Portsmouth-Norfolk

Postcard circa 1950s

Photo June 2003: Courtesy of Phil Edwards

Portsmouth-Norfolk, Virginia

-- 3248 S Military Hwy

Located southwest of Portsmouth and Norfolk proper in Chesapeake, Virginia's first Motor Lodge Complex opened in about 1958. Lodging operators across the country had long known that placing a motel near military installations ensured a steady stream of patrons, and the HJ franchise at Portsmouth-Norfolk was no exception to that rule. It enjoyed prosperity for many years as a Howard Johnson's located near the St. Julian Naval Depot.

Small by later standards, the complex only featured 62 guest rooms all equipped with the most modern conveniences of the day like AC, phones, TV, and radios! Although it lacked guest capacity, It was a sprawling site with a courtyard park-like setting placed on over ten acres with a once prime highway location.

Satellite image © Microsoft Corp.

Photographs June 2003: Courtesy of Phil Edwards

Almost too late to see the Restaurant's Orange Roof, Mr. Edwards found that a hideous renovation to the Restaurant was well under way. Once the workmen completed their dastardly deed, the once gleaming HoJo's was transformed into an ugly box.

By Phil's 2003 visit to the site it had not been a Howard Johnson's in thirty years, and nothing of the Motor Lodge remained except for some of its foundation including the spot where the Nims-type Gate Lodge had once welcomed weary travelers and servicemen alike.After losing the HJ name in about 1973, the Motor Lodge carried on without its famous brand. Perhaps at first its proprietors were successful, but eventually travelers stopped coming and the place likely grew seedy playing host to an extended stay crowd before finally becoming abandoned. Remarkably satellite evidence showed that the early Motor Lodge remained standing until the 1990s only to be demolished to make way for Uncle Bob's Self Storage.