If you’ve ever visited Ghent, know someone who lives here, or are fortunate enough to reside here yourself, you are probably already aware of its strong sense of community. Ghent’s rich history, combined with its diverse population, gives it a flavor all of its own.

Historic Ghent was originally farmland far from Downtown Norfolk. This tract of land was first known as Pleasant Point, until James Morgan changed it to Ghent to commemorate the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium, which ended the War of 1812.

By the early 1900s, the Ghent farmland succumbed to the stately homes that characterize the area today, and became the fashionable place to live from the 1920s through the 40's. After World War II, Ghent experienced a decline and drifted into an undesirable place to live or even take a stroll.

This of course, made it an extremely inexpensive place to live, and, by the early 70s much of Ghent was peppered with students, artists, musicians and writers, who were long on talent and short on cash. It was then that farsighted developers looked beyond the grime and foresaw the restoration of the beautiful, vital area that exists today. Ghent had fascinating turn of the century architecture, tree-lined streets, formal gardens and now, magnificent new homes and condominiums.

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Ghent Neighborhood League

The Ghent Neighborhood League is the civic league for all residents living within the area bounded by the Hague to the south, Hampton Boulevard to the west, 20th Street to the north and Colonial Avenue to the west. Its mission is to conserve and promote the historic character of the Ghent neighborhood and, for this purpose, to take appropriate actions to protect architectural resources, environmental quality and property values. The league meets every third Monday of the month.

Contact them at GNL@GhentNeighborhoodLeague.org.

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