Lambert's Point Knitting Mill (122-0934)
Also known as: The Knitting Mill; Old Dominion Paper Company
Why it's listed
Built around 1895 at 808 West 44th Street in Norfolk, Lambert's Point Knitting Mill is a masonry industrial building with a two-story main block and a tall four-story brick tower. Brick bearing walls and heavy timber posts and beams created open floors suited to machinery, and large windows supplied light and ventilation. The tower held a 5,500 gallon water tank feeding a sprinkler system, and its decorative brickwork marked the importance of the plant. An 1898 insurance map shows carding, knitting, spinning and seaming machinery, steam heat, electric lights and a rail spur. Later occupants included a wood products company, a cotton processor, a storage warehouse and the Old Dominion Paper Company, which clad the exterior in concrete stucco and glass block in 1950 while leaving the interior largely unchanged. The mill was listed because it is the only survivor of at least twenty-three mill facilities recorded in early twentieth-century city directories, and because it preserves the architecture of a late nineteenth-century mill.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the sole survivor of at least twenty-three mill facilities listed in early twentieth-century Norfolk city directories, illustrating the city's manufacturing prosperity (Criterion A). It also retains the layout, heavy timber structure and materials of a turn-of-the-century mill, including a fire-protection water tower (Criterion C).
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 05001585, listed February 1, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 808 W. 44th St., Norfolk (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk |
| Listed | February 1, 2006 |
| Reference number | 05001585 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895-1950 |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current function listed as work in progress; the form notes water damage to some wood roof structures and a deteriorated concrete loading dock. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 36.88648, -76.29536 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 05001585.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16893946
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.