The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Prior to 19th century 1682 - Norfolk Town founded. 1728 - Norfolk Academy chartered. 1736 - Town of Norfolk attains borough status. 1739 - Saint Paul's Episcopal Church built. 1760 (approximately) - Poplar Hall, a historic plantation house, is built. 1767 - Gosport Shipyard established near Norfolk. 1776 - January 1: Burning of Norfolk. 1790 - Population: 2,959. 1795 - Fort Norfolk built. 1799 - Fire. 19th century 1804 - Female Orphan Society founded. 1812 - War of 1812 begins; ends 1815. 1819 - First U.S. Customs House built on waterfront; relocated to permanent building on Main Street in 1852. 1828 - Christ Church built. 1840 - Population: 10,920. 1845 - Norfolk attains city status. 1848 - Norfolk Humane Association active. 1850 Norfolk Courthouse built. Freemason Street Baptist Church dedicated. 1852 - Permanent U.S. Custom House opens at Main & Granby Street 1853 - "Negro free school" and Elmwood Cemetery established. 1854 - Saint Mary's Catholic Cemetery established. 1855 Yellow fever outbreak; over 3,000 people die. Hospital of St. Vincent de Paul is founded in response to the yellow fever epidemic. It is Norfolk's first civilian and public hospital. It would evolve into what is now Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center. 1858 Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad laid out. Basilica of Saint Mary built. 1861 (April) Civil War begins. (May) Battle of Sewell's Point 1862 - May 10: Union forces in power. 1865 Colored Monitor Union Club formed. Civil War ends. 1870 - Norfolk Library Association founded. 1873 - West Point Cemetery established. 1875 - Masonic Temple built. 1877 - Norfolk and Portsmouth Cotton Exchange incorporated. 1880 – Population: 21,966. 1880 - Norfolk College for Young Ladies, a finishing school, opens Downtown and operates until about 1899. 1885 - Hofheimer's, a Norfolk-based retailer of upscale footwear, is founded. The company thrives for many decades before closing in 1998. 1887 - Brambleton becomes part of Norfolk. 1888 St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church built. Norfolk Retreat for the Sick opens; it would later evolve into Norfolk General Hospital. 1899 or soon thereafter - the college that would later evolve into University of Mary Washington took over the former finishing school building previously occupied by Norfolk College for Young Ladies. 1890 Atlantic City becomes part of Norfolk. Population: 34,871. 1894 - Norfolk Daily Pilot newspaper begins publication;