Virginia Department of Historic Resources Virginia Department of Historic Resources
For additional information, read the Nomination Form PDF
VLR Listing Date 12/08/1987
NRHP Listing Date 06/01/1988
DHR's Virginia Board of Historic Resources easement
NRHP Reference Number 88000601
Kenmure is one of Norfolk’s handful of surviving antebellum urban mansions. It was built for William Wilson Lamb, mayor of Norfolk during the Civil War, who is credited with preserving the city’s historic silver mace by hiding it in the house. Following Lamb’s death in 1874 the house became the home of his son, William Lamb, hero of the Confederate stand at Fort Fisher, North Carolina. The younger Lamb also helped restore Norfolk’s financial fortunes by working tirelessly to promote the city’s revival as a port and a center of the cotton trade with Great Britain. The solidly proportioned house began as a two-story residence in 1845 and received an extra story around 1855. Kenmure’s original waterfront setting made the house a conspicuous landmark of the West Freemason Street neighborhood.
Many properties listed in the registers are private dwellings and are not open to the public, however many are visible from the public right-of-way. Please be respectful of owner privacy.
Abbreviations:
VLR: Virginia Landmarks Register
NPS: National Park Service
NRHP: National Register of Historic Places
NHL: National Historic Landmark
Updated: May 10, 2022
