moses myers house

I have learned, if you have a chance to go with a guide or do it yourself, always pick the guide, you learn so much more. Our tour was on a Sunday at 1, so had enough time to go to brunch first and then enjoy the tour. Have lived in this area all my life and this was my first time here. Its amazing to find out about our history in our own backyard.

This house is now under the watchful eye of the Chrysler Museum. Although it sits in the shadow of a major shopping mall, just stepping inside takes you back a couple of hundred years. The whole story of the Moses Myers family is interesting.When in Norfolk, make this one of your stops.

This place is excellent to get an idea of how the rich once lived. There is also an amazing permanent contemporary glass installation in one of the bedrooms which brings it all to life.

This is a great short tour to take to learn about some of the history of Norfolk. It is free and the staff really cares about educating the public about the history. I highly recommend it for a short stop.

The structure, history and contents of this 200 year old house are amazing. Since it was continually occupied by 5 generations of the family, 70% of the furnishings in this are original including 2 Gilbert Stuart paintings. A very interesting and amusing tour guide also.

I went there after Christmas. I enjoyed the visit. i enjoyed the tour that was given. It was real interesting. Some of the grounds was taken because of the parking garage. It looked different from 20 or 30 years ago when I was young and in school.

This is a great find off the beaten path. We go during the holidays when they special have tours and enjoy learning the history.

I went to this property because the Chrysler museum was being renovated and it didn't disappoint. The young gentleman on the front desk gave a super overview of the museum beforehand. Lots of original furniture and paintings, together with a clear information timeline.

I love historical sites- the area is rich in sites. We would read about for example George Washington as a child and visit his home the next day.The Moses Myers House is a wonderful local surprise that is passed by every day traffic. Take the time to smell the roses.

loved the hsitory--it's astounding that such a place is surviving in Norfolk! this place would be great in Philadelphia or New York! Collection is outstanding--story of the house and family is great too--an architectural and historical gem--Norfolk is lucky to have this place

This 1792 home is lovely, but even more importantly, it does such good job of using the Myers' family to illustrate Norfolk's early history, notably the maritime trade but also a glimpse into Jewish life in colonial times and insights into the city's growth and development in the late 19th and early 20th century. When I arrived, the docent was busy finishing a tour with a group outside, so I began by poking around on my own. The signage was fascinating and definitely a notch above the usual. When the docent returned, he offered to answer my questions and showed a remarkable depth of knowledge, no matter what topic I inquired about. I heartily recommend a stop here!

This 1797 Federal style house is located in the Historic Norfolk Freeson District. Admission is free with the option of a free-will donation. Upon entering, guests are given the option of browsing independently or to tour the premis with a docent.....definitely agree to the docent in order to appreciate the history and personal stories that bring that era and the Meyer family alive. The majority of the furnishings are original--some artifacts would go unnoticed without an entertaining guide to ask probing questions and to link the history with the stories of the restsoration. Most notable, the discovery of the original 24 K gold leaf decoration adorning one of the first floor fireplaces, or the priceless Stuart portraits of Mr and Mrs Meyer! The history of the location of the original kitchen in the basement and why it was promptly moved outside and eventually connected to the house by an addition hit home, as I toured the house on one of those over 100 degree days! It was worth every drop of sweat!

Wonderful original furniture and devoted docents, good restored garden.

Tour Moses Myers House along with other Norfolk Historic Houses for a most enjoyable day for locals and visitors alike. City of Norfolk has done an outstanding job linking historic places together with a walking tour.

I did not know about this site until I read about it in the Norfolk attractions guide. I am so glad I decided to visit it! It is downtown and within walking distance of the Norfolk History Museum and the Fire and Police Museum, so one can visit all three museums in a short time span. All are free. Moses Myers was an early Jewish settler of Norfolk (if not the first Jewish settler) in the late 18th century and became one of the wealthiest import/export merchants in the United States in colonial times. The house was built about 1795 and housed five generations of the Myers family. In the 1930s, when the younger generations no longer wanted to live in the house, the last owner decided to give it to the city as a museum. Because one family lived in the house for such a long period (over 135 years), about 70% of the furnishings are original. The rooms are fairly sparsely furnished, but you can see how the people lived in that time; it has been restored to the colonial period and restoration is still going on in rooms that are not open to the public. There are signs in each room that give you a bit of history about the family and a timeline in one room that gives you an overview of the activities of the five generations that lived there. The only complaint that I have is that because of a shortage of staff, we were not given a personal guided tour and that would have greatly enhanced our visit because this is a fascinating place and an amazing family and there was so much to learn about them that a casual visitor would not have picked up on by touring the house on their own. The man who was the tour guide was available and walked around to see if we had any questions, which I did, but a tour would have been so much better. When I did ask him questions, he was most interesting and his knowledge of the family and their activities was wonderful; I just wish I would have known more when I actually toured the house. He told me a lot more than were on the signs around the house. I became so interested in this family that I looked them up online and found out many great facts--Myer's son, Samuel, was the first Jewish graduate of William and Mary, one of his sons shot and killed a man who was harrassing his father, Moses, and their great grandson, Barton, was quite a civil leader in Norfolk. So much to learn and know--a shame that a tour was not given. Still, a site absolutely worth visiting. I believe it is the oldest Jewish residence in the United States that is open to the public for viewing as a museum. High recommended!