Artifacts
Lemuel Fentress Doll
Fort Norfolk has touched the lives of many, perhaps none more intriguing than Lemuel Fentress.
Not much is known about the squatter who lived in the fort several years in the 1840s, during a quiet period in the fort's history. When the feds found Fentress in the fort, he gave them a bill for $1,500 for "taking care of the government's works," signing with an "X". No one knows if he was paid or punished . . . .
Norfolk Historical Society board member Joyce McKeever was intrigued by the elusive Fentress, and commissioned nationally renowned doll creator Pat East of Norfolk to design a doll in his imaginary likeness. The extraordinary doll, complete with authentic costume, red curly hair, and winkling blue eyes, is on display at the fort.
For more information, please contact:
The Norfolk Historical Society
P.O. Box 6367
Norfolk, VA 23508-0367
The Norfolk Historical Society is certified as a tax-exempt, public charity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and gifts are tax-deductible.