Last week, we
brought to you Part 1 of
the story of Hampton
Roads’ only World’s Fair,
the Jamestown Ter-
Centennial Exposition of
1907. But what happened
to the Jamestown
Exposition?
Despite having all
of the makings of a monumental
success, the
Jamestown Exposition of
1907 was a complete and
utter financial failure.
With the costs of the elaborate
buildings, daily
parades and celebrations,
and maintaining the
grounds, hotel, fire
department, and hospital
on premises were incredible.
Not having thought
this out very well, the
owners of the Jamestown
Exposition Company
offered a copious amount
of "comped” (free) tickets
to visitors, amounting to
more than half of the people
who attended the
event.
By the end of
November 1907, the
Exposition limped its way
to the finish line and
closed, leaving the buildings
to become overgrown
and largely forgotten
in the years to come.
The Jamestown
Exposition Company
reported a loss of $648,000
and was forced into bankruptcy.
Many of the 15
states that built buildings
on the property sold them
off as private residences
and soon thereafter, the
Fidelity Land and
Investment Corporation
purchased the 340 acres,
but did nothing to develop
the land or care for the
existing structures.
When the United
States entered World War
I in 1917, it was apparent
that the U.S. Navy needed
a large east coast facility.
In 1917, they purchased
the land that once housed
the Exposition to the
Fidelity Land &
Investment Corporation
and established what
became the Naval Station
Norfolk. Always true to
their heritage, the Navy
recognized the importance
of the Jamestown
Exposition to military and
American heritage, vowing
to save as many of the
buildings as possible. All
15 state buildings were
converted into military
quarters in a section now
referred to as "Admiral’s
Row” (though some were
moved to their present
location due to the necessity
to expand the airfield),
a commercial
industry building and the
Baker’s Chocolate House
building were converted
into residences, the
History building and two
of the education buildings
were converted into
administration buildings,
and several more of the
original Exposition buildings
were rehabilitated for
the Navy’s purposes.
While a brief
glimpse into a storied past
of a failed World’s Fair,
the legacy of the
Exposition is quite the
opposite… it was the
founding the largest,
greatest naval base in the
world.
If you would like to
learn more about the
Jamestown Exposition and
more lost attractions of
Hampton Roads’ past, look
for Nancy E. Sheppard’s
third book, Lost Attractions
of Hampton Roads, set for
release summer 2019!
