Culture
The city of Norfolk is renowned for being a cultural center in Virginia, and that is readily seen in attractions such as the Chrysler Museum of Art, the MacArthur Memorial and the Norfolk History Museum. Also featured in the city is the performing arts, exemplified by the Virginia Opera, whose principal venue is the Harrison Opera House.
History
Named for the birth city of an indentured servant who worked his way out of servitude to own a great deal of land in the area, Norfolk grew into a major Virginian city and was a focus of Loyalist power during the Revolutionary War. During a British raid on New Year's 1776, almost the entire city burned. After the recovery and up until the start of the American Civil War, the city had difficulty reestablishing its former glory. Post-Civil War and up to the present, the city has developed and grown to become the second-largest city in the state.
