Raymond L. Harper hopes local history buffs, residents and students will take the time to "borough" into Chesapeake's history.

He previously authored three volumes on the history of his native South Norfolk and recently released a citywide retrospective, titled "A History of Chesapeake, Virginia." The 160-page illustrated book was published by the Charleston, S.C.-based History Press and was printed in London.

"This is not just another history of South Norfolk. I've already done that," said Harper, who completed the text early last year. "I finally told them (History Press) that I wanted to write a history of the entire city, like the one I did earlier for Arcadia (Press, another South Carolina-based local history publishing house)."

So why publish another history of Chesapeake?

Harper sums it up in one word: "borough."

"Most people in Chesapeake do not even know the city's (divided) in boroughs; even many at City Hall don't know," he said. "Walk up to most residents and ask, 'What borough do you live in?' and you'll probably never get an answer."

The book begins with brief histories of Jamestown, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, along with looks at local education and worship. The book then examines each of the city's boroughs: South Norfolk, Pleasant Grove, Butts Road, Washington, Deep Creek and Western Branch.

The book's "Introduction" also includes a look at how many of the city's roads were named including such notable highways and byways as Ballahack Road, Shillelagh Road, Cedar Road, Sign Pine Road, Johnstown Road, Martin Johnson Road and Land of Promise Road.

The history also features many vintage photos that are just now coming into the public spotlight. Harper said he has amassed a personal collection in excess of 2,000 historic Chesapeake photographs. He said neighbors, colleagues and friends, along with others, donate their old photos to him.

"I'm continuously getting these photos, even from people I've never met," Harper said.

Alongside vintage photos of the 1768 Happer House, the 1925 dedication of George Washington Highway, World War II-era Crestwood communities, a 1919 view of the Great Bridge Bridge and a 1913 photo of Waterford Elementary School on Liberty Street are shots of Chesapeake's new City Hall, the new Great Bridge Bridge, the Chesapeake Arboretum and a planner's rendering of what the new Chesapeake Avenue business redevelopment corridor will look like.

"There's a lot of good new photos here, along with a few good retreads," Harper said. "Even longtime residents will enjoy looking at the new photos."

Harper will participate in several book signings, starting Sunday at Waldenbooks inside Greenbrier Mall. He also will chat about the new work at 12:50 p.m. during an April 23 spotlight interview with Cathy Lewis on her radio program "HearSay," which airs weekdays on WHRV 89.5-FM.

This new book will now stand alongside several of Harper's other works, including his Arcadia Press history of the city, which is difficult to find.

"There just aren't anymore," he said of his first history of Chesapeake. "Someone told me they found one on Amazon selling for $250! Man, I've still got a couple of those on my own bookshelf."

He also co-wrote and co-published with Raymond Jones of WHRO "Dear Old Golden Rule Days," a history of the Norfolk County, South Norfolk and Chesapeake schools, in 2003. And in the same year, Harper published an all-photo look at his beloved community of South Norfolk for the Arcadia Press' "Then & Now" series, which presents vintage and current photos side-by-side of noted buildings, neighborhoods, streets, busineses, commercial areas, schools and industrial areas.

Never one to quit, Harper said possible future book projects include a history of South Norfolk's Portlock section and the Portlock family, and a history of disastrous and catastrophic South Hampton Roads fires.

Eric Feber, 222-5203,

eric.feber@pilotonline.com [1]