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Sargeant Memorial Collection
Welcome to the Sargeant Memorial Collection
Norfolk Public Library's local history and genealogy collection is located on the second floor of the historic Old Norfolk City Hall building, the renovated portion of The Slover.
What is the Sargeant Memorial Collection?
William H. Sargeant, the first Librarian to be hired by the City of Norfolk in 1897, established the Sargeant Memorial Collection (SMC) in 1927 with a small assortment of books and historical papers. He felt strongly that Norfolk should have a history collection devoted to its history and people.
The non-circulating collection includes a variety of books and periodicals about Norfolk and Virginia, as well as Norfolk maps and photographs, high school yearbooks, and city directories for the Hampton Roads region. Nearly 200 years of Norfolk newspaper microfilms are available upon request. SMC's genealogy collection encompasses Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and other nearby states, with books, microfilm, and CDs to assist in family research.
Today, the Sargeant Memorial Collection is one of Virginia's finest local history and genealogy collections.
Professional Researchers and Genealogists
For more extended research assistance, we recommend hiring a freelance researcher. Please contact a professional genealogist or researcher to conduct the research. Consult directory at Association of Professional Genealogists.
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Regular Collection
The regular SMC Collection is located on the second floor of The Slover. It is searchable via the NPL online catalog. These are Reference materials and do not circulate.
The Regular Collection Includes:
Photographs
Our photographic collection consists of pictures of buildings, neighborhoods, places, and events in Norfolk from the late 19th century to the present. The collection includes the works of Harry Mann, John Emmerson, James Murdaugh, Charles Borjes, H.D. Vollmer, Jim Mays, and Carroll Walker.
CD-ROMs
We have a small collection of CD-ROMs ranging from genealogical CDs created by Family Tree Maker to CDs created by researchers relating to Norfolk history. These CDs are available only in the SMC. Ask one of the SMC staff to view them.
Online Databases
The computers in the Sargeant Memorial Collection and Norfolk Public Libraries offer access to genealogical websites on the Internet including Ancestry.com and HeritageQuest.
Audiovisual Materials
Audio, slide, film and video materials relating to Norfolk and Norfolk history are acquired when possible and maintained as archival, non-circulating items.
Microfilm
Our microfilm collection contains records dealing with Norfolk and the Greater Hampton Roads Region. We also hold Federal Census microfilms for Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Print indexes to early census records are available and Soundex indexes to the microfilm collection are available for Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina.
Periodicals
Our periodicals section includes magazines and newsletters that focus primarily on genealogical subject areas and historical research. The collection also includes publications by local historical societies. Selected periodicals published by historical societies in other states , such as the New England Historical Register, are included in the collection as well.
Public Records
Our collection of public records contains books, microfilm, and electronic sources. This includes census records from 1800 to 1930 and county and courthouse records. Manuscripts, Norfolk City log books, and scrapbooks are also collected and available for public access.
Vertical Files
The vertical files contain newspaper clippings and pamphlets filed by subject. Although the bulk of the vertical files are devoted to Norfolk topics, there are also sections for Virginia and general interest topics. The date range for these vertical files starts in the 1950s and continues to the present. Selected copies of post and pre-Civil War newspapers are also part of the collection.
Genealogical and historical resources for Norfolk, Virginia, and surrounding states (NC, MD, and WV) that include:
- Biographies that mainly focus on the state of Virginia
- A collection of fiction and literature relating to Virginia and written by Virginia authors
- Introductory genealogy books
- A large selection of abstracts of Virginia and North Carolina county records, and a smaller selection of records from other nearby states
- Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach city directories, as well as a sampling of directories from other cities in the region
- High school and college yearbooks for Norfolk and other Virginia educational institutions
Visit Us
Monday, 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. for phone and web consults only
Tuesday - Friday from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. for in-person visits
Saturday and Sunday CLOSED
If you wish to come use the collection outside these hours of operation, please contact us to see if any arrangements could be made.
Reach us by phone (757) 431-7429, by email: localhistory@norfolk.gov,
We are located on the 2nd Floor of Slover Library located at 235 East Plume Street, Norfolk, VA 23510.
The Tide Light Rail - MacArthur Station. The library is located across Plume Street.
Bus Routes 6, 45 and 960 - City Hall & Bank Stop
Bus Route 8 - Bank & Plume Stop
Bicycle racks
Parking is available at MacArthur Center, city parking garages, or metered on-street parking. For additional parking information, click here.