Have been following the discussion and was still intrigued by the topic so I
investigated via maps and Google today. Bonnie Capito's input is
interesting and enjoyable and I don't intend to downplay her library.
However, I find the Virginia Beach Library has some info pertinent to the
discussion. Check the following link to find reference to the Nimmo family
being one of the oldest in Princess Ann County: (There is also a Nimmo
Parkway and a community of that name in Virginia Beach, I believe.)
http://www.virginia-beach.va.us/dept/library/lhgn/book4pg1.html
Note the left margin for other interesting links.
The following link to a USGS map shows a 'Pleasure House Point' and nearby
'Pleasure House Creek' which I should think narrows the location of the
subject place although I don't find any nearby 'Pleasure House Road' on the
Tiger Map web site. Anyway, I doubt that a landmark and creek would have
been named after a brothel but rather a name used by a prominent man of an
early time in the community. Owners named their land on most survey maps I
have seen of the 1700's-early 1800's (maybe later as well?) often using
rather unique names, some humorous. Possibly Mr. Nimmo indeed built a
gentleman's clubhouse of sorts on his original land but I rather believe it
was simply the name selected for his plantation. What may or may not have
happened at this or a nearby location after the War of 1812 era of John
Weiss's original question may be of interest but not pertinent.
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4084350&e=402458&s=25&size=l
The Topozone site charges for maps; here is a link to the same USGS map at
Terraserver. The map quality and size is not as good but it can be
downloaded free:
http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?t=2&s=12&x=502&y=5105&z=18&w=2
I suspect eroded silt has built up in the creeks, rivers and the Lynnhaven
Bay area creating mush shallower waters than 200 years ago. From the maps
it appears that much of the area consists of swampy wetlands today. I
envision Mr. Nimmo's original plantation as setting relatively close to
deeper waters having a distinct high-ground bank (within today's wetlands on
the map) -- very picturesque in my mind's eye. I should think additional
information concerning the Nimmo family and 'The Pleasure House' could be
obtained by contacting the VaB Library to go a step beyond Jon Stickland's
prior input.
Additional web sites having pertinent commentary:
http://www.dinsdoc.com/lindsay-1.htm (pages 409+)
http://virginiahistory.hypermart.net/Young_Country/Young%20Country.htm
http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~wcarr1/Lossing2/Contents.html
I hope all of this is of some interest or value; I enjoyed the exercise.
Regards,
Neil McDonald
PS - Should transmission of this message not highlight and underline the
entire URL of a link, please copy/paste or otherwise enter the entire URL
into your browser's window. These are very nice map services. I have used
them to subsequently add property outlines, locations of interest, migratory
paths, etc via photo imaging software. Please note that the Terraserver web
site has provisions to readily change back and forth from the topographical
map to an aerial photo view for most areas. I was surprised to see several
farm-fields alongside Lynnhaven Bay, at least when the photo was taken in
1990.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Capito, Bonnie P. (EFDLANT)" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 7:12 AM
Subject: FW: Pleasure House on Lynhaven Bay, 1814
The Thalia Area is off Virginia Beach Blvd (at the Willis Wayside
stoplight, the old TB hospital and camp for WW II German prisoners)while
Pleasure House Road intersects Shore Drive. Geographically, one is on
the Lynnhaven River and the other ends at Chesapeake Bay. They are miles
apart. Don't see how we could be discussing the same "house".
Yes, there was a brothel in Thalia but it isn't the same as whatever was
on Pleasure House Road.
Steinhilber's has been around since 1936. Jeannie Steinhilber's parents
started the restaurant and she and her brother now run it. Never heard
that it started as a Jewish restaurant. I'll ask Jeannie next time I
talk with her about the origins of the restaurant.
(Sidebar - there is a really old house back in Thalia (Lynn Shores).
When I was a kid, we used to go down the dirt road and look at the house
which was on the river. We were even bold enough to go into it after
the old lady who lived there died. I fell through the floor of the 1st
basement to a 2nd basement which was below the first, scary
experience....
Regards,
Bonnie
Bonnie Capito
Librarian, Records & Information Specialist
LANT HQ, Code EV32
1510 Gilbert Street
Norfolk, VA 23511-2699
757-322-4785
From: Stephan A. Schwartz [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 12:10 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Pleasure House on Lynhaven Bay, 1814
Pleasure House Road, I am informed by an elderly woman who has lived on
the
Thalia waterfront (the section where the pleasure house is located, was
the
road one took to get to well... exactly that... a brothel. It was
built by
a somewhat mysterious madam, back in the 20s, and was a very popular
stop
with the power establishment of Tidewater, Virginia, as well as the
Commonwealth at large, and its clientele came from as far away as New
York.
As VaB developed, what had formerly been a popular out of the way get
away
became an embarrassment, and it was closed after WWII. Steinhilbers
Restaurant, which is nearby, was begun as the first Jewish country club,
then taken over by the family that still runs it. Originally they
provided
meals and entertainment for those visiting the Pleasure House. The
Madam's
house, quite grand at the time is still to be seen. It was apparently
built
on the site of an earlier house, but this gets a bit murky.
-- Stephan
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