Breaking Ground in Sandbridge
Initially called Sand Ridge, likely attributing the topography of the area, the name Sandbridge was cemented after local settlers believed the name fit a sandy bridge that lead to the beach. It was the late 1870’s when the buzz of the area caught on. The United States Lifesaving Service was authorized by the U.S. Congress to construct stations along the coastline to aid seamen. While this populated the area with stationed surfmen and keepers, along with hunters, fishermen, and other activity-driven folks, the growth of Sandbridge development started in the 1950’s.
In 1952, Harvey Lindsay, a Norfolk, VA real estate developer bought a large section of Sandbridge to create a second home community; and following that, James Kabler built the first Sandbridge house in 1953. From there, the area and residents started to expand and grow until a massive northeaster storm in the early 60’s attempted a clean slate for the area. Winds and tides devastated the area, but residents cleaned it up, and had a new vision of constructing homes on pilings for stability.
Sandbridge continued to flourish and blossom into a thriving year round community in the 1980s. Today, Sandbridge epitomizes the “beach community”. It proudly provides a special beach home setting for locals along with an ideal vacation spot for guests – where they can still embrace the gorgeous beach without tourist saturation. Sandbridge gives each person the unique opportunity to visit renowned parks (Back Bay Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park) along with expansive beach access to the Atlantic Ocean.
Come make memories in Sandbridge. We guarantee they will be unforgettable!