One needn’t look far to find the source of Knitting Mill Creek. The short creek begins at 42nd Street and runs along the western edge of the Colonial Place neighborhood into the Lafayette River. A brief stroll to the west, standing along the west side of Colley Avenue between 44th and 45th streets, is the century-old building whose operations gave the creek its name.
The brick and masonry structure dates from 1895, when it was built for $100,000 as Lambert’s Point Knitting Mill.
At the time, the mill employed about 200 people and was one of about two dozen such mills in an area home to extensive manufacturing and industrial facilities.
A fire insurance map from the period mentions the building’s two-story main structure, which housed machines for carding, knitting, spinning, and steaming. Other structures housed the mill’s washroom, dry room, machine shop, box factory, and storehouse.
The mill featured the latest technology of the time, including electric lighting, steam heat, and an automatic sprinkler system, which was fed by a 5,500-gallon water tank mounted atop a four-story tower on the building’s south side.
A now-defunct Norfolk and Western Railway spur entered the mill from the north side and was used for delivering materials and taking away finished goods.
In the 1910s, the building was used as a woodworking and a cotton processing facility. By 1920, it was a storage warehouse.
In the 1950s, the building, now owned by Old Dominion Paper Co., was expanded and updated extensively. Crews added a one-story addition on the mill’s south, north, and west sides. The window openings were resized and replaced with textured glass block, and the entire building was clad in concrete stucco, a nod to Modernist architecture.
Today, the mill has a new life as Knitting Mill Commons, with loft-style apartments home to many Old Dominion University students, among others.
Starting the first day of February, a “love note” from Cupid will magically appear on random doorsteps to kick off this heartwarming event. Inside the note, you’ll find a “Heart” sign and simple instructions to join the fun. For those familiar, this is the same idea as getting Boo’d at Halloween.
A big thanks to all our neighbors who came to the CPRV neighborhood dinner at MJ’s Tavern last month.
To all the phenomenal neighbors of CPRV who generously supported the CPRV Holiday Food Drive, the Social Events Committee and the Civic League Board extend a huge, hearty Thank You!
Ramin Fatehi, the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, delivered a comprehensive update on national crime trends and the macro factors influencing them. He also highlighted our local deviations from these national trends, providing valuable insights into the successes of the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office in 2023 and sharing upcoming initiatives for 2024. Following Ramin’s engaging presentation, a brief Q&A session allowed for further discussion. Watch the entire meeting below.
Porchella is a free, neighborhood jam that will take place in Colonial Place this year, Dec. 30 from 6-9pm. Neighbors offer up their porches to musicians for 30 min concerts by musicians of all types that offer up their talent! It’s basically reverse caroling. 🙂 Bring cash to tip your musicians as they are donating their time and skills! We will also have Venmo QR codes on the porches to make it easier to tip!
Access past meeting recording and chat transcript below.
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