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| History marker: The nation's first Federal War Housing project, this planned community was sponsored by the U. S. Shipping Board and the Newport News Shipyard ... | |
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Hilton
Village:
It’s 1918. World War I, the "War to end all wars", is being
fought "Over There"; the war effort is in full swing in
Hampton Roads; Newport News Shipbuilding has a plateful of
contracts to build ships and is hiring; shipyard workers are
being housed in overcrowded and/or temporary quarters; the
community of Newport News is facing a severe housing
shortage. This is the mood of Newport News and the Hampton
Roads region and led to the birth of Hilton Village.
In fact, the housing shortage was so severe that Newport
News Shipbuilding president Homer L. Ferguson traveled to
Washington to emphasize to congress its impact on ship
construction, and thus the war effort. Immediately
after his appearance, the United States Shipping Board was
provided funding of $1.2 million and authorization to create
a comprehensive emergency housing program. Hilton Village
will be the first project for the emergency housing program.
About three miles north of the Newport News City limits, in
Warwick County, land known locally as the Darling Tract was
purchased. This consisted of about 200 acres of woodlands
and, located on a bluff overlooking the James River, the
pre-Civil War homestead named "Hilton". In 1917, one of the
finest town planners of the era, Henry Vincent Hubbard of
Harvard University, was employed to plan the community;
Francis Joannes was hired as the architect. The architects
met with the wives of shipyard workers. Based on their input
14 house plans were designed for the projected 500 English
village-style homes. Clearing the wooded site began on April
18, 1918 with a hoard of laborers and mules. By the time of
the Armistice in November 1918, almost 200 homes had either
been completed or were substantially complete and more than
a dozen families lived in Hilton Village. Hilton’s formal
dedication was held on July 7, 1918. The Hilton Elementary
school was completed in 1919. Scaled back to 473 homes after
the end of World War I, by the end of 1920 all the homes had
been completed and were occupied. The cost estimate for site development
and building each
house was $3,200. The average annual salary at Newport News
Shipbuilding was between $1,400 - $2,000.
Hilton Village has
maintained its close knit neighborhood quality and is a
desired location for families, empty-nesters, retirees and
businesses.
Visit the Historic Hilton Village
neighborhood web site here. |
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| These postcards and more are framed and on display at the Boulevard Restaurant. | |
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