Norview Middle School

School History

A house was used for the first “Norview School” in 1922. Later, during 1923, the first school, originally called Norview High School, was built by Norfolk County.  It consisted of two buildings; one for the high school and one for elementary students.

Mr. H. C. Barnes was the principal of the high school for 21 years followed by Edwin C. Chittum, W. E. Campbell and Charles W. Perdue. In 1954, a new Norview High School was built in close proximity by Norfolk County at a cost of $2,793,000.  At this time, the original Norview buildings became a junior high school.Upon the annexation of Norfolk County by the City of Norfolk in 1955, Norview High School became Norfolk’s 4 ^th high school.  The original Norview High School held its’ last graduating class in 1954. Eventually, Norview High School became Norview Junior High School and later with the changing times in education, it was named Norview Middle School.

The seventy year old Norview Junior High School did not age gracefully. Leaky roofs, bursting pipes, windows rusted-shut, lack of air conditioning, and a malfunctioning heating system precipitated its old age.  Of course, the original capacity of the school was 900 but was packed with more than 1,100 students in three (3) buildings and eight (8) portable classrooms.  There were three separate classroom buildings, plus a gym building connected by canopies for rainy weather.  “Campus-style buildings may be fine for California or Florida, but are not ideal for this climate,” said Glenn Capps, Assistant Superintendent for Maintenance and Operation.   Thus, sentimentalists watched, sadly, as the old Norview High built in 1923 but used since 1955 as Norview Junior High was demolished and preparation made for construction of the new “Norview Middle School”.

The new “Norview Middle School” was built at a cost of approximately $11.5 million with a 153,500 square-foot, three-story, air-conditioned building.   It was built with high-tech technology labs, a state-of-the-art media center equipped with a television studio and editing suite, a business lab equipped with computers instead of typewriters and 2 photography darkrooms. Grade levels, sixth, seventh and eighth grades have been housed, separately, on each of the three floors with a computer lab. Science rooms have been equipped with laboratory desks and running water.

 The old Norview site has been razed for an athletic field. Embedded behind the 1922 cornerstone in the atrium is the “Time Capsule” full of school history and events. Finally in 1995, a dream for nearly 20 years came true with the new “Norview Middle School”.