Carolina Shore - Spring 2019

CAROLINA shore

Spring & Summer 2019

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CAROLINA shore EXPLORING COASTAL CAROLINA

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

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contents spring/summer 2019

12 Crossing the Bridge

Hundreds braved the elements for a trip over the completed

Oregon Inlet Bridge.

16 The Green Book

The new film has shed new light on the challenges faced by Afridan American travelers in the 50s and 60s.

22 Long Weekend: Charleston

Consistently named the best city in the United States, Charleston is a perfect destination for a long weekend ... or more.

34 The Big House

Davis Island in Down East Carteret County is on the market - including its grand home.

38 Carolina’s Lights

For centuries North Carolina’s lighthouses have been

protecting mariners from our unforgiving shoreline.

50 The One That Didn’t

Get Away

The beginning of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament as told by John Tunnell and the late Bob Simpson.

54 Old Haunts

Paranormal researchers pen book on the ghosts that bump around Morehead City’s Webb Library.

62 Take a Hike

Spring is the perfect time to get outdoors and investigate all that the Crystal Coast has to offer - just off the beaten path.

58 This Southern Life 72 Up & Coming James Lee photo

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TRAVEL

Hundreds Brave OBX Winds to Cross Bridge At least 2,000 people braved raw Outer Banks winds Saturday, Feb. 9 to trek across the new bridge over Oregon Inlet.

The state opened the $252 million span of 2.8 miles to walkers and cyclists only as part of a ceremony marking its completion after three years of construction.

The bridge is expected to open to traffic within days.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Billie Robinson of Chesterfield, Virginia. “We’ve been coming to Hatteras since I was 12 years old. This is my happy place.”

North winds blew 20 miles per hour and gusted higher with a wind chill going below freezing. Despite conditions, people began arriving early in the morning and continued in a steady stream until the bridge closed later in the afternoon. Park staff estimated more than 2,000 people came to walk or bike the bridge, said David Hallac, superintendent of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina.

They pushed strollers and bundled up toddlers. They led dogs on leashes. Some people made part of the trek in wheelchairs or with canes. Cyclists rode over and back more than once facing the wind.

The bridge peak stands 90 feet above the water, making it one of the tallest in the state. Winds up there whipped even harder.

“This is really, really exciting,” said Rita Seelig Ayers, a member of the Outer Banks Silver Riders. “You duck your head and go. If you can push your bike faster than you can ride, then you push.”

Danielle Gentry of Rodanthe finished the walk on the bridge around noon.

“It was a typical Hatteras day,” she said. “Sand in my teeth. Got my flossing going.”

The project was proposed 30 years ago and repeatedly delayed

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

story & photo by Jeff Hampton

by costs and lawsuits over its environmental impacts. It replaces the Bonner Bridge built in 1963 that has closed over the years for emergency repairs and reinforcement of its supports.

The high-rise portion of the new structure stretches over Oregon Inlet for more than a half mile. Spans below are about 300 feet apart, allowing boat traffic to pass underneath more safely in the swirling inlet currents. Boats often struck the old bridge as they attempted to go under it where the widest span was only 130 feet.

Stainless steel reinforcement bars, extra dense concrete and supports sunk deep into the bottom of the inlet give the new structure a life expectation of 100 years.

“The construction of this bridge is clearly not rocket science,” Hallac said before about 200 people packed into an outdoor event tent. “It was much more complicated than that.”

Many Outer Banks communities recommended to the state that the new bridge be named after former state senator Marc Basnight, a native of Manteo.

Basnight was adamant against naming the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge after him when it was finished over the Croatan Sound in 2002. His family has hesitated to mention the effort to name the bridge over the Oregon Inlet after him, said his daughter Vicki Basnight, who walked the span Saturday.

“I think it’s a great honor,” she said.

The old bridge will be torn down except for about 1,000 feet at the south end which will be made into a fishing pier with the Herbert C. Bonner name. Much of the leftover concrete will be sunk offshore as part of an artificial reef.

The bridge opened to all traffic on Feb. 25.

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HISTORY

“

Carry your Green Book with you … you may need it.” is the cautionary tagline found on the front cover of the nearly three dozen issues of Victor Hugo Green’s “The Negro Motorist Green Book” (and later “The Negro Travelers Green Book”). At a glance, this caveat could be perceived as a thinly-veiled attention grabber, perhaps the author or publisher’s push to sell a few more copies to nervous travelers.

Sadly, these words weren’t unscrupulous fear-mongering, but rather a warning to African American travelers. A warning born out of years experiencing embarrassments, disappointments and disasters while on the road.

Getting Started

the

Green

Book

story by Rudi A. Shelor

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

First published in 1936, “The Green Book” was the brainchild of Victor Hugo Green, a postal carrier in Harlem, NY. Having seen troubles brought on by segregation – whether announced on signs in the South or spoken of in whispers up North – Green thought of a way to avoid the inconvenience of being barred from a restaurant or the danger of finding oneself with no place to sleep in an unfamiliar town.

With his connection to other postal carriers throughout the city, Green and his colleagues began compiling a list of restaurants and hotels in Harlem and other areas of NYC that were friendly and accommodating to African Americans.

The book’s first issue was met with such popularity that Green included listings from other states in the very next issue.

He gathered information by mail-in contributions and through the research of his small but growing staff. Through this work, “The Green Book” eventually expanded to include most states and several other countries.

Though Jim Crow-type laws are often thought of as exclusively an American problem, the need to include countries like Canada, Mexico and Barbados illustrates how far racist restrictions truly reached.

Initially created to be a guide for people of color travelling for any reason, by the 1948 edition Green began to gear his publication toward those traveling for pleasure. He included a travel service which assisted African Americans in locating hotels and summer resorts and reworked the title to “The Green Book: A Classified Negro Motorist & Tourist Guide.”

In a Smithsonian Channel documentary entitled “The Green Book: Guide To Freedom,” some of the most popular resort areas mentioned include Idlewild, Michigan; Atlantic Beach, South Carolina; and the A.G. Gaston Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama.

The A.G. Gaston Hotel wasn’t just a place to spend the night, but also served as a meeting and lodging place for civil rights leaders.

Travelers could order “Green Books” through the mail, find them at local churches, or buy them at roadside retailers like Esso Standard Oil, which was the first large chain to sell them. Green and Esso had a formal agreement for the retailer to sell the guides which created an ideal partnership. As the post-World War II economy grew, so did the black middle class. For the first time, African Americans enjoyed the luxury of disposable income, were able to purchase automobiles and able to travel for pleasure. African Americans who could afford to purchase a car would often do so to avoid the potential dangers of public transportation.

Driving a personal vehicle was a fairly new phenomenon, so Green included pages with vehicle maintenance tips, driving tips,

Viggo Mortensen, left, and Mahershala Ali in Universal Pictures’ “The Green Book”

information on the latest car models and tips to avoid distracted driving along with lists of rights and laws by state and myriad other pieces of advice and anecdotes.

No Travel Guide Is Perfect An explanation of the book was provided in the first few pages of each issue. Green began speaking to would-be critics by boldly stating “No travel guide is perfect!” He went on to detail the process he and his staff abided by when collecting listings but admitted that the information didn’t always come from reliable sources and things like addresses, locations or whether a place was even still open could change from the time they received the information to the time the book was published. He also welcomed feedback from users of his guide, driving home an underlying point of this book – it was to aid in safe travel and encourage recreation but it also sought to be a well-written guide that only included clean reputable businesses within its pages.

In the Movies A renewed, or for some brand new, interest in Green’s travel guide has been fueled by the 2018 film “The Green Book”. The movie tells the story of Don Shirley, a famous African American concert and jazz pianist and his hired driver and bodyguard Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga as they travel to Shirley’s concert bookings in the segregated South in 1962. Throughout the film, the viewer is able to see the despicable and outright ridiculous nature of Jim Crow. Shirley wasn’t allowed to use the bathroom, dine or stay the night at the places he was performing. Instead, the duo relied on a “Green Book” they’d been given by Shirley’s manager.

Nick Vallelonga, one of the film’s screenwriter’s and Tony Lip’s son, said he always knew that this was a story he wanted to tell.

While he admits it was an emotional project for him because of his close ties with the main characters, he always felt that he “had something” with the tale. The younger Vallelonga imagined he might make an independent film about his father’s 1962 journey someday, but never dreamed that it would turn into a box office hit.

When discussing the film, Nick Vallelonga is careful to point out that the intent of this project wasn’t to be a documentary about the “Green Book” but more so to encourage people to look into it themselves.

In an interview with film review website Screenrant, Vallelonga said “People have told me it made them Google it, and made them go, “Oh my God, what is this book?” So, we layered things out to have the social issues and the racism exposed. I mean it’s horrible.

You say a man can’t go to the bathroom where he’s playing, the theater he’s playing. This wasn’t the movie that we were going to go hammer you with all that. It’s there enough and it showed how it affected him as a person, and how it affected my father seeing this happen.” Akin to the “Green Book” itself, the film simply intended to put the information out there – it’s up to the recipient to decide how to use it.

Though the film won Best Picture at the 91st Academy Awards, it has been negatively received by some. One of Shirley’s relatives, Carol Shirley Kimble said the film is “once again a depiction of a white man’s version of a black man’s life... To depict him and take away from him and make the story about a hero of a white man for this incredibly accomplished black man is insulting, at best.”

Some have also accused the film of skewing Shirley’s relationship with his own family, depicting it as extremely strained or almost nonexistent when in reality he served as best man at his brother’s wedding just two years after the events portrayed in the film.

The Green Book and Eastern North Carolina According to acting director Angela Thorpe, the NC African American Heritage Commission is currently working on a project called “The Green Book’s Oasis Spaces Project” that will explore all 326 Green Book sites in North Carolina. Even though the vast majority of them are now vacant lots or roadways, the commission plans to use photographs of these areas to tell the story of “The Green Book” and the perils of travel for African Americans in the segregated South. The traveling exhibition is slated to launch in (Continued on page 18) NCCOAST.COM

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(Continued from page 17)

March, 2020.

Just a short trip up Highway 70 from the Crystal Coast, New Bern boasted three “Green Book” sites, two of which are still standing. Thorpe held a lecture on the New Bern sites in February which was full of little-known facts about these historical sites.

One site, which is now a traffic circle, was the Palm Garden.

Listed in the “Green Book” as a tavern, it was located at what was then 192 Broad St. in New Bern and appeared only in the 1949 issue of the “Green Book.”

Owned by George Downing and Walter Godette, it is somewhat unclear what actually happened to the Palm Garden as it stopped appearing in New Bern city directories in 1951 according to Thorpe.

Appearing in at least seven issues of the “Green Book” (1950, 1953, 1954 and 1960-63) was the H.C. Sparrow Tourist Home at what was originally 68 West St. in New Bern, though the address was changed to 731 West St. in the 1960s. This home still stands today and is owned by the granddaughter of the original owner and builder, Henry Clain Sparrow. Sparrow was a skilled bricklayer and is said to have been a “man of sufficient means” who was wellestablished in New Bern around the turn of the century according to Thorpe’s research.

Thorpe has found conflicting records indicating the home was built in both 1916 and 1925. However, she did mention that both of these dates could technically be accurate if the house was burned

in the New Bern fire of 1922 and then rebuilt.

It is thought that the owner’s son Charles Sparrow, who would have only been in his 40s, was responsible for advertising the home as a safe haven for African American travelers.

The longest appearing and perhaps most interesting site in New Bern was the Rhone Hotel listed at 42 Queen St. in the books and now standing at 512 Queen St. The Rhone Hotel was built and owned by three sisters – Charlotte, Carrie and Harriett Rhone – and appeared in the 1938-41, 1947-57 and 1959-63 issues of the “Green Book” according to Thorpe.

The Rhone Hotel stands out for a number of reasons. Not only was it unusual for blacks to own a hotel at that time in the South, it was especially unusual for a black woman to own one.

Also, accommodations that were friendly to African Americans were overwhelmingly termed “tourist homes” – private residences that had extra rooms or additions built on for boarders, not actual hotels.

The Rhone sisters, however, had the means to build and a passion to encourage more black travel. With its close proximity to the railroad, it brought in droves of people passing through for

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business and for pleasure. The original Rhone Hotel building is still standing today and is currently used as apartments.

Travel in Carteret County Though no businesses in Carteret County were ever found to be listed in the “Green Book,” there were two that probably could have been. It is speculated that people of color didn’t often visit this area for beach recreation because there were black beaches such as Seabreeze in Wilmington and Ocean City on Topsail Island nearby, however, the black population along the Crystal Coast swelled during the summer when white families on vacation would bring along their hired help.

When in Morehead City for the summer, one option African Americans had for recreation during their downtime was the Edgewater Hotel. The building is still standing at what is currently

1100 Edgewater Place in Morehead City, however, in old city guides from the late 50s and early 60s it is listed as being at the far end of N. 11th Street. The Edgewater Hotel was founded, owned and operated

by Harkless Wooten, well known in the county and beyond for being an extremely talented chef, and his wife Clifford McGhee Wooten.

As reported by an entry in The National Register of Historic Places, “Morehead City, North Carolina, was the location of the Edgewater Hotel, built in 1950, in the northwest section of town known as “Colored Town.” This hotel, like the few others scattered along the east coast, served the black traveler in the mid-20th century who was unwelcome at the white hotels.

In the first part of the century, the black population of Morehead City was only about one-sixth of the total. Most individuals were employed in the fishing industries or at white resort hotels as porters, cooks, maids and laundresses. The (Continued on page 20)

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(Continued from page 19)

black population rose in the summer months when white visitors to the resort community brought their maids and butlers, none of whom were able to attend any of the local white venues. Here was a definite need for a recreational venue for the black community, and the Edgewater Hotel, built by Harkless Wooten, a local black man, filled the void, remaining in operation until 1979. In contrast to the grand resort hotels of the white community that had been built into the early years of the 20th century, the Edgewater Hotel was located in a simple frame building with a kitchen, dining room, lounge, pool hall, patio and pier. Charter fishing boats took visitors on excursions nearby.”

A column called “On the Tarheel Beat” featured in the New Journal and Guide also discussed the lack of recreational options for people of color in Morehead City and said of the hotel: “The most popular and widely patronized is the Edgewater Hotel owned

by H.E.“Papa” Wooten.

Dancing on the patio is ‘the thing’ and each Thursday night a small local combo is featured.

It is then that those who have served the other fellow all week come out to be served.”

In the same article, another Morehead City business that catered to the African American population is mentioned – Amy’s Grill. In a 1963 edition of “Hill’s Morehead City and Beaufort Directory”, Amy’s Grill, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Jack May, was listed as being located at 1212 Bridges St. Mention of Amy’s Grill was also found in the Negro News column of the April 1, 1955, issue of the Carteret News Times.

Amy’s hosted a sixth anniversary meeting of The Ladies Home

20

CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Instruction Club and a rundown of the club meeting also contained a description of restaurant. The article detailed the decor and menu at the meeting: “Tables were decorated with japonicas and jonquils, centered with candles. Club members wore corsages of white carnations, the club flower, trimmed with orchid and white ribbons, the club colors. They were served turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing, peas, carrots, pickles, hot rolls and muffins, creamed potatoes, coffee, ice cream, and cake.”

In a 1948 issue of the Carteret News Times, there was an advertisement for “mercantile apartment, Amy’s Grill, Morehead City.” It is unclear if the rental was for long-term use only or if this was a unit available to travelers, but it indicated that, along with the Edgewater, there were some accommodations for people of color.

Impact of The Green Book

On the first page of the 1948 “Green Book,” Victor Hugo Green expressed regret that there was ever a need for his guides.

“There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published. That is when we as a race will have equal opportunities and privileges in the United States. It will be a great day for us to suspend this publication, for then we can go wherever we please and without embarrassment. But until that time comes, we shall continue to publish this information for your convenience every year.”

“The Green Book” ceased publication after the 1966-67 issue, having reached the day Green hoped for in his 1948 introduction with the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The signing of the Civil Rights Act saw many of the once-thriving businesses listed in “The Green Book” decline sharply. People of color now had the option to patronize any establishment they desired and many of the businesses couldn’t compete with places that had more money and resources at their disposal.

“The Green Book” sites that historians and preservation committees are seeking to save “allow us to see a parallel country”, according to The Smithsonian documentary. Not only do they provide a historical record but they tell a story of entrepreneurship and in many ways show a seldom-seen side of the civil rights movement. One where the ultimate goal was still equal rights but where the deep need for rest and relaxation – or as Mr. Green put it, “vacation without aggravation” – was recognized, sought after and ultimately achieved.

H A N D M A D E

O N E- O F- A - K I N D J

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LONG WEEKEND:

Charleston

story by Amanda Dagnino

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

TRAVEL & TOURISM

I

t would be so simple to say that Charleston is a perfect destination for foodies, a hotspot for shoppers, or even an ideal vacation for history buffs. The truth is Charleston checks so many boxes it is hard to define with a few simple words. Yes, it is all of the above – but it so much more. With its perfect blend of history and style and its comfortable laid back yet oh-so-elegant air, it’s no wonder Charleston collects accolades the way others gather participation ribbons – including being named the Top U.S. City by the Conde Nast Traveler for eight years in a row.

There is a relaxing ease to Charleston – like taking a meandering stroll down a path shaded by Spanish moss-draped live oak trees. Its chill character is enhanced by its cobbled stone streets and tiny nooks and alleyways. There is no reason to rush, yet every reason to slow down and take in as much of its breathtaking beauty as possible. Steeped in history, yet effortlessly hip and vibrant, the city is a perfect destination for a long weekend … or more.

Lucky for us, it’s just a comfortable five hour car ride away.

Awaiting travelers is a character and charm that is unparalleled; a glass of cold iced tea, perhaps a cocktail, and a city that calls for exploration. Whether one is looking for a relaxing weekend on the beach or a tour of city’s impeccably maintained historic buildings, there is little chance of going home disappointed.

Charleston’s striking architecture, especially in the coveted “South of Broad” district, would be reason enough to take the trek to the lower Carolina. Buildings survive from every era of the city’s history and just about every type of architecture is represented, from Georgian and Greek Revival to Italianate and Art Deco. Grand gothic churches cast shade on the bold, flat-fronted Georgian manses and decoratively painted balustrades of Queen Annes. Charleston was the first city in the country to locally protect its historic status and there is little question why. It was later named a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

Take note of the Charleston Single House, which will look odd to many first-time visitors. With a narrow side facing the street and an open air door that enters on to a long porch that flanks the side of the long house.

While some tour guides surmise that the design helped homeowners avoid property taxes assessed by how much roadside frontage a home had, however, historians note that there is no evidence to support this claim. Instead, they purport that the muggy climate is responsible for the design and that the porch was situated to take advantage of prevailing winds to keep its residents cool.

While the homes were designed in a variety of architectural styles – Greek Revival, Federal and others – the floorplan remains the same, with two rooms on each floor. The true entrance to the house is located about halfway down the side porch, or piazza in these parts, and opens into a small hallway with a staircase. The two rooms are located off this main hall, with one room at the front of the building and one room at the back. The floorplan repeats on each floor. The door along the road serves only to provide a little added privacy and security for home owners so they can enjoy their grand piazza in peace.

Visitors will surely notice the earthquake bolts on many of the city’s older buildings.

After a devastating earthquake in 1886, buildings were retrofit with rods that were inserted through the walls and anchored on the exterior walls.

One of the best ways to take it all in is on foot. The city is filled with hidden alleyways and courtyards to discover and a walk around the city provides the perfect opportunity to explore at your own pace. Self-guided walking tour maps can be found on the City of Charleston’s website (cityofcharleston.com) and can be picked up in area visitor’s centers.

Of course there are plenty of guided tours as well – by foot, bus, bike, trolley, horse-drawn carriage, boat or Segway.

While some tours provide a brief overall history of the area, others are more specific.

Ghost tours, winery and tea tours, culinary and architectural tours are popular. There are also guided trips that whisk you away from the city to the grand plantation houses in the countryside nearby. Whatever your interest – Charleston is ready to help you along the way.

History The Holy City – so dubbed for its early tolerance of all religions and its large number (Continued on page 24)

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23

(Continued from page 23)

of historic churches – saw its first settlers in 1670. About 150 colonists, servants and slaves found their way to Bull’s Island, which they initially named Albemarle Point. The group soon, as homage to Charles II, renamed the settlement as Charles Town.

Settlers arrived from Barbados and the growing village realized that moving across the river would place them in a prime location between the Cooper and Ashley rivers.

By 1680, there were about 1,000 people in Charles Town and it quickly became a busy seaport. Indigo, rice, deer skins and cotton were sent to England, returning with staples and luxuries from Europe, adding to the town’s reputation for being “Little London”. Within 10 years it was the fifth largest city in North America.

The easy-to-reach seaport brought a dark side with it as well. On Chalmers Street, the Old Slave Market stands as a stark reminder.

Historians estimate that some 40 to 60 percent of Africans brought to the country came through Charleston Harbor. Renovated by the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, the market holds a museum today chronicling the city’s role in the slave trade. It is a history that Charleston doesn’t shy away from – but instead apologetically embraces as a dark stain on the past and shares as part of the city’s story with grace and sadness lest nobody forget.

If there are two words that describe the city is would surely be resilience and strength. Charleston has withstood two wars – Revolutionary and Civil – as well as two major fires – 1838 and the Great Fire of 1861 – a major earthquake and a host of hurricanes, including Hurricane Hugo in 1989. In spite of these natural and

24

CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

unnatural disasters, the city continued to rebound. Its historical significance, its arts, its architecture and its role in Southern history and culture continued to rebound, always with a welcome mat on the porch for anyone who wandered by.

Playing There are many who simply enjoy walking the streets South of Broad and enjoying the awe-inspiring architecture, while others are looking for something a little more stimulating. There is much to take in in Charleston – but here are a few of the not-to-miss attractions.

The Battery: At the confluence of the Cooper and Ashley rivers, the Battery played a huge role in the city’s defenses. The wall built to help protect the still stands and military statues and canons tell the tales of the city’s storied past. Surrounded by some of the area’s most beautiful antebellum homes, White Point Garden is the perfect place to stop for a moment and take in the history of the area.

Old Exchange Building & Provost Dungeon: Take a brief guided tour of the Exchange building and learn about its rich history by period-dressed docents. Constructed in 1771, the Old Exchange hosted the signing of the U.S. Constitution making South Carolina the eighth state to join the union.

Pineapple Fountain: The centerpiece in Waterfront Park, shaped in the universal sign of friendship and welcome has been a favorite icon of the city since it was opened in 1990. Wading is (Continued on page 26)

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encouraged – as long as it’s one between 6am and midnight.

A sign with health and safety rules is mounted nearby.

Calhoun Mansion: With 35 rooms to explore and a 75-foot Italianate dome, the Calhoun Mansion may be one of the grandiose houses in Charleston. Built in 1876, the 24,000-square-foot house is excessively grand and ornate.

If the architecture alone doesn’t draw you in, the owner’s collection of artifacts from the Gilded Age should.

Aiken-Rhett House Museum: Well preserved and affordable to tour, the Aiken-Rhett House provides a perfect snapshot of 19th-century Charleston. Built in 1820, the house was home to William Aiken, Jr., a former governor of South Carolina and owner of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company.

Gibbes Museum of Art: For art lovers, this mustsee museum features vast collections. From 18th and 19th century work to modern and contemporary pieces, over 10,000 works of art are on display.

Old Slave Mart Museum: Interactive exhibits and testimony from slaves and their descendants tell the story of slavery in America and Charleston. It is difficult to hear – but a must for anyone who is truly interested in learning about the city.

The Charleston Museum: Trace the city’s roots and history at this exceptionally well presented museum.

Founded in 1773, the museum itself has an extended history.

Fort Sumter: Retrace the first shots of the Civil War and learn about the 34-hour bombardment that changed the shape of Charleston’s history.

First Friday on Broad: Broad Street’s Gallery Row stays open late and welcomes visitors from 5 to 8pm during shoulder season months for an art walk and refreshments.

Live entertainment is often on tap and an array of special exhibits.

Away from Town – If time allows, be sure to take a jaunt over to Johns Island and take in the splendor of the Angel Oak, believed to be over 400 years old. While driving outside the city, stop to visit Magnolia Plantation, which boasts one of America’s most beautiful public gardens. Boone Hall Plantation in nearby Mount Pleasant, established in 1681, offers tours of the striking manor house as well as historical tours of black history and details on the slaves who lived at the site.

Staying Keep the weather in mind when planning a trip to Charleston. It’s hot. Yes – it’s hot in Eastern Carolina too.

But the daily level of humidity in Charleston during the summer months is definitely more intense and more frequent than what is traditionally found here at home. The shoulder season, however, is delightful. Warm days, cooler evenings and limited humidity make it perfect for exploring the cobblestone streets.

Staying in the heart of Charleston – which we’ll admit,

26

CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

provides the optimum Charleston experience – can be pricey. But booking early and browsing all available options can help. There are delightful bed and breakfasts, modern new boutique hotels and a handful of chains to be found in the downtown area. There are also plenty of Airbnb options, which many find are more affordable.

Shopping The Charleston City Market, located in the heart of downtown, features hundreds of local artisans selling a variety of wares, from art and clothing to spices and housewares. It is yet another must-stop during any Charleston visit.

During spring and summer, the market offers extended night time hours to allow shoppers to beat the heat and features live music.

King Street is an experience all its own. Coming from a rural area, where shopping is limited to strip malls and half empty traditional malls, the shopping in Charleston is like visiting New York City.

It is abundant and varied – from budget chains to upscale boutiques. And King Street is the heartbeat of Charleston’s shopping district.

The street is more than 300 years old and served as a primary roadway during the early days of Charles Town. Today, it is divided into three sections: Lower King is known as the Antiques District, Middle King is the Fashion District and Upper King is known for its home décor, dining and nightlife.

It is a vibrant hub of activity, both day and night. Shoppers fill the streets as they stroll from shop to shop by day and at night diners and revelers converge on Upper King for a night on the town.

Best time to go? Second Sunday on King closes the road to traffic from 1-5pm allowing shoppers to take over the roadway.

Whether it is the shopping, the history or the food that lures you to Charleston – everyone can find something to keep them entertained.

Theater, arts, shopping and a culinary experience that is unmatched is met with history at every turn.

Eating is an art form all its own in Charleston. From seafood to barbecue and all point in between, the city is ripe with culinary offerings just ready for the tasting. Here are a few of our favorites: For Dinner: Husk – Just bypass the menu and order the fried chicken. Southern cuisine is on full display at Husk – a list topping eatery that has been charming diners since it opened in 2010.

Halls Chophouse – With live music seven days a week (including a gospel Sunday brunch), Hall’s has been a favorite for those looking for a prime cut.

Workshop – Like an upscale mall food court, the Workshop brings together a variety of vendors and ever-changing line up of cuisines. Not knowing exactly what you’ll be eating until you arrive provides an added bit of intrigue.

For Brunch: Butcher & Bee – The hip industrial space offers an array of palate pleasing options, from basic to elaborate. Whipped ricotta toast with chili honey, anyone? Yes, please!

High Cotton – Enjoy a little jazz with your brunch? Live music an array of Southern specialties make High Cotton high on our list.

Hominy Grill: We recommend that you arrive early and be prepared to linger in the front courtyard with a bloody Mary while waiting for a table. On the map for its Charleston Nasty Biscuit – featuring fried chicken, cheese and sausage gravy.

NCCOAST.COM

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HISTORY

Senior staff archeologist Mark Kostro and archeologist Victoria Gum discuss brick debris uncovered at the Custis Square dig site in Colonial Williamsburg March 18.

Williamsburg

Investigates Gardens

C

olonial Williamsburg has cleared out the cows so its archaeologists can take a crack at Custis Square.

The foundation hopes that underneath the grass its livestock has grazed on, it will find artifacts related to the volatile planter and one-time father-in-law to Martha Washington, John Custis, IV. The foundation has launched a multi-year archaeological investigation at Custis’ home and gardens, known as Custis Square.

Colonial Williamsburg hopes to learn more about Custis, the enslaved people who lived at the site and horticulture of the early 18th century at what is a major and mostly unexplored site.

“We’re thrilled to be able to do this. It’s one of the more important sites that has not been excavated at Colonial Williamsburg,” said Jack Gary, the foundation’s director of archaeology.

Gary spoke just a couple hours after the first shovelfuls of dirt were removed from the pasture Monday, which sits on top of the 4-acre Custis Square site. Around him were a handful of archaeologists digging, scraping and peering into a few 50-centimeter squares of exposed dirt arrayed in a grid and marked with tiny pink flags. Prior to the start of the excavation, livestock had grazed on the property; they will be moved to other pastures to make way for the dig.

The archeologists’ mission is two-fold: to learn about the broader landscape of Custis Square, particularly its garden, and to learn about

30

CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

story & photo by Jack Jacobs the people who lived there, particularly the enslaved Africans who actually created and tended the garden.

By 1717, after buying the property a couple years earlier, Custis had built a house at the site, which is on Francis Street between the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art museums and the Colonial Parkway.

In his personal letters of the time, Custis wrote of his budding interest in gardening. That interest would blossom into a passion.

“As we read more of his letters, we learn he didn’t just get into gardening, he really got into gardening,” Gary said.

Custis developed an elaborate garden for this property, one that was known even in England. Records show Custis ordered a range of plants from England and kept up a correspondence with notable naturalists. Historians believe the garden featured topiary, gravel paths and three statues, Gary said.

But that’s about it. There are still questions about what the garden looked like, where the plants and pathways were and how the Custis’ house, the foundation of which has already been excavated, was positioned in the garden.

“This is a high-end garden being developed by an incredibly wealthy individual,” Gary said.

The space is more than a collection of curated plants. It’s also a window into the development of an aspect of American culture,

albeit gardening, and how English and African culture informed it.

“He took garden conventions from England, even plants from England. How did he translate that into a completely different physical setting, a completely different environment and a completely different cultural setting?” Gary said.

There’s also a darker side of Custis Square. The wealthy garden enthusiast was a slave owner. Learning more about the lives of those enslaved people is also a priority of the project.

“This was a landscape of enslavement. There were enslaved people who worked on this property,” Gary said. “How did they transform this landscape? They were the ones building it and maintaining it.”

Custis owned almost 200 people when he died. While some lived and worked at Custis Square, most worked on his four plantations outside Williamsburg, according to a Colonial Williamsburg news release.

One phase of the project is excavation of outbuildings, with an emphasis on enslaved inhabitants of the site. The project will also conduct materials analysis and research Custis’ enslaved laborers to identify descendants, the release states.

Those efforts will be helped by the size of the site.

“Because it’s such a large lot, there may be more discreet places where enslaved people are living in their own quarters. Once we find those, that allows us to say ‘this stuff belonged to enslaved people as opposed to John Custis,’ ” Gary said.

A Man of Means

Custis, who lived from 1678 to 1749, led a prominent family that initially settled on Virginia’s Eastern Shore in the mid-1600s.

He moved to Williamsburg after his rocky marriage to Frances Parke Custis ended with her death by smallpox in 1715.

Insight into that tempestuous relationship can be found on Custis’ Eastern Shore grave, which reads in part, “Yet lived but Seven [sic] years which was the Space [sic] of time he kept a Batchelors [sic] House at Arlington on the Eastern Shoar [sic] of Virginia.”

In Williamsburg, Custis served on the royal Governor’s Council and had a falling out with Lt. Gov. Alexander Spotswood after Spotswood had trees felled near Custis Square to create a better view from the Governor’s Palace, the release states.

There’s also a connection to America’s first First Lady. Custis’ son by Frances Parke, Daniel Parke Custis, married one Martha Dandridge in 1750. He died in 1757. Martha Dandridge inherited Custis Square from her late husband and likely lived there before she married George Washington in 1759, Gary said.

In addition to politics and gardening, Custis was a savvy, perhaps even cutthroat, tobacco planter. Letters to merchants show a man willing to put pressure on business associates, Gary said.

Custis, at 61 years old, fathered a son named John by one of his enslaved women, Alice. Custis secured John’s freedom by petitioning the colonial government. Custis deeded John land in York County, as well as enslaved people including John’s mother and her other children, according to the release.

Custis was also interested in medicine and fancied himself an amateur physician. He developed his own medicinal remedies and created hundreds of recipes to cure everything from heartburn to deafness. He treated his slaves with his medicines and even provided his remedies to Williamsburg’s poor for free, Gary said.

“If they couldn’t go to a real doctor, they could come to John Custis and get free medicine,” Gary said. “He’s like all of us. He has multiple sides to him.”

Digging Deeper

Senior staff archeologist Mark Kostro examined a smattering of brick debris within one of the dig site’s small exploratory squares of excavated dirt on the chilly Monday afternoon.

There’s a method to the small squares that represent an initial foray into the site. In January, the team used ground-penetrating radar to identity anomalies in the dirt to follow up on with excavation.

“One of the things we do when you have a big landscape like this is try to narrow down where are the points of interests for us to do larger excavations,” Kostro said. “It gives us a window every 10 meters of the whole project area.”

The idea is to create this grid across the site to inform archaeologists where to concentrate the digging effort. Kostro gestured to another square, sans brick, closer to Francis Street.

“Right away, we’re seeing some differences even here,” he said, adding that the brick debris could be a pathway, building debris or a dumping ground.

This effort isn’t the first time Colonial Williamsburg has explored the site. Colonial Williamsburg bought the site in 1966 and during that decade unearthed the residence’s foundations. The home is believed to have been a six-chimney building built in the Jacobean style, similar to Bacon’s Castle, according to Colonial Williamsburg.

In the years immediately after Custis’ death, the property housed trade and residential tenants. The building currently on the site was built by James McClurg in the early 1800s and is known as the Custis Kitchen. In 1851, the property was purchased by Eastern State Hospital, according to the release.

In the 1960s, the focus was on finding buildings, and only a small portion of the site was explored.

This time, Colonial Williamsburg will examine the entire property. The foundation waited about 50 years because the technology and techniques didn’t exist yet to thoroughly study the garden areas. Now, they do.

“Well, we’ve finally reached that point. The future is now,” Gary said. “We’re at a point where we feel confident we can tackle this site and do it the justice it deserves.”

Now there’s the means to extract centuries-old pollen from soil and mortar to identify what kind of plants grew in the area, as well the ability to conduct chemical studies of the soil, Gary said.

That means the team is in a better position than its predecessors to figure out which herbs the medicine man may have grown in the garden. Finding evidence of those plants can be compared with Custis’ documents to confirm and expand on what historians know.

“We can check what we find archeologically against what we see in the documentary record and fill in the gaps with the two sources of data,” Gary said.

You’ll see folks digging around at the site for the next few years.

The project kicks off with site mapping, surveying and excavation of the kitchen this year. Garden excavation, materials analysis and research of Custis’ enslaved laborers to identify descendants is slated for 2020-2021. After that comes open excavation of the outbuildings, with a focus on enslaved inhabitants at the site (2022-2023) and then cataloging and reporting in 2024-2025, according to the release.

In time, the project site will be open to the public, so visitors can follow along with discoveries made at the site. The plan is that by the fall, there will be formal tours open to guests, Gary said.

“More than 90 years after its establishment, Colonial Williamsburg continues to pursue a fuller understanding of 18th-century America, its people and their culture in order to tell our shared American story more fully,” Colonial Williamsburg President and CEO Mitchell Reiss said in the release.

A donation from the Jacqueline Badger Mars Landmark Investments 8, LLC Charitable Lead Trust will help make the excavation possible. Colonial Williamsburg didn’t reveal the amount of money donated.

“We are enormously grateful for the generous gift that has launched the Custis Square project, and we look forward to sharing both our work and our findings with visitors of all ages,” Reiss said.

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

HISTORY

The

Big House

Private and secluded Davis Island and its historic structure are on the market after more than 80 years in the Humber family.

A

story by Amanda Dagnino

photos by Lighthouse Visuals

nyone who has taken a boat ride through the picturesque waters surrounding Down East Carteret County has spotted what is oft-referred to as the Big House on Davis Island. Since 1885 the Davis Island Hunt Club has had a looming presence, like a sentinel guarding the entrance to Jarrett Bay. It has long been the source of queries. What is this beautiful building? Who owns it? Is it a club? A private home?

The answer is simple … it can be whatever you’d like it to be.

Listed for $1.5 million through Beaufort Realty, the 49-acre island is ready to provide one lucky owner optimum privacy, complete with a four-bedroom keeper’s quarters and outbuildings. The Big House boasts seven bedrooms and three baths in its more than 5,500 square feet could sleep a small army.

There are several private bedrooms as well as a large room with multiple beds, perfect for the children in an extended family.

Updates have been made through the years, but it maintains a rustic feel despite its grand exterior. Large rooms for family groups, fireplaces to gather around on chilly evenings and porches that would surely draw everyone out for views of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and the surrounding waters. It is in need of updates – appliances are dated and the furnishings have long been in place – but with the house itself has stood the test of time, tide and weather.

With nooks of sandy beaches, foot paths that weave through groves of maritime forest, wetlands, ponds and an expanse of green grass, Davis Island could be just about anything – from hideaway resort to private hunting club.

Of course the island is only accessible by boat. A dock is already in place and the property comes with close to 3 acres in Smyrna on the mainland with parking and boat access.

According to the North Carolina Gazetteer – the land was named after Williams Davis who initially settled on the island in 1715. It stayed in the Davis family until 1870 when David Davis sold the island to help settle debts incurred during the Civil War. It sold, according to Ed Pond’s “The Secret Diaries of Civil War Beaufort and the Villages of Davis Shore” for “a paltry (Continued on page 36) NCCOAST.COM

35

(Continued from page 35)

sum in a court house auction.” Henry Parsons of Connecticut was the buyer, but it wasn’t until a few years later when the land was sold to Barnard Leckler and wife Millie that the island’s permanent structures were built.

Leckler, who hailed from either New York or New Jersey depending on which report is read, employed Raymond Paul, a master carpenter, to build hunting lodge and home. The newcomer had visited the area for a duck and goose hunting trip with Isiah Davis and fell in love with the area. Davis told him the island was for sale along with mainland property still referred to as Davis Ridge. In all, the Lecklers purchased some 350 acres, including the island, for $500.

While Paul was constructing the lodge, the couple lived on Isaiah Davis’s schooner, the same vessel that was used to ferry construction materials back and forth to the island, notes Dr. Jack Dudley’s book “Carteret Waterfowl Heritage.”

In 1904, the property changed hands again, this time selling to George Demings of Ohio who hired well-known hunting guide, Francis Murphy, as caretaker. The club under Demings was just about self-sufficient thanks to a working farm and a host of livestock, including goats, sheep, cattle and hogs as well as two ice houses. According to Dudley, a collection of decoys were found from this era, leading researchers to believe that duck hunting was a primary activity for the lodge owner and his guests.

In 1927 the island was sold to Edward Cornell of New York

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

and in 1937 Robert L. Humber of Greenville, the son of Lena Davis, bought the property for a reported $100. He wasn’t a hunter.

Instead, Humber, who had fled France just before the arrival of the Nazis, was more interested in preserving the property, upgrading the Big House and creating a space where family and friends could come together and enjoy the coastal lifestyle. It has been in the family ever since.

“I was the oldest of seven cousins and we would all come down for the summer vacation – it was like heaven for us kids,” said his grandson, Robert Humber of Marshallberg. “I absolutely loved it.

We would spend our days crabbing and we had a little skiff we’d pull around. There were picnics and fish fries and we’d spend our days exploring. A kid couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Caretakers were often seen as extended family. There was George Hancock and Floyd Chadwick, who were like older uncles, Humber said. Then Albert and Nan Burrows came along with five children who made great playmates for the group of cousins.

Initially, the house was smaller. It was his grandfather who added the west wing and decorative touches to help make the Big House look similar to the chateaus he remembered from his time in France. He had grand plans for a library on the top floor, said Humber, which was constructed as one large open area with a balcony area off the back. The unfinished space could easily be modified into whatever the new owners would like to create.

When his grandfather and namesake died in 1973, the island

passed to his father Marcel and the family continued to visit, but with less regularity and in fewer numbers. Slowly, the cousins married, formed families of their own and spread out to different parts of the country.

“My grandfather really was the magnet,” said Humber. “He was the draw that brought us back every summer. We still love the place – we just don’t use it as much as we used to.

“It has a huge amount of potential – the entire island does,” said Humber. “The house definitely needs some attention, but it’s built like a rock and will be there for years to come.

It has weathered many a storm. It’s truly a testament to the construction methods used.”

And Humber should know. He lived on the island from 2003-2009 after retiring from the U.S. Navy.

“I had always loved the island – like my dad. And it was a lifelong dream of mine to live there full time,” Humber said.

“I enjoyed it immensely. After leaving the service, it was the perfect retreat.”

It was a woman who eventually brought him to the mainland.

The island and the Big House have always garnered attention by passersby and had drawn a number of trespassers through the years. When people approached while Humber was living in the house he was quick to step outside and let them know that someone was there. On one warm summer day, he stepped out to steer away a vessel that came in to take a closer look and a conversation was started with Donna, who was loosely related to the Davis family. A friendship evolved into a romance and the couple married few years later – drawn together by the island and its history. While they made a permanent home in Marshallberg, caretakers continue to live on-site in the nearby cottage.

Humber would love to see the property entice another family to take over the torch, making memories of their own.

While they wait for that family to come along, Humber is eager to make a few final memories of his own. His mother, about to celebrate her 89th birthday at presstime, will be coming back to Carteret County for a visit with plans of spending a few nights at the Big House.

Additional information about the island can be found of popular real estate websites or through Donnie McCall at Beaufort Realty, 252-241-1917.

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37

Old Baldy - Lee R. photo

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

HISTORY

Carolina’s

LIGHTS

A

story by Amanda Dagnino

s long as there have been vessels exploring the high Lighthouse has a series of ships ladders instead of a spiral staircase. seas, there has been a need for navigational guides In all, there are 131 steps to gallery. The lighthouse also stands apart around rugged or dangerous shoreline. Shallows, in its construction. Instead of the traditional tapered brick design, shoals and islands are often unseen hazards to the tower is the same diameter at the bottom as it is at the top. seafaring crafts and man has long sought to protect Built with poured concrete, it was created using a form that would raise as concrete poured at the rate of a foot ships in nearby waters.

From light ships to coastal guardians, North Oak Island - Gerry Dincher photo per hour.

Somewhat stark compared to the older Carolina’s relationship with lighthouses has lighthouses along the coast, builders did been long and steady. While many have been manage to add some color to the concrete as destroyed or decommissioned there are seven it poured to give it three distinct segments. lighthouses still standing along our shores and The gray bottom of the lighthouse is Portland six that continue to provide a guiding light to cement alone, the middle section is white mariners. thanks to added white quartz aggregate and Many began as whale burning lamps with black coloring was added to create the darker a lighthouse keeper who would brave the top section. The lantern was lifted onto the elements day and night to keep the light in completed lighthouse with a Marine Corps good working order. Electrified and automated helicopter. today, there is little need for caretakers.

The Town of Caswell Beach took When visiting, note that these often ownership of the lighthouse in 2004 and remote locations can be hot and buggy. Dress the Friends of the Oak Island Lighthouse appropriately and make sure to bring plenty of maintains the site and oversee tours. water. Taking a climb in one of the lighthouses Reservations must be made in advance to can be more strenuous than it appears and climb to the top of the lighthouse, however, definitely isn’t for the faint of heart. Anyone no reservations are necessary to view the who suffers from respiratory or other medical bottom and second level of the lighthouse. conditions should use their own discretion.

It is often humid and hot, especially in the summer months, and stairways are narrow Bald Head Island with traffic moving in both directions.

Old Baldy, as it is affectionately called, Here’s a snapshot of North Carolina’s stands a stout 90 feet tall and lacks some of the coastal lighthouses from south to north. stately beauty of its sisters along the Carolina coast with its concrete colored plaster exterior.

Bald Head Island was home to the first lighthouse constructed Oak Island Completed in 1958, the 153-foot-tall lighthouse presents in the state. In 1792, the state provided $4,000 for its construction much taller than it is. Situated on a slight rise in the landscape, the where the Cape Fear River empties into the ocean. It was activated lighthouse is listed as being 169 feet tall, the distance it sits above on Dec. 23, 1794. The original lighthouse was demolished in 1813 sea level.

(Continued on page 40) Unlike the majority of its counterparts, the Oak Island NCCOAST.COM

39

Cape Lookout Lighthouse

(Continued from page 39)

due to shoreline erosion and its replacement, which we know today at Old Baldy, was completed in 1817 costing less than $16,000. Built in brick covered in plaster, its construction is similar to the Ocracoke Lighthouse.

The lighthouse was put out of service in 1866 when a new lighthouse closer to the mouth of the river was built, however, Old Baldy was relit when its replacement was decommissioned in 1880. Efforts were made to secure funding to increase the height of the lighthouse, but it was not approved. Again, a new lighthouse was built – the Cape Fear Lighthouse – at the end of Bald Head Island. Old Baldy continued to operate as a fixed beacon until 1958 when the Oak Island Lighthouse was constructed.

While no longer in service, the historic structure serves as a tourist attraction. The lighthouse is only available by a ferry ride. The cost is $22 per person, round trip; $11 for children. Cars are not allowed, however, the lighthouse is close to the ferry landing. A small museum is on site and the lighthouse is open for climbing for $3 per person.

Cape Lookout Lighthouse Our hometown lighthouse was completed in 1859 as a replacement for a shorter tower. At 163 feet with tapered walls and a diamond grid black and white exterior, Cape Lookout is stately and impressive. While the diamonds, which were painted for the first time in 1873, make it immediately recognizable, they also serve as navigational aids. The black diamonds point to the north and south while the white ones point east and west.

The lighthouse almost fell victim to the Civil War. A Confederate troop attempted to blow up the lighthouse, (Continued on page 42

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Ocracoke - Bob Sowa photo

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Bodie Island Lighthouse - Zach Frailey photo (Continued from page 40)

but the explosion only damaged the stairs. It is hard to imagine our beloved Cape without the lighthouse casting shadows along the shoreline.

In 2003, the U.S. Coast Guard transferred the lighthouse to the National Park Service in a public celebration.

Members of the public were allowed to climb, however, improvements completed in 2010 made the structure more visitor friendly.

There are 201 steps to the top. The site is open for climbing each day except Monday and Tuesday during the season. The ticket window is open from 10am to 3:50pm.

Every 15 minutes, 10 people are allowed to take a self-guided climb. Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children.

Only accessible by boat, there is ferry that operates from the Cape Lookout National Park Service headquarters on Harkers island. Guests are also welcome to arrive by boat.

Ocracoke Light Station At the southernmost end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the Ocracoke Light Station. Unlike its neighboring lighthouses with smooth exteriors and alternating stripes, the Ocracoke Lighthouse has a brilliant white stucco exterior, making it easily recognizable among its peers.

Completed in 1823, the tower is actually the second lighthouse at Ocracoke Inlet, once one of the busiest trade routes in the state. The first, a wooden pyramid shaped tower on Shell Castle Island – southerly between Portsmouth and Ocracoke – was constructed in 1794. Within a few decades, the channel had shifted so much that the site was all but obsolete. Two acres were purchased by the government in 1822 and the 75-foot tower and keeper’s house were constructed for under $11,500. It was completed in 1823. Originally oil burning, but electrified in the early 1900s.

While the lighthouse is not open for climbing, it sits back on beautifully manicured lawn, making a striking contrast to the

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

stark white lighthouse. With its picket fence and boardwalk, the lighthouse is not only inviting, it’s a favorite of photographers.

Cape Hatteras The tallest brick lighthouse in the county – it logs it at 198.49 feet from the bottom of the foundation – the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has helped guide vessels through the Atlantic and past (Continued on page 44)

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the dangerous Diamond Shoals since 1870 The first Cape Hatteras lighthouse was constructed in 1803 and was 90 feet tall. Too short to adequately warn mariners, it was decided that an additional 60 feet would be added to the height in 1853, but its life was short. In need of repairs, Congress appropriated funds for a new lighthouse, which was lit on Dec. 1, 1870.

The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1935 and it was transferred to the National Park Service in 1937, making it part of the country’s first National Seashore. The beacon was returned to the light in 1950 and its power was increased in 1972. For more than 20 years, the state battled erosion in front of the lighthouse.

In 1999 the lighthouse was moved nearly 3,000 feet to its current location over the course of 23 days at the cost of $11.8 million.

There are a staggering 257 steps to the top, comparable to a 12-story building. It is open for climbing the third Friday in April through Columbus Day from 9am to 4:30pm daily. Tickets to climb are $8 for adults, $4 for seniors and children and available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the climb. No advance tickets are allowed. Sales begin at 9am daily.

Bodie Island Like Hatteras, Bodie (pronounced ‘body’) is open daily for climbing from the third Friday in April through Columbus Day. The lighthouse opens at 9:10am and climbs are every 20 minutes.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children. Tickets sales begin at 9am and must be purchased in-person on the day of the climb.

When the government sent scouts out to search for potential lighthouse locations to compliment the Cape Hatteras tower, the region south of Oregon Inlet was identified as the spot where the most vessels were lost. Funds were appropriated in 1838, however,

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

it took nearly a decade to purchase the needed land. Construction began in 1847. The man sent to oversee the project, Thomas Blount, had no lighthouse experience, and according to the National Park Service website the 54-foot-tower began to lean within two years.

It was abandoned in 1859.

A second lighthouse was constructed the same year, however, it was blown up by retreating Confederate troops fearful that it could be used by the enemy. It was 1871 before construction began on a new lighthouse, this time north of Oregon Inlet. The 156-footer has 200 steps – about the same as a 10-story building.

An extensive $5 million restoration was completed in 2013, including the lighthouse’s first-order Fresnel lens from France, allowing the site to be opened to visitors.

Currituck Beach Light Station The red brick façade make the Currituck Lighthouse instantly recognizable among its sisters. At 162-feet tall, the towering column was left unpainted, allowing visitors to see the craftsmanship and sheer volume of bricks that were used in its construction – which number over a million.

Completed in 1875, the lighthouse was lit on Dec. 1, filling a 40-mile void of dark area along the coastline. At 162-feet-tall, the tower has 220 steps to its gallery. The lighthouse has the largest Fresnel lens available and can be seen for up to 18 nautical miles By the 1970s the Victorian Keepers’ House was in heavy need of restoration. Open to the elements with no windows, the structure.

A private nonprofit formed and leased the property from the state in 1980 to begin restoring the grounds and buildings The lighthouse opens to climbers each season. The cost is $10, children under 7 are free. Open 9am-5pm daily; until 8pm each Wednesday and Thursday, Memorial through Labor days. Watch for Halloween themed events in October and a birthday celebration each December. While not climbing, guests can enjoy museumquality exhibits allow visitors to learn more about lighthouse.

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HISTORY

The One that Didn’t

Get Away

A Look Back at Morehead City’s First Blue Marlin

“

Whoa, he doesn’t look like that anymore,” John Tunnell said, leaning in for a closer look at a black and white photograph taken on the Morehead City waterfront in 1957.

“She doesn’t quite look like that anymore either,” Bob Simpson offers, pointing to a photo on the same page. And while no offense is intended, the 80-somethings giggle for a moment like teenagers as they browse the images of their youth.

The two have come back to the starting point, The Sanitary Restaurant, to reminisce about that first blue marlin caught off of Carteret County’s coastline and the glory days of the Fabulous Fishermen – the first organization to promote offshore fishing in Carteret County.

In 1938, Simpson explained, a blue marlin was landed off of Oregon Inlet, just north of Morehead City.

Scientists of the day warned local anglers that this was merely a fluke, a chance encounter, and that there was no real population of the fish in nearby waters. A few white marlin perhaps – but any blue caught must have been an accidental passing.

“During the 1950s a new crew working on Bogue Banks discovered a blue that had washed ashore,” Simpson said. “And it was taken to the waterfront and displayed at Capt. Ottis’ fish market.”

The sight of the fish was all it took to motivate area residents.

“We saw fishing here as the one thing we really had going for us that could bring people to the area,” said Simpson. “Fishing and the beaches. But it wasn’t publicized, nor was it recognized on the

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Editor’s Note: In 2011 we had a chance to sit down with icons John Tunnell and the late Bob Simpson to discuss the birth of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. This is how their story goes.

East Coast as a spot for fishing.”

Charter boat captains, fishing pier owners, anglers and other business owners saw things differently, however. In the early 1950s a band of these movers and shakers had formed a small, casual club, the Fabulous Fishermen. When that blue washed ashore, the officers got together over coffee at The Sanitary and devised a plan.

Tired of being slighted as a hotspot for fishing, Simpson and his peers decided to contribute $25 each and solicit additional donations in hopes of raising a $500 reward for the first blue marlin brought in. It was set up almost as a wager, Simpson remembered, with the club basically saying “we bet you can’t get one.”

Tom Potter, Bill Strickland and Jerry Shumacher were at that groundbreaking meeting.

So was Hubert Fulcher, chief of police; Ted Garner, co-owner of The Sanitary; Dick Parker, auto dealer. The late Mary Simpson, Bob’s wife, handled the fundraising.

“And she had solicited about $350 by the time Bill Olsen, working out of the Morehead City Yacht Basin, took an inexperienced fisherman offshore and returned that evening with a marlin,” Simpson said.

It was Sept. 14, 1957 when angler Jimmy Croy heaved that 143-pound blue marlin aboard the Mary Z – a day that marked a new era for Carteret County and the fishing industry worldwide.

By the time the pair arrived a crowd had gathered at the waterfront to see the catch and a bright red Radio Flyer (donated by Roses

Department Store) loaded with silver dollars (ordered by Garner and restaurant co-owner Tony Seamon) was carted down to greet them. Simpson snapped the photo that memorialized the day in history.

“But in all these years there’s one thing no one has ever mentioned to me,” Simpson said, pointing to the framed photo from the museum-like wall of The Sanitary. “Look at it – it’s upside down,” he adds, laughing at his own lack of knowledge. “They gave me a rope and told me to string it up. Well, I had no idea how to string up a marlin, but I did the best I could.”

Regardless of how it made its way up on display, the fact that a blue marlin made it to land that day was a milestone in Morehead City’s history. No one knew exactly where the pair had found the fish, noted writer Bruce Paul in the history of the Big Rock Tournament, but many speculated that they had reached the Gulf Stream, where warm offshore waters merge with the cooler inland temperatures, probably near the stretch of ledges on the Continental Shelf known as the Big Rock. It was a phrase that Carteret County residents would know all too well before long.

And exactly what the Fabulous Fishermen were hoping for.

The first tournaments were loose at best. There were few rules, with some of those early anglers referring to the contest as a “free for all.” But it gained attention and steam as it progressed.

“One of the more fun and crowd-building events was when we established the practice of firing my Lyle gun when a boat arrived with a marlin aboard,” Simpson said. The bronze cannon, which Simpson still fires each July 4th from his riverfront home, was like a siren, calling the crowds to the docks to see the massive fish as they were strung (tail side up) on the dock.

The first few competitions became so popular that Morehead City Yacht Basin’s “Bump” Styron took over sponsorship and helped the Fabulous Fishermen with the planning phase.

“Bump really saw the potential in the business it would bring to the area,” said Simpson. “He was a great help.”

And as the number of annual entrants increased, the “fish tales” became more and more common along the Carolina coast.

“George Beswick once caught five in one day,” said Tunnell.

“Heck, once we caught 90 in a year,” countered Simpson.

Tales of the ones that got away, the one that never made it to shore and the young man who caught a tournament recordbreaking blue marlin only to realize his fishing license had lapsed followed. But for these men, who once sat around the restaurant table musing about how they could bring the folks to their own little slice of heaven, the stories that come with the fishing are half the fun. Big game fishing is ideal fodder for a storyteller. And for many, the story is being told on the way to the bank.

In a tournament history story, Paul said that the purse for the 1974 contest was listed as $800, but just 10 years later it had jumped to what was then an astonishing $70,000. The purse for the 2018

tournament was over $2.5 million and included a variety of species as well as a woman’s tournament.

“We had no idea that it would be as big as it is, but we were hopeful,” Simpson said. “Maybe I’m bragging, but if there is anything singled out as being helpful to tourism along the Carolina coast, I’d say it’s fishing – from Wrightsville right on up to Hatteras and Southport. We really had no idea that it would grow to the size that it has and have as much impact as it has. We were aiming to benefit local business.”

But the entire state is now benefiting by North Carolina’s active offshore fishery.

A 2010 study from the NC Division of Marine Fisheries shows a direct economic impact of saltwater angling of $943,929,472, an additional indirect income of $319, 250,048 and $339,542,720 in induced effect for a total of $1.6 billion a year. The study, which uses data from 2008, goes on to note that the industry is responsible for an estimated 17,758 jobs across the state.

“You know, I’m proud of what we did,” Simpson said. “And I’m proud of all those people who worked with us and after us because they stepped up to the bat. We were told it was impossible – and we did it.”

The 2019 tournament runs June 7-15. Learn more at thebigrock. com.

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53

Old Haunts E

story by Megan Dohm

very couple has something they enjoy doing together – for some it’s a competitive game of cards, walking or fishing, or for some it is cruising the interstate together, music blaring as they explore the great wide open.

For Joey and Tonya Madia, their favorite team activity is paranormal investigation. The couple spent two years living in Morehead City and devoted upwards of 70 nights and over 150 hours in the Webb – the stolid public library in Morehead City – observing paranormal activity and guiding tours-slash-ride-along investigations through Port City Tours. They recently compiled their hours into a book, “Watch out for the Hallway”, recording their experiences with the supernatural in the library.

The Webb wasn’t always an old building; once it was sparkling new, a project of local business tycoon Earle Webb. It also wasn’t always a library. The first floor was originally split into two doctors’ offices for Dr. Benjamin Franklin Royal and Dr. Sanford ‘Sam’ Thompson. The second floor was a garment factory’s training facility, which at the request of Mrs. Webb was converted into the Morehead Woman’s Club lending library. After the untimely death of the Webbs’ son in 1936, the entire building was renovated and reopened to the public as the Earle W. Webb Jr. Memorial Library and Civic Center. The portrait of its namesake still hangs in the library, looking out on the daily goings and comings with what Joey calls Fitzgerald-esque good looks.

After almost a century and a handful of uses, the Madias theorize that some of the original occupants, their patients, their workers, and some of Morehead’s native sons and far-flung visitors still pass through the library.

As the sun set over town, the Madias would prepare for their modern-day guests at the Webb. Doors unlocked, lights off, the building is readied. With visible preparations complete, the guides go through a standard routine of breathing exercises, visualizations and walk the property with an electromagnetic field meter (EMF), to establish a baseline for the numbers and data they will gather throughout the evening. Guests would begin to arrive, trickling into the library’s courtyard. Joey and Tonya use the time to find out where everyone is from, get a feel for the group dynamic, and give a brief history of the library. They wait until they are all inside to run down the tour rules: Stick with the group, treat the working library well, no food or gum - and no provoking the spirits.

Over the space of two years, the Madias ushered roughly 500 visitors through the Webb Library and guided them through myriad strange experiences. Each tour group was a mix of people and perspectives: they hosted the paranormal curious, skeptics, cynics,

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

believers, an occasional bachelorette party, locals and vacationers looking for a fun evening out.

“We even had some people who showed up as complete skeptics and left … I don’t want to say as total believers, but they certainly weren’t skeptical about the experiences they had in the Webb,” said Tonya. “They couldn’t explain them, but they were certain that they happened.”

The Madias’ years of paranormal investigation began in 2009, on a getaway weekend in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. After multiple seemingly paranormal, they fell into research and investigation as a way of explaining the world as they perceived it. Their publisher describes Tonya as a psychic medium “by condition, not choice.”

Tonya describes seeing spirits as in her mind’s eye, likening it to when you think about the face of someone you love – except for her, the face or form is not called up voluntarily. The experience of otherworldly sights and sounds were one of the things that originally propelled her into deeper study of the unexplained.

Once one hears about the husband-wife team being paranormal investigators and mediums, they might instantly envision television hacks doused in garish infrared green, burning sage and going wild over one word crackling through radio static. Nothing could be further from this duo. Joey’s speech is peppered with references ranging from theatre to literature to quantum physics. Tonya puts off friendly mom vibes and is enthusiastic but soft-spoken. You would want them as your neighbors – particularly if you think your house is haunted. In their work, Tonya provides a gentle spiritualism, and Joey, skepticism (a word he wants to reclaim).

In their methods, the Madias have worked to maintain a level of pragmatic doubt. In their book, they describe the CAP (Conditional Anomalous Phenomena) test that every encounter is put through. It’s basically the paranormal sniff test. If there is a natural cause for a strange occurrence, they set that piece of data aside. After a few months of regularly visiting the library, the couple got to know the building, with all of its regular creaks, shadows and air ducts. They settled into an investigative routine which is far more monotonous than the movie “Ghostbusters”. Their specific style of work is built on trying to triangulate evidence, looking for consistency in what they see, what they hear and historical evidence.

Afternoons are filled up with time in archives and libraries, time spent pouring over documents looking for more information on names or figures that had appeared during their nighttime probes.

When they returned to the library, they could use their gathered information to try to validate communications, which often came through a device called a spirit box (which sweeps rapidly through radio signals, creating white noise at a frequency that spirits can supposedly break through and communicate with). They did their best to not simply take one wild experience and run with it. With the Webb, it would appear that there are more than enough strange happenings to go around.

The book chronicles a wide array of supernatural events that seemed a part of the building’s DNA. The spirit box was highly active and clear – more so than any other site they have been to – allowing them to easily discern the speaker’s gender, age and even accent. The spirits they encountered ranged from children to old men, from doctors to foremen, burn victims and even a possible

German U-boat operator and crew. The most charming mode of communication was through book – a spirit would lead them to a certain book, and communicated a page number through the spirit box. The experiences themselves were sometimes textbook paranormal activity – cold spots, voices, faces in the windows – and sometimes unusual and unsettling (angry scarlet scratches, being pushed around, the instinctual feeling one might get in a dark street that you need to get out of this situation, and you need to get out right now).

In all of our investigations,” Joey said, “Nothing we had ever investigated before was like the Webb. So it was kind of learn-asyou-go, and every personality that we met was unique and different.”

Perhaps the most consistent (and certainly the most engaging) personality of the first floor was an entity the duo identified as Dr. Thompson. He appeared on the Madia’s very first night in the library and afterwards tended to linger in front of the old fireplace in ‘his’ downstairs room. There seemed to be a sense of humor to his responses over the spirit box, and more than once he suggested an effective cure to the investigator’s minor maladies, along with the apt advice to “watch out for the hallway.”

“For the most part, energies on the first floor are fun and

friendly,” Tonya explained. “Second floor, just ... not. Just not inviting or fun at all.”

Tonya reported an eerie feeling upstairs even during the daylight hours. During tours, guests would mark a feeling of heaviness when they reached the second floor landing. On bad nights, their throats would tighten, legs would shake, and a feverish warmth (Continued on page 56)

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55

(Continued from page 55)

would hit them. One evening Joey had a sharp shove from an unseen source almost send him crashing down the stairs. The darkness of the second floor seemed to culminate at the end of the north hallway, with a mean, angry spirit they identified as Vincent. Because of him, the tour would never allow women down the hallway alone (Vincent had garnered a reputation for poking and prodding the fairer sex, and calling them offensive names). The chapter on the north hallway and kitchen makes for riveting reading, no matter what one believes about the paranormal.

When it came time for the Madias to put their investigations down on paper for their book they had plenty of material to draw from. They had maintained a (now deleted) Facebook blog for inthe-moment updates, which amounted to about 20,000 words. As the writer with a mind for structure and story, Joey worked his way through a first draft. After he produced a chapter, he would crosscheck it with Tonya and their detailed field notes. They decided to structure the book room by room, mirroring the tour itself.

Following their default position as teachers, they carefully define industry terms, give a walkthrough of their minimal equipment kit and their methods, before taking the reader on a journey through the library.

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The Madias hope that their book will provide readers with some context for their own encounters, warn them off from careless interactions with the paranormal, and lend some seriousness to a field which admittedly has not done itself any favors. Their methods – though unorthodox to the world of traditional science – could bring in some common sense standards to a field that seems less knowable by the year. Tonya feels that an expanded view of the world (natural and supernatural) can only make for a better, fuller human experience.

“Wouldn’t it be amazing to live in a world where everyone’s consciousness was expanded, where people’s minds were a little more open, or maybe a lot more open?” she asked. “Where everyone was tapping into their own ability because they didn’t think it was nonsense anymore? Where everyone trusted their own intuition? I mean, how many times have you had a gut feeling about something and you didn’t pay attention, and then later wish that you had? I just think it would make the world a much better place, and certainly a much more interesting place.”

Tonya firmly believes that one day, science will catch up with unexplained events. Until then, she and Joey see the study of what happens after death as a key element of understanding life.

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This Southern Life

Life is Good ... Out on the Pizer

A

conversation in Down East Carteret County might begin like this: “How’s ya mama’n’em?” (How are your mother, father and extended family?)

The reply might be: “Sakes be, youngern; they’s fine. Everyone’s just settin’ out on the pizer drinkin’ Cocolas and a-carryin’ on.”

A pizer is a porch, of course, a shortened form of the Italian word “piazza.” Down Easters often truncate words, change vowel sounds and sometimes add “r” after vowels. Such is the case in the formation of the word “pizer.”

Porches, pizers, porticos and verandas are part of the culture of the South. Language also comes with the territory.

For the record, great Americans George Washington and Thomas Jefferson referred to their majestic porches at Mount Vernon and Monticello, respectively, as piazzas.

Porches continue to be important structural features in the South. The National Association of Home Builders reports that 86 percent of new homes being built in the Southeastern states now come with front porches attached.

There’s also a grand movement afoot to “promote front porch culture as a way to build and strengthen communities.”

The initiative is called “Front Porch Nation,” and it was organized by “porchistas” Kathy Price-Robinson and Erica Robinson.

They profess: “With front porches, neighbors know each other better, which leads to greater community cohesion. Front porches increase friendliness and decrease isolation.”

Sandra Hopper’s article on “porching” for South Brunswick Magazine, based in Leland introduces the term as an activity associated with chilling out for an extended amount of time by sitting on the porch.

Food, beverages and conversation with a family member, friend or neighbor are optional.

People are porching all the time in the Woodsong neighborhood in Shallotte. “The cottages all have front porches, and its residents are all about porch living,” Hopper wrote.

“In an informal survey, Woodsong residents offered more anatomical suggestions for porches: a glass of wine or a cold beer on a hot day, comfortable furniture with pillows, an area rug and seasonal decor. Other suggested requirements included morning coffee and a newspaper, favorite books, friends and laughter. One household specialty in this neighborhood is muscadine popsicles, a great addition to porching.”

Woodsong resident Julia Steffen told Hopper: “If the kitchen is the heart of our house, the porch is its soul. Inside the house is where the tasks of daily living that seem to grow by the day get checked off the list. But outside, we porch to return to those things that really matter.”

“And how long do people porch? On a good day it can last

58

CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

story by Mike Wagoner

for hours. Most residents porch daily – morning, afternoon or evening. One Woodsong resident says, ‘I porch until the sun goes down, the dinner bell rings or the wine is gone.’”

Some of the best front porches in Carteret County are found within the historic district of Beaufort. It is here that one is introduced to the color of “haint blue.” It’s a pale blue shade that is often seen adorning the porch ceilings of coastal homes.

“Haint” is a Southern variation of haunt, meaning a ghost or spirit. Beaufort is “ghost central.” Martha Barnes, who volunteers with the Beaufort Historical Association, tells visitors: “Many of our old homes are haunted. I tell everyone that this is such a wonderful place to live, that when people die, they still want to hang around.”

According to paranormal legend, “frustrated spirits, caught between life and death, cannot cross water. Hence, pale blue ceilings that mimic the color of water keep spirits from entering a house.”

Katherine Owen, an assistant editor at Southern Living magazine, describes the process of selecting porch furniture in the South: “We (Southerners) love porch-sitting” and “are happy as can be with the classics. Like a good old rocking chair.”

The choices seem endless, Owen said. “It can be … daunting to pick one that is ‘juuuuust right.’ Not to be the Goldilocks of porch decorating, but the rocking chair can’t be too fancy, too creaky, too big, too small, or just too … not right.”

“In middle of the 20th century, porches were less needed because of air conditioning and less wanted because of television,” reported Lynn Freehill-Maye, a contributor to CityLab, an online magazine based in Boston. “The more secluded back deck came into favor, too,” she said.

“After once being considered outdated and rural, the porch has recently re-emerged and is in demand. People are organizing social gatherings known as ‘porchfests,’ often with performers and musicians.”

The annual Conference on the Front Porch in held each fall in Taylor, Miss., near Oxford and the University of Mississippi.

This year’s is scheduled for Sept. 26-27. Speakers will explore the significance of the front porch in the American South, both from an architectural and sociological perspective along with other architects, developers, planners, social historians and “lovers of all things porch.”

Claude Stephens and Erin Henle, both of Louisville, Ky., are likely to attend the conference to recruit porch advocates to form local chapters of their Professional Porch Sitters Union.

When Stephens and Henle are in full porch-sitting mode, their porch names are Crow Hollister and Snickers McFlurry.

Their organization sounds like a great concept, but bless their hearts. In the Southland, an “association” may be more politically correct.

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NATURE & WILDLIFE

Take a Hike

N

orth Carolina is truly one of the most visually beautiful states in the union. And while much of that beauty can be viewed from primary thoroughfares and country roads, even more is tucked away in our protected wilderness, free for all to see, yet not quite within reach of motorized vehicles. For those willing to get out of their cars and venture into the wilds, there is a plethora of treasures to be found.

Hiking allows people to get much closer to vegetation and wildlife, historic sites and geographic wonders that they would never have the opportunity to view out the window of the minivan.

Waterfalls are a great example of this. While North Carolina is home to hundreds of picturesque cascades, only a handful can be viewed without at least a short hike. The same can be said for Eastern Carolina. While we lack waterfalls we make up for it with plant life, animals and stunning views of woods and wetlands.

GETTING STARTED

Preparation is important when it comes to hiking, both in understanding your own capabilities and learning the area you wish to hike. Trails vary greatly, from wide, flat paths to rocky, uneven terrain. Start small, with 1- to 2-mile hikes, to sample various difficulty levels. This will also give newcomers the opportunity to decide what type of clothing and shoes work well for them before isolating themselves on a longer hike with the wrong shoes or constrictive clothing.

Get connected with other hikers, either online or through a hiking club, and read as much as you can about hiking in your area.

It may be that a certain trail is prone to mud during the early spring rains, although it is perfect for a hike in the fall. There are a variety of great websites, state trail guides and clubs that can help point a beginner in the right direction.

WHAT TO BRING Hiking can be something of a balancing act. While you want to be sure to have the necessary supplies on hand, nobody wants to carry more than they have to, especially on longer hikes. The most common problem that people face is lack of supplies and planning.

Experts estimate that a person should carry about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of food per day, per person. Of course, you’ll need some way of heating that food, if applicable, and the ability to safely deal with the waste the meal produces. Foil packs of tuna and chicken are popular as well as pasta meals that can be boiled over a small flame. Both are lightweight and don’t take up much room in a backpack.

Other mandatory supplies include plenty of water, first aid kit, compass, cell phone, even though service may not be available, maps, wind or rain gear, flashlight, pocket knife, matches, whistle sunscreen, bug spray, bedding for overnight trips and medications if needed.

SAFETY FIRST When planning a hike, like many activities, it’s important to tell

someone at home where you are going and how long you plan on being gone. Don’t overlook emergency safety items when taking off for a short day hike. A first aid kit, flashlight, cell phone, maps and compass should always be on hand, whether you’re headed out for an hour-long stroll in the woods or taking off for a weeklong adventure. In both cases, always carry more water than you anticipate needing.

Make noise while hiking. Wildlife, especially large animals, do their best to avoid contact with humans. If you are making a little noise while underway, it gives them a chance to amble off into the woods. If you do encounter a bear or wild cat, maintain a safe distance and allow the animal to move away from the area without feeling threatened. There are several brands of bear deterrent spray on the market for hikers who are exploring regions with large bear populations.

Always cook, eat and relieve yourself away from your camp or shelter. Those scents often attract animals. Likewise it is always important to store food and trash safely, either hanging in a tree or in a bear canister.

In North Carolina, snake bites are also a concern, although it is important to note that few people in the US die from snakebites.

Be watchful where you step and if you do encounter a snake, stay back and let him go along his way. Do not antagonize wild animals or reptiles in any way. If a bite does occur, clean it thoroughly with soap and water and call for help at the first chance possible. Be proactive and begin moving toward the trailhead if possible instead of waiting for help to reach you.

Keep in mind that weather is an ever-changing force of nature.

After even a brief rainstorm, leaves and rocks can become extremely slippery and make passage more treacherous. Small trickles and streams can quickly become raging rivers that are challenging to pass. If in doubt, do not cross. If you do, keep your boots on to help with traction and protect your feet.

Always stay together while hiking and never assume that clear water along the trail is safe for human consumption.

LEAVE NO TRACE Be prepared to cart out everything you take into the woods, this includes food waste and other trash. Human waste can be buried in a “cat hole” about six to eight inches deep, but remember to only do so a few hundred feet away from active camps.

It’s always recommended that stoves be used for cooking, but if you do need to light a campfire, try to do so in an already established fire ring. Avoid burning trash as it emits fumes and can affect wildlife in the area.

As a good steward of the environment, it’s always nice to keep your trash bag close so you can pick up the litter left behind by less courteous hikers as well.

Most importantly, enjoy the journey. The waterfall or overlook you’re heading for is certainly worth the trip, but don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers along the way. You never know what you may stumble upon.

For additional information - see map pages 64-65.

NCCOAST.COM

63

Hike the Crystal Coast When folks start to plan a trip to the Crystal Coast they inevitably think about our sandy shores, the fishing, the dining, the great historic sites. Rarely, however, do they relate hiking to the beach. That’s more aptly matched with a trip to the mountains, right? Not at all! Given Carteret County’s rich and diverse geography, hiking is not only a regular activity– it’s a must-do for anyone interested in seeing the wide range of natural settings Eastern North Carolina has to offer. From marshy wetlands to dense forest, the region is best viewed on foot. And with the coast’s inclusion in the state’s Mountains to the Sea Trail, more people than ever are finding that the Crystal Coast has so much more to offer than a sunny day along our shores. Here is a sampling of hiking trails available in the area.

Weetock Trail

1

Length: 11 miles Overview: Located in the western end of the Croatan National Forest, the Weetock Trail is a favorite spot for bird watchers.

In addition, a variety of rare plant species can be seen in the area, including locallyrare orchids. Moderately easy, the trail can get a bit wet at times, so hikers should be prepared if hiking after a rainy stretch.

Primitive camping, a boat ramp and restrooms are available at the trail head at Haywood Landing.

Directions: From Morehead City, head south on Hwy 24, turning right on Hwy 58 in Cape Carteret. Travel 10 miles to Long Point Road and turn left. The trail begins at the intersection with Loopy Road. The other end of the trail is located on Hwy 58 across from Davis Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.

Contact: Visit www.neusioktrail.org/weetock

64

Cedar Point Tideland Trail

2

Length: 1.3 miles Overview: Catch beautiful views of the White Oak River and a distant glimpse of the town of Swansboro on this easy loop trail. Visitors will find a hardwood and pine forest with a variety of wading birds, osprey and ducks waiting in the nearby waters.

Directions: From Morehead City, take Hwy 24 to Cape Carteret and turn right on Hwy 58. About a mile down, turn left onto VFW Road. A trail head parking lot is located near the Cedar Point Campground.

Contact: www.fs.usda.gov

Patsy Pond

3

Length: 3 trails ranging from .75 to 1.9 miles Overview: With three clearly marked trails (.75, 1 and 1.9 miles), the Patsy Pond Nature Trail is great for family outings or avid hikers and provides a great introduction to North Carolina’s long leaf pine. Visitors may get a glimpse at the red-cockaded woodpecker that makes his home in the long leaf pines about 20-50 feet above the ground. There is also an array of additional wildlife and vegetation to spot along the way as well as a few sink holes and ponds. A trail guide that corresponds with trail markers can be found at the NC Coastal Federation website.

Directions: The trail head is located directly across Hwy 24 from the NC Coastal Federation office in the small community of Ocean.

Contact: www.nccoast.org

CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Emerald Isle Woods Trail

4

Length: 1.1 miles Overview: This well-maintained trail is part of Emerald Isle Woods Park, a 41-acre recreational area off of Coast Guard Road in Emerald Isle. Expect beautiful views of Bogue Sound and the high-rise bridge and the chance to see deer, egrets, shore birds and woodpeckers. Additional amenities include disc golf, a floating dock, picnic pavilion and a floating dock.

Directions: From Morehead City, take Hwy 24 to Hwy 58, turning left to cross the B. Cameron Langston Bridge. At the first light, turn right onto Coast Guard Road, turning right just before reaching Deer Horn Dunes.

Contact: Emerald Isle Parks & Recreation, 252-354-6350.

Hoffman & Roosevelt Trails

5

Length: 1.2 & .5 miles Overview: Located at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, the more strenuous Roosevelt Trail and the .5 mile family-friendly Alice Hoffman Nature Trail roam through the Theodore Roosevelt Natural Area on Bogue Banks, passing marshes winding their way through the maritime forest. Be sure to call ahead as the trails can only be accessed during aquarium hours. Aquarium entry fees may apply Directions: The aquarium is located on Roosevelt Boulevard, off of Hwy 58, 5 miles from Atlantic Beach.

Contact: NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, 252-247-4003, www.ncaquariums.com.

Hoop Pole Creek

6

Length: .5 miles Overview: This family-friendly sound-side nature walk lets visitors observe where Hoop Pole Creek meets Bogue Sound, mixing salt water with fresh water. View a variety of plants, shrubs and grasses as well abundant wildlife, egrets, ibis, herons, deer, turtle, red fox and more. A trail guide that corresponds with trail markers can be found at the NC Coastal Federation website.

Directions: The trailhead is located next to the Atlantic Station Shopping Center, mile marker 3.5 on Hwy 58 in Atlantic Beach.

Contact: www.nccoast.org

8

Neusiok Trail

7

Elliott Coues’ Trail

Length: 3.2 miles Overview: This new addition to Fort Macon State Park, Atlantic Beach, loops through the maritime forest, marsh and sand dunes that abut the park. The moderate trail can be accessed through the fort’s beach access location or through the main parking area at the fort. It is accompanied by Yarrow’s Loop, a quarter-mile nature trail that offers information about the region’s common plants and animals.

Directions: Fort Macon is located at 2303 E. Fort Macon Road in Atlantic Beach. From Morehead City, cross the bridge to Atlantic Beach and turn left on Hwy 58/Fort Macon Road. The fort can be found at the end of the road.

Contact: www.ncparks.gov/fort-macon-state-park

Length: 22 miles Overview: The crown jewel of Carteret County’s hiking options and a testament to the hard work of the many volunteers who have participated in its maintenance, the Neusiok Trail winds more than 20 miles through sandy beaches, hardwood forests, cypress swamps, bogs and long leaf pine savannahs. The Neusiok, named after a tribe of Native Americans who made their home in the area, provides views of the Neuse and Newport rivers and has three shelters along its route. The easy to moderately difficult trail is home to a variety of wildlife and plants, including the elusive Venus flytrap. The site is part of the almost 1,000-mile long Mountains-to-Sea Trail which meanders from the Tennessee border to the ocean.

Directions: The north end of the trail is located at the Pine Cliff Picnic Area just off of Hwy 101. From Beaufort, turn right on Hwy 306 and follow along 3.3 miles to Forest Road 132. Turn left and go 1.7 miles to the picnic area. The south terminus is at Oyster Point, between Beaufort and Newport. Leaving Beaufort on Hwy 101, turn left on Old Winberry Road and right on Mill Creek Road. Oyster Point is on the left. There are several access points for the Neusiok Trail making it easy to break it up into small day hikes and several downloadable guides to help you chart your course.

Contact: Visit www.neusioktrail.org

Willow Pond

9

Length: .1 mile to .8 mile Overview: This collection of four short trails weave through the natural area surrounding the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum on Harkers Island. Take a short walk around Patsy Pond or follow the Soundside Loop up the shoreline. A great spot for bird watching, the trail offers remarkable views of wetlands and maritime woodlands.

Directions: The museum is located at the end of Island Road on Harkers Island. Follow Hwy 70 east through Down East Carteret County. Make a right on Harkers Island Road in Otway and follow it to the end. The museum is on the left hand side.

Contact: Visit www.coresound.com

Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge

10

Length: 16 miles total/five trails Overview: Ranging from easy to strenuous, the five trails in the wildlife refuge provide a nice introduction to coastal Carolina with views of the largest marsh on the eastern seaboard. Hikers can expect to see ducks, waterfowl, snakes, black bear and small mammals.

Directions: Take Hwy 70 E from Beaufort, turning to follow Hwy 12 to Cedar Island. Turn right on Lola Road. The refuge headquarters is at the end of the road, with parking available for hikers.

Contact: Cedar Island Wildlife Refuge: 252-225-2511, www.fws.gov/refuge/cedarisland

NCCOAST.COM

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Specializing in Women's Gynecological and Primary Health Care as well as In-Office Surgical Procedures including: Endometrial Ablation, Hysteroscopy, Bone Density(DEXA), Total Body Composition and Feminine Remodeling.

Now Accepting New Patients!

Call for Your Appointment at:

(252) 222-0660

call today fo� your f�ee quote!

252-247-7442 4251 Arendell Street, Suites A & C, Morehead City, NC

Publishing/Digital • Commercial Printing • Direct Mailing 201 N. 17th Street • Morehead City, NC 28557 www.nccoast.com

Visit Our Website at: www.girltalkgyn.com NCCOAST.COM

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Capt. Stacy Fishing Center

Full Day Fishing 24 - Hour Overnight Trips

Half Day Fishing Shark Fishing

FAST, AIR CONDITIONED, FULLY EQUIPPED WITH THE MOST MODERN ELECTRONICS AND A COMPLETE GALLEY!

416 Atlantic Beach Causeway, Atlantic Beach | (252) 726-4675 | 1-800-533-9417 | info@captstacy.com Don’t forget to check out Capt. Stacy’s Gift Shop. Jewelry, T-shirts, and Nautical Gifts Located at Capt. Stacy Fishing Center

William’s Floor Covering & Interiors 70

CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Hurricane Florence forced us to close our doors for a few months but we’re back & better than ever!

Steamer pots to go (Take out only) • Homemade Crabmeat Casseroles • Crab Dips • Shrimp Balls • Chowders Fresh Produce • Wines • Homemade Key Lime Pies and Lemon Pies Shrimp • Crabmeat • Scallops • Lobster Tails • Crab Legs • Tuna • Grouper • Mahi • Trigger • Flounder • Salmon Oysters • Clams

We support our local commercial fishermen!

Come In & Check out What’s New at the Market!

AtlAntic BeAch SeAfood & freSh MArket 415 AtlAntic BeAch cAuSewAy, AtlAntic BeAch | 252-247-2430

Ultimate YACHT SERVICE

Your Boat is Our Business

Spend more time on the Water!

Complete & Professional Yacht care at your dock!

SERVICES Boat & Yacht Detailing Monthy & Yearly Contracts Engine Room Maintenance Under Waterline Maintenance Deliveries | Crew Service Hurricane Preparedness

BUYING OR SELLING A BOAT?

311A Atlantic Beach Causeway, Atlantic Beach

(252) 726-4181 www.ultimateyachtservice.com

Let Us Help You Find Your Next Boat! www.bigrockboatsales.com NCCOAST.COM

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&

Up Coming Beaufort Rocks

Always a favorite, the Beaufort Music Festival returns May 17-18. The festival, which moves to the NC Maritime Museum’s Gallants Channel property this year, located just under the new high rise bridge, provides a great opportunity to enjoy rousing sets of free music over the course of two days. Things kick off around 4pm on Friday, May 17, and run from 11am to 10pm on Saturday, May 18. This year’s lineup includes The Artisanals, Kamara Thomas, Lilly Hiatt, Stop Light Observations, No BS! Brass, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Hiss Golden Messenger and more.

CC Boat Show The Crystal Coast Boat Show returns to downtown Morehead City May 18-19. Admission is free for the two-day boating event featuring new and used boats both in water and on land along with marine products and services, fishing gear, sailing races and seminars. A variety of additional activities are planned, including an antique car show, corn hole tournament and live music. The boat show is open to the public from 9am-5pm on Saturday, May 18, and 9am-4pm on Sunday, May 19.

The Artisanals

Locals and visitors will find music offered throughout the summer in Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, Emerald Isle and Swansboro. The annual Concerts in the Park are held at Jaycee Park on the Morehead City waterfront each Saturday during the season.

In addition, Alive at Five, brings artist to the same stage on select Friday evenings at 5pm. Historic Fort Macon State Park brings musicians in to entertain on pre-scheduled Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons and EmeraldFest, at the

Summertime Sounds Slip your toes into the sand and kick up your heels (but perhaps not at the same time) this summer thanks to a variety of outdoor concerts providing a perfect soundtrack for summer.

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CAROLINA SHORE • SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Western Ocean Regional Beach Access, is held on Thursdays from 6:30-8pm. Swansboro seasonal music series is held at Olde Town Square and provides weekly escapes each Sunday from 6:30-8pm. Check local event calendars for scheduled performers.

Dropping a Line Ready to cast your line and take a chance at pulling in the big one? Why not vie for top honors while trying your luck?

The Crystal Coast is home to a variety of fishing tournaments through the year – many of which are part of the Governor’s Cup Billfishing Series. Try your hand at the Swansboro Rotary Memorial Day Blue Water Fishing Tournament May 2326; Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament, June 8-15; Boys and Girls Club Billfish

Tournament, July 17-20; or the Ducks Unlimited Billfish Tournament, July 24-27. Learn more or sign up at tournament websites.

Community Theatre As it strives to undo the damage created by Hurricane Florence, the Carteret Community Theatre is bringing a Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons tribute band to the Crystal Coast Civic Center for a 7pm performance on Sunday, May 26. The band Let’s Hang On will feature a variety of music from the popular 1960s and 1970s group. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door, and can be purchased at www. carteretcommunitytheatre.com.

Movies by the Sea Take in a family-friendly film while enjoying the sea breeze at Atlantic Beach Town Park, 915 W. Fort Macon Road. Each summer the town offers a weekly movie

on a large outdoor screen.

Movies begin at dusk – about 8:30pm. Lawn chairs, blankets and other comfort items are welcome. This year’s series kicks off on June 12 and runs each Wednesday through the summer. A special double feature is planned for July 3, including “Incredibles 2” and the annual

viewing of the classic “Jaws” – because where better to watch the horror classic than nestled next to the ocean. Best of all?

It’s always free! Scheduled movies include: June 12 – Trolls June 19 – Mary Poppins Returns June 26 – Hotel Transylvania 3 July 3 – Incredible 2 & Jaws July 10 – The Lego Movie 2 July 17 – Christopher Robin July 24 – Ralph Breaks the Internet July 31 – The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Aug. 7 – How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Aug. 14 – Smallfoot

Old Homes Tour Peek behind the curtains at some of Beaufort’s beautiful historic homes during the annual Old Homes Tour, June 28-29.

For two days, an array of homes, gardens and public buildings will allow guests to enjoy their architecture and interior design.

In addition, buildings on the Beaufort Historical Association’s site on Turner Street will welcome guests. All funds raise help support the association and its ongoing preservation and educational programming. Learn more by calling 252-728-5225.

Surf’s Up! Catch a wave for a good cause this summer when the Buddy Pelletier Memorial Longboard Classic takes over the shores at the Oceanana Family Resort, Atlantic Beach, July 27-28. For many, this midsummer contest has become a tradition, not only for the prime chance to catch a few waves and meet up with old friends, but also to pay homage to the competition’s namesake, Buddy Pelletier. A top-ranked professional surfer and threetime winner of the Puerto

Rican National Longboard Championship, Pelletier came home to the Crystal Coast in the early 1990s to spend his final days with friends and family before succumbing to cancer. It is through those same friends and family members that his legacy lives on through the nonprofit Buddy Pelletier Surfing Scholarship Foundation, which provides humanitarian aid and scholarships to the surfing community. Learn more at www. buddypelletier.com.

Kaying for Warriors Each year, the residents of Pine Knoll Shores come out en masse to show their support for wounded servicemen from around the country. In what has quickly become the community’s signature event, the Kayak for the Warriors festival sees residents, guests and servicemen manning kayaks and vying for bragging rights as they cut through the waters of Bogue Sound to benefit the Hope for the Warrior Foundation, a support agency that aids injured service members and their families. This year’s event is slated for Saturday, June 1. Learn more at k4tw.org.

NCCOAST.COM

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Fresh Local Seafood & Mouth Watering Steaks Margaritas, Cold Beer & a Great View Next to the Beach, We are the Main Attraction

Also offering Catering Services! Specializing in off-premise events!

NC Aquarium in Pine Knoll Shores On the beach - At your beach house - On your boat In your private house

Or wherever you celebrate!

201 West Atlantic Blvd | 252-726-8222 | crabsclaw.com

Oceanfront Facility on the Boardwalk in Atlantic Beach

JOINT & SPINE CENTER

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY CENTER