What's in a name? | Poindexter Street, Chesapeake

In the near future, the Poindexter Street corridor is expected to be transformed into the gateway of South Norfolk.

The renaissance of the long-neglected historic district is expected to start with improvements to Poindexter Street, which gets its name from a family of early settlers of South Norfolk. The corridor stretches from Bainbridge Boulevard to Liberty Street.

Carter W. Poindexter, who served as an admiral in the British Navy, came to the area and built his house, the "Anchorage'' on the waterfront across from the Gosport Navy Yard, said historian Raymond Harper, author of several published histories of Chesapeake and South Norfolk. The Poindexters had three children, Reginald, Parke and Bettie.

Poindexter Street was named after the family. The admiral was credited with naming many of South Norfolk's streets after sea captains of the War of 1812, Harper said.

His son was credited with naming the community "South Norfolk."

Adm. Poindexter was responsible for naming streets such as Decatur, Hull, Stewart, Bainbridge, Jackson and Rodgers, Harper said. Guerriere Street was named after the HMS Guerriere, a 38-gun British frigate captured by Capt. Isaac Hull of the USS Constitution.

The Poindexters moved from their waterfront home to Ohio Street. The admiral, who owned two large sailboats as part of his import business, often made trips to Asia, Harper said in his book "South Norfolk, Virginia 1661 - 2005."

On one trip to China, Adm. Poindexter returned with a ginkgo tree, which was planted in the front yard of his Ohio Street home.

In tribute to Adm. Poindexter, male ginkgo biloba trees are planned for a new South Norfolk waterfront development, at the site where Poindexter once lived.

John Hopkins, (757) 222-5221, john.hopkins@pilotonline.com