States signed into law by President of the United States, United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during the King assassination riots.
Titles ...
, Black Americans were only allowed to settle in this area because
White Americans
White Americans (sometimes also called Caucasian Americans) are Americans who identify as white people. In a more official sense, the United States Census Bureau, which collects demographic data on Americans, defines "white" as " person hav ...
did not see any infrastructure value for the swampy, wooded areas of land that made up much of the Seatack area near the
Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Black Americans settled this area, thrived there, developed it into a highly populated and economically strong neighborhood. Black people who lived in the area called Seatack made many historical accomplishments in the segregated county of Princess Anne, that included raising money to build schools for their children (namely, the Princess Anne County Training School—1938, among other schools), starting one of the first Black-owned fire stations in Eastern Virginia (the Seatack Fire Station), because the black neighborhood was not serviced by the Princess Anne County fire and rescue department at the time, building churches (Mount Olive Baptist, St. Stephens
Church of God in Christ (COGIC)) to worship in, and later on, after the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1968, a parks and recreation center, and a community
daycare center.
In 1985, Mr. Joseph V. Grimstead Sr., an African American businessman and civic leader from Seatack, and President of Seatack Community Properties, Inc., dedicated the land for the Seatack Community and Recreation Center to be built. The current facility opened on April 19, 1997.
On October 15, 2011, the Seatack Civic League held its 200th Annual Birthday Celebration. It was the first major African American community event ever held in the City of Virginia Beach, and the first large event held at the
Virginia Beach Convention Center by African Americans.
Bishop Barnett K. Thoroughgood, who was a Pentecostal
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ (COGIC) is an international Christian perfection#Holiness Pentecostalism, Holiness–Pentecostal Christian denomination, and a large Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Although an international and multi ...
pastor and church leader from Seatack's funeral services were also held there on February 10, 2012, and set a new record of attendance for an African American event having over 4,000. On January 7, 2012, the City of Virginia Beach named the first city building after an African American man, Joseph V. Grimstead Sr Seatack Community Recreation Center, on the site of the old Seatack Fire Station. Most recently on June 25, 2012, Mayor William D. Sessoms along with senior residents of Seatack and Seatack Civic League officials held the Grand Opening of the Seatack Civic - College Funding Office at 141 South Birdneck Road at the Joseph V. Grimstead Sr. Seatack Community Recreation Center.
In 1915, the United States Lifesaving Service became the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...
. The station at Seatack (built in 1903 to replace an earlier structure) is now a museum at 24th street adjacent to the
boardwalk
A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway typically built with wooden planks, which functions as a type of low water bridge or small viaduct that enables pedestrians to ...
of Virginia Beach. The area's lifesaving history along the coast line of the
Graveyard of the Atlantic
Graveyard of the Atlantic is a nickname for the treacherous waters and area of numerous shipwrecks off the Outer Banks of North Carolina, United States, which are due to the coast's shifting sands and inlets. To a lesser degree, this nickname has a ...
is commemorated at the
Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum which has artefacts from the shipwreck of the ''Dictator'' barque, displays of period lifesaving equipment, and educational programs. The museum also has a
webcam
A webcam is a video camera which is designed to record or stream to a computer or computer network. They are primarily used in Videotelephony, video telephony, live streaming and social media, and Closed-circuit television, security. Webcams can b ...
which shows Internet users a view similar to that of members of the lifesaving crews had over 100 years ago.
The
Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1979.
Another extant Coast Guard Station was located at
Little Island, located south of
Sandbridge, Virginia. The City of Virginia Beach owns it. However, the
Little Island Coast Guard Station is not open to the public.
In 2019, Seatack received its official Historic Landmark placard, recognizing that Seatack has been a model for growth within the African American community. This historic recognition led to the honor of being showcased in the construction of the African American Cultural Center of Virginia Beach, where all 14 historic African American neighborhoods in Virginia Beach, Virginia will be recognized and experienced.
Notable people
Notable Virginia Beach residents who lived in the Seatack community during a significant portion of their life or who lived in Seatack during their formative years include rappers
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
,
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
, NFL Football player
Eli Harold, astronaut
Alan B. Shepard, and actress
Chyler Leigh.
References
Further reading
*
External links
* Geographical coordinates: (click for maps and satellite photos of Seatack, Virginia)
Virginia Beach Surf & Rescue Museum website*
*
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Unincorporated communities in Virginia
Geography of Virginia Beach, Virginia