Washington the Magazine September/October 2019

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DISTRICT MARKET

SUPPORTING the community

IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

From Florence to fabulous WASHINGTON PARK HOME GETS HURRICANE MAKEOVER

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 WASHINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 1

2 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

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In this issue

FEATURES & DEPARTMENTS MARKET MERCHANTS COMMUNITY: 30 GROWING Harbor District Market not only source for local goods—it’s growing businesses.

30 HURRICANE HOUSE 34

REBUILDING: Washington Park home goes from Florence to fabulous a year after storm.

IN EVERY ISSUE 6 10 26 50 52 56 58 60 62 66

Publisher’s Note The Scene What's in Store Cast a Line What's to Eat Wine Column Dining Guide Travel & Leisure Calendar Why I Love Washington

34 SHIPBUILDING 40

SAiLING INTO HISTORY: Founded on naval stores and shipbilding, Washington’s maritime industry continues to thrive.

40 HAVEN OF ROSES 44

SERVING OTHERS: Rose Haven’s house, gardens and purpose, a lesson in service.

ON THE COVER A new fixture at the Harbor District Market, Katharine Edwards sells all things “Little Washington.”

44 4 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

A NOTE FROM ASHLEY

FALL,

a time for reflection

A

s the heat of summer slowly dispels, warm days become cool nights, and leaves begin their annual spectacle of turning red, yellow, orange, fall settles over eastern North Carolina. Time spent outdoors moves indoors, paving the way to quieter times and reflection.

This issue of Washington The Magazine touches on some of the area’s greatest opportunities for reflection, both natural and manmade.

Washington was born on the banks of the Pamlico River, and its rise to prominence and prosperity was molded by the maritime. From shipbuilding to transportation, from a past center of commerce to today’s many boat builders building local vessels that will ultimately travel the world’s waterways, Washington’s maritime past plays a part in its present and future. Read about the river and its endless influence on Beaufort County life on page 40 While downtown Washington has held onto its commercial history, its marketplace of the past is now being revived in the Harbor District Market. The market is evolving into a community center, at the same time creating a new community of small businesses offering the handmade and the locally grown.

Take a stroll through our thriving market on West Main Street on page 30 Reflection is an integral part of Rose Haven, a home for recovering female veterans. A work in progress, the Pamlico Rose Institute for Sustainable Communities project has weathered a few setbacks, even as its gardens — a key component to the recovery programs and retreats to be offered — have flourished. Find out more about this worthwhile project on page 44 With the change in seasons comes a migration on a massive scale: the tundra swan to Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Take a trip inside these pages to Columbia, the winter home of tundra swans and permanent home to more than 200 other bird species, 40 different mammals, 40 kinds of reptiles and 36 amphibians. Just a short drive away is the perfect opportunity to reflect on all that eastern North Carolina nature has to offer. Learn more on page 60 Finally, it was a year ago that Hurricane Florence devastated eastern North Carolina with flooding on a scale that few were expecting. Many residents were forced from their homes to seek shelter from the storm; many are still in the process of rebuilding. Read about one Washington Park woman’s experience after the flood, and the recovery since, on page 34 We hope you enjoy this issue of Washington the Magazine, just as much as you enjoy the more temperate days and nights of fall in eastern North Carolina.

Ashley Vansant, Publisher

We would love to hear what you think about Washington the Magazine. Email us at news@

Write thewashingtondailynews.com or write to P.O. Box 1788, Washington, NC 27889. Letters chosen for publication to us may be edited for length and clarity. All submissions become the property of Washington the Magazine.

6 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Publisher Ashley Vansant Editorial Sabrina Berndt Matt Debnam Vail Stewart Rumley Mitchell Thomas Contributors Richard Andrews Mary Mehlich Brenda Wright Roland Wyman Advertising Director David Singleton Marketing & Sales Cecilia Prokos Amy Whitaker Scott Williamson Distribution Sylvester Rogers Art Direction Elizabeth Reed Contact information Washington the Magazine P.O. Box 1788 Washington, NC 27889 Advertising inquiries 252-946-2144 Ext. 221 Subscriptions & change of address 252-946-2144 Washington the Magazine is published six times a year by Washington Newsmedia, LLC. Copyright 2019, Washington Newsmedia, LLC.

THE SCENE ROSE HAVEN GARDEN DEDICATION The Pamlico Rose Haven garden dedication took place the evening of Aug. 10. The beautiful scenery at the gardens has been in progress for the last seven to eight months. A Pamlico Rose Institute for Sustainable Communities project, the “center of healing” is primarily for at-risk women veteran populations to learn how to better reintegrate and get communitybuilding skills. The garden is an important healing opportunity for women veterans.

The dedication was primarily to those who extended time, resources and efforts to getting the gardens in tip-top shape.

Betty and David Wheeler

Tony Weichle, Karen Stanford and Pat Ryan

Dr. Kelly Earp and Emily Carefoot

Greg Smith, Lucas Wood, Ken Pratt and Kelly Smith

10 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Lucas Wood, Susie Wood and Steven Wood

Rachel Wood, Emma Wood and Linda Pratt

Jennifer Wright and Shirley Wright

Valerie Credle, Betty Randolph and Glen Credle

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 11

THE SCENE BCTMA VARIETY SHOW Local music fans were treated to a night of the blues as the Beaufort County Traditional Music Association hosted a variety show on July 25. The night’s entertainment featured the Flatland Zingers, made up of Rob Cuthrell, Linda Boyer, Eric Holmes and Justin Casey, followed by the Blounts Creek Blues Boys, featuring Randy Coggins, Jay Costello, Bob Daw and Reggie Workman.

Jeff Shirley and Denise Capps

Rob Cuthrell and Linda Boyer

12 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Nikki Woolard and Bobby Moore

Jay Costello

David and Brenda Massengill

Ayden Hutchinson, Kevin Glymph and Robert Greene Sands

Freddy and Jane Sugg

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 13

THE SCENE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT Bringing together first responders and the community, Washington held its annual National Night Out on Aug. 6 at Beebe Memorial Park on Bridge Street. With a goal of bridging the gap between the community and law enforcement in a casual atmosphere, the event featured food, fun, games and giveaways for those who attended. In addition, a variety of community organizations were well represented, offering resources and information for the families who attended.

Toshia Oden and Flora Brooks

Donald Sadler, Brenda Crandol, William Crandol, Jack Starkie, Adrian Dudley, Willie Askew Jr. and Jeffrey White

14 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Scottie Johnson, Sylvia Anderson, Nancy Daniels, Fannie Reddick, Carolyn Moore and Eltha Booth

Kelly Cox, Ben Correa, Leonard Hudson, Ari’yana Wainwright, Tim Hickman and Kevin Sitterson

Christine Somerville and Jewell Gardner

Shirley Roberson and Adrianna Reid

Crystal Gurganus, Jessica Yoder and Jaclyn Cullipher

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 15

Kelly Cox, Belk Ward, Carlos Ward, Tim Hickman, Kevin Sitterson and Leonard Hudson

Jacrri Boyd and Sierra Hansley

Jennifer Evans, Jackie Burkett, Adam Waters, Christie Martin, Vicki Waters and Karen Ball

16 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

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THE SCENE EDMUND HARDING REVEAL He’s considered the father of Historic Bath and was a beloved humorist throughout the country, and now, Washington native Edmund Harding’s name will stand on a highway historical marker in perpetuity. Harding’s lifetime of accomplishments was celebrated July 10 during an unveiling ceremony for the marker. All told, Harding gave 4,999 speeches during his lifetime, and was met with great renown throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Henry Moore, Florette Moore, Beth Sloan

Carol Tayloe, Pam Hodges, Cathy Whichard

Patsy Duke, Brownie Futrell, Hon. Rusty Duke

18 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Barbara Walker, Roy Whichard

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THE SCENE FIRECRACKER DINNER DANCE Belhaven residents and guests gathered to dance the night away on the Fourth of July and raise money for a much-beloved building, the Wilkinson Center. Once the Belhaven High School, the Wilkinson Center was renovated as a wedding and events venue, and also is home to the Dilday Fitness Center. The soldout Firecracker Dinner-Dance featured food, beach music and line dancing to raise $10,000 for roof repairs.

Shirley Heaverly, Phyllis Woolard, Linda Beddard

Ellan Allen, Marian Dilday, Deb Johnson

Rachel Lang, Kody Jefferson, Elaine Waters, Larry and Ann Lang, Justin Sampere, Kelsey Lang

22 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Carolyn Ambrose, Gaylon Ambrose

Tammy and Jay Paul

Lynn and Danny Clayton

Bridget and Kenny Jefferson, Caleb Jefferson, Billy and Jane Warren, Kody Jefferson

Jon and Anna Graham, Ken and Lori Weaver, Josh Page, Lizzie Weaver

Jane and Jim Bateman

Renee and Delbert Armstrong

Mike and Marie Adams

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 23

Arlington Village

Since 1969

Where

Modern Design Meets

Old World

Craftsmanship Custom Designs Created in Our On Site Design Center 633 Red Banks Road Greenville, North Carolina

WHAT'S IN STORE

A piece of

Washington WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ELIZABETH REED

a.

e.

b.

d.

c.

Made in North Carolina Made at home or in the studio, these pieces scream autumn. Decorate your home with handmade pottery from Wiener Dog Pottery like this cotton mug, (a.) $20 or a leaf dish to hold trinkets, (b.) $25. Celebrate season, new accessories such as tassle earrings made from Be Like Missy, (c.) $24 or leather teardrop earrings, (d.) $25 made from Honey Comb and Hyde. Don’t leave your neck bare, add a gem or this raw sunstone necklace, created by Merging Metals, (e.) $40. All pieces can be found at the Wander Co. in downtown Washington.

26 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Oh deer Beer, deer and coffee. Did somebody say fall? Keep the antlers on the wall and on the desk with a wood deer sculpture (f.) $35.95. Don’t leave a moisture ring on the desk, though. Protect it with wood plank coasters that tell the bartender to keep pouring, (g.) $12.95. Now you can explain what man glitter is by just sipping a cup of joe, (h.) $9.95. Crack open you evening brew with deer beer bottle openers, (i.) $7.95. Find these products at NautiLife in downtown Wasington.

d. g. f. h.

i. j.

Turning the barrel At the Wander Co. in downtown Washington you may not be able to find the whole barrel but you can fine pieces of it in this lazy susan whiskey barrel lid, (j.) $75.

l.

k.

Season to gather Welcome the gathering of friends and family this season with signs of fall. Your decor can keep a rustic chic look with the weathered sign, (k.) $24.95 and velevet stacked pumpkins (l.) $24.95. Both items can be found at Cottage Junkies in downtown Washington.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 27

o. m.

n. p.

Decor and more Greet the season with welcoming scents from candles such as these from Cottage Junkies and The Wander Co. Unwind with Rewind, (m.) $28.95. Find a soy candle like this unique dough bowl wood wick candle made by a local NC artisan, (n.) $35. Excitement might grow for this season ahead with this ‘Hello Fall’ sunflower sign from Heart • Hand • Home Creations, (o.) $28. Southern stitching with small friendly embroidery sayings can be found at The Wander Co., (p.) $30, made by Plaid Love Threads.

s. q. r.

Taming the mane Men can keep their facial hair in order with Half Moon Beard oil, (q.) $18, while women can do a quick up-do reminiscing old school scrunchie styles (r.) $6.60, made

by Merrry Mack Pretties and found in downtown Washington at The Wander Co.

Knitted warmth Find a cute and comfortable mix with this handmade knitted hat. Stay warm on cool, autumn nights with these cozy hats made by Alder & Oak, (s.) $40. Hats are available in a variety of colors and sizes for children at The Wander Co.

28 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

WASHINGTON HARBOR DISTRICT

FINDING THE RIGHT POLICIES FOR YOU!

MARKET MERCHANTS

Harbor District Market offers opportunities for vendors, shoppers and downtown businesses

At Washington’s Harbor District Market, a wide variety of vendors find space to thrive. Here, retired teacher Dianne Cuffie and Crown Boutique owner Chynna Bonner display an assortment of authentic African wares.

WRITTEN BY MATT DEBNAM | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

F

rom the earliest days of human civilization, markets have served as a hub of the community. They are places to trade, where people of diverse backgrounds come together and interact, not just with the exchanging of coin, but also with the exchange of conversation, information and ideas.

In the heart of downtown Washington, the Harbor District Market is the latest iteration of this time-tested formula. It’s the culmination of three years of effort on the part of many hands under the umbrella of the Washington Harbor District Alliance, and since opening its doors in June, the market has become a hub of activity downtown.

On average, more than 1,000 people pass through the Market’s doors on any given Saturday. Bringing together vendors, shoppers and educators from Beaufort County and beyond, the market has become a meeting place and an incubator for small businesses in the community.

30 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

IBX Soap owner, Betsy Dodson

For Belhaven resident Betsy Dodson, the market makes a great outlet for her line of homemade soaps, lotions and insect repellants. She’s been making the goods since 2014, when she first took a class with her dad. From building her business to meeting new people, Dodson says she’s gotten a lot out of setting up shop at the market.

“That’s what we’re all about, these small businesses getting the opportunity to expand what they’re doing today,” said WHDA Executive Director Meg Howdy. “The really neat thing has been that it is a lot of individuals who walk through the door. It doesn’t matter in terms of demographics or economics.

It really is a community space.”

The first, and perhaps most important, ingredient in building that community space is the wide variety of vendors who have chosen to set up shop in the market. Encompassing everything from fresh produce and handmade drinks to handcrafted gifts and artisan goods such as soaps, each vendor brings something

unique to the table, and for each, the market offers a chance to build their business.

“We have designed this market so that whether you’re a daily, monthly or yearly vendor, whether you’re a grower, or make handmade products, it gives you an opportunity to sell those goods or products without it being so expensive,” said WHDA President Chris Furlough. “It’s a great opportunity for business startups.”

Add in some live music, displays on the area’s history from the Washington Waterfront Underground Railroad Museum and the Historic Port of Washington, as well as future plans to offer SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 31

Where’s the Wine? Wine not Lemonade?, Leilani Nichols One vendor, Leilani Nichols, has seen firsthand the benefits of a thriving marketplace. A crafter, Nichols makes wine-themed crafts and has found an outlet for her creativity at the market. Since the market opened June 1, she has expanded her business to include traditional Italian sodas and continues to build in a premiere spot in the market’s front window.

I wouldn’t be able to afford a storefront with just this stuff. Here, I’m able to have an affordable storefront among likeminded business owners.

32 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Deep Roots Farm, Will and Tabitha Roberson

At the heart of any good farmer’s market is a wide selection of fresh produce. Tabitha and Will Roberson, of Deep Roots Farm, bring fresh fruits and vegetables to the market every week. Going from the old WHDA outdoor market to the indoor space, Tabitha Roberson says they have seen more people coming through to browse their goods.

The indoor space will allow local farmers to continue selling even when winter hits.

educational opportunities at the market, and the space truly stands as a place to highlight the culture and heritage of the area.

“Who we are, the roots of Beaufort County, is tied to our agricultural basis,” Howdy said. “We were a busy port town. We’re able to really bring that to the forefront.”

For one regular shopper at the market, Edna Waldrop, the space serves as a vital lifeline.

Waldrop, a senior citizen who lives above one of the shops in the business district, no longer drives and thus uses the market as her grocery store.

“Since it opened I am able to purchase fresh local fruits and vegetables weekly, and preserve some for winter use as well,” Waldrop said. “Local honey and eggs as well as crafts are also available. I so hope the people in Beaufort County will shop local and support this place.

A lot of people worked very hard to make it happen, but without local support it cannot grow and thrive.”

Even still, the benefits of the market stretch beyond the vendors and customers who regularly shop there. With the market’s opening, there has been a marked increase in foot traffic downtown, which brings with it a pleasant boost for businesses in the surrounding area. Carla Jennette, a next-door neighbor and owner of the Purple Plume, says she has seen a positive impact at her store.

“I have opened up an hour earlier on Saturdays and have seen a boost from the opening,” Jennette said. “It’s driving more foot traffic downtown, more than we’ve seen. … People that don’t normally walk downtown come downtown to the market and suddenly realize that there are a lot of other stores here.”

Within the market, there’s still plenty of room for growth. There’s space for up to 43 vendors within the old McLellan’s Five and Dime store, 24 of which are reserved for fulltime vendors.

The Harbor District Market is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each Saturday. An official grand opening for the market will be held on Oct. 5. For more information on the market, call 252-9471487 or email mhowdy@whda.org. ⋇

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 33

From

TO

FLORENCE

fabulous Washington Park home gets makeover in wake of devastation STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

It’s been a year.

Liane Harsh stands in the middle of her three bedroom, brick ranch house in Washington Park. It’s spacious. It’s open — from the living room to the dining room, to the kitchen.

The scent of freshly cut wood, fresh paint, permeates the place. It’s a new house, but she didn’t build it. It came courtesy of a natural disaster.

On Sept. 14, 2018, as Hurricane Florence barreled in from the Atlantic, Harsh gathered important documents, her dogs, a few friends, and her friends’ dogs, and headed over to her parents’ home in Cypress Landing to hunker down for the duration. The storm, once a Category 5, had mellowed to a Category 1, but the reason to seek refuge on the higher ground on south side of the river remained: Washington Park is low-lying in general; Fairview Avenue, at its bottom.

There was Irene in 2011; Matthew in 2016. Storm surge came with them, but nothing on the scale of Florence. The Park was inundated. It would be three days before Harsh 34 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Florence’s floodwaters had gone down by a foot and half by the time a neighbor in a kayak took this photo of Liane Harsh’s Fairview Avenue home in Washington Park. (Right) Pictured are a fraction of the friends and neighbors who responded to a Facebook post for help and moved all of Harsh’s belongings out of her home: (front row, left to right) Alvin Maxwell, Beth Byrd, Tina Leggett, Kim Mallard, Vail Rumley, Bob Daw; (back row) Jimmy Clark, Joe Facendola, Brent Fodrie, Bobby Byrd and Casey Knight. Knight, Facendola and Fodrie evacuated to Washington from Wilmington, saw the Facebook post and showed up to help before they headed back to Wilmington. During the height of Florence, they would all have been standing in about four feet of water.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY LIANE HARSH

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 35

could get back into the area; three days, in which friends touring the neighborhood would prepare her for the worst.

“I was really anxious, just from what people had said and the waterlines I could see. I knew it wasn’t going to be good,” Harsh said. “I was expecting it, because I had heard from somebody that water had gotten in, someone who was kayaking by the front door.”

The warnings did not prepare her for the reality found on a Sunday afternoon after the worst had passed. The waterline was obvious, as was the debris left by the flood. Inside, was another story altogether.

“It was disgusting—the smell. I was taking it all in. It took a minute, because you couldn’t really see flooding, but the carpets squished, and as you walked in, you could really see what happened,” Harsh said. “You know what they say: four inches might as well have been four feet.”

Hardwood floors buckling, furniture soaked, appliances— refrigerators, washer, dryer, dishwasher, oven—all destroyed. Harsh’s business, Inner Banks Outfitters, also was not immune: though merchandise had been moved to higher ground, four feet of water flowed through the shop, leaving flood detritus in its wake.

The devastation, however, solidified the bonds of community. On Monday, Washington Park neighbors Beth and Will Page stopped by and dragged rugs, heavy with floodwater, out of the house. Fearing a coming mold infestation, they transferred Harsh’s collection of paintings by her father, Dale Harsh, to their home, where they would stay for the next eight months. On Tuesday morning, Harsh posted a request for help on Facebook.

“I just said, ‘I need to move things out of my house ASAP. Show up at 2 o’clock.’ No less than 30 people showed up with trucks and trailers, and snacks and cleaning supplies,” Harsh said. “It was the greatest sense of community, ever. While someone was putting socks from my sock drawer around all my glasses and packing them,

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, a foot of drywall was removed from every wall in the house to remove soaked insulation, and a wall was demolished between a small dining room and the kitchen, as can be seen where the buckling hardwood flooring ends. Today, wood-grained luxury vinyl tile runs throughout the house and the kitchen and dining room are a single, spacious room, featuring wood cabinetry built by Alvin Maxwell and leather-finish granite countertops from Stone Age Tops in Washington.

36 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 37

The den was transformed by painting dark wood, built-in cabinets gray and white-washing the brick fireplace, lightening up the room and creating a more neutral palette for pops of color in paintings and other collectibles, such as this antique roulette wheel.

someone else was cleaning out my refrigerator. Other people were moving things out, and I was not lifting a thing. I felt like I was standing in the middle of it, just watching it happen.”

When the house was cleared, friend and fellow cyclist Alvin Maxwell took over. Even before the insurance adjustor had set foot on the property, he was cutting a foot of drywall out of every wall in the house to remove soaked insulation. Next, he pulled up mounded hardwood flooring, swollen with water.

Underneath, Maxwell found rotting subfloor and joists, proof of damage from a past flood past owners hadn’t repaired. The entire floor of the house had to go.

“We found all kinds of things under there, things that had been rigged, done improperly, hadn’t been fixed. And Alvin, regardless of what the insurance agency was going to say, started the process of making it right,” Harsh said.

The next seven and half months were an adventure in design and bureaucracy, at times, overwhelming and frustrating, according to Harsh.

“One of the most stressful things was the distribution of money (from the insurance claim). Because I had a Freddie 38 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Mac mortgage, it meant you had to document and prove every single thing you did, and then submit the proof and then hope that everything would get covered,” Harsh said. “Most things were covered, but there were some weird things, like they would cover the cost of removal of stuff but wouldn’t cover the cost of the dumpster I had to rent, which was $950. That’s a lot of money. Things like that, to me, did not make sense.”

Over the lingering storm cloud of tedious paperwork, being displaced and having all her worldly belongings scattered and stored across Washington, there was a silver lining: a complete remodel of a circa-1965 home that had never been updated.

“All these things I’ve been saying, ‘Someday I want to do, someday I’m going to do, someday,’ we did. We took a wall down, redid the bathrooms, designed a new kitchen, I mean, just completely brought the inside of the house up. In my own words, we were totally able to make the inside of the house so cool. As stressful as everything was, that part was kind of fun.

Honestly, I never really thought — I always dreamed about this, but I never really thought it would happen,” she laughed.

The wall between the small dining room and the kitchen

was demolished, replaced by a granite peninsula with oven and range hood. Combined with an existing cutout and bar between the kitchen and living room, it completely transformed the space.

“It’s just wide open and awesome. It was really just opening two rooms up, but it kind of opened the whole house up. I mean, you can have people in the dining room, in the living room, in the kitchen, all at the same time, yet together,” Harsh said.

For Harsh, the past year has been a learning experience. Hers was one of 87 Beaufort County homes submitted on a FEMA application this year, in the hope it will be raised one day. But she and Maxwell did what they could to make the house more floodfriendly until then: installing waterproof wood-grain luxury vinyl tile throughout the house, more water-resistant subflooring, woodwork in the painted, paneled-wall den that can be easily removed.

“The house has also been decluttered, which part of me looks at as a way to get easily ready for a storm,” Harsh said. “One of the things that happened to me in this storm was I purged so many things that I did not need. It feels great. I feel lighter. And I feel like when the next storm comes it will be easier to prep for. … And I do think there will be another.” ⋇

Alvin Maxwell balances on the joists that were all that was left of living room floor after damage from Florence revealed rotting subfloors and some rotting joists throughout the house. Now rebuilt, the living areas of the house—living room, dining room, kitchen and den—flow from one space to the next, creating an unexpected open, loft-like layout in the 1965 brick ranch.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 39

MADE on the river Boats built on the Pamlico bring prosperity through the ages WRITTEN BY MATT DEBNAM

These small vignettes tell some of the stories of the ships that were built here on the Pamlico, and the ones who used them to make their living throughout the years.

F

rom the earliest days of the town’s existence, the fate of Washington has been inextricably tied to the Pamlico River. From the shipbuilders and shipping firms of days long past, to the boat building and tourism industries of today, the river is the heart of Beaufort County, and has provided the lifeblood for generations of men and women to seek their fortunes.

“In colonial days, prior to the revolutionary war, there were a number of shipbuilders here,” said Ray Midgett, of the Historic Port of Washington. “The reason why Washington became a shipbuilding center was because it was a trans-shipment point where goods and mostly farm products were floated down the Tar River on flats to here. That’s where the flow of the Tar River slowed and opened up into what became the Pamlico River. Washington was also the farthest inland that ocean-going vessels could navigate, so it became a natural trans-shipment point for those goods. “ That convergence of shallow, upriver currents and deeper navigable waters led to the growth of wharves, warehouses and shipbuilding facilities, all for the purpose of facilitating trade. Over the course of the 19th century, shipbuilding and shipping grew, flourished and went through phases of decline, influenced by events such as the Civil War and the coming of the railroads.

“It was natural that ocean-going vessels and also vessels that would ply the Tar River would be built here in Washington,” Midgett said. ⋇

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY U.S. COAST GAURD

Original U.S. Revenue Cutter

1791

PRECURSOR TO THE

COAST GAURD

In the days after the American Revolution, wellestablished smuggling operations along the Atlantic coastline presented difficulties for the fledgling republic.

In response, George Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, commissioned a fleet of 10 ships, known as revenue cutters, to enforce maritime law on the nation’s waters and collect much-needed revenue for the U.S. Treasury. One of these cutters, the Diligence, was constructed in Washington in 1791. Stationed at New Bern, and then in Wilmington, the Diligence engaged French smugglers along the Cape Fear River. These revenue cutters were the precursor of what would become the U.S. Coast Guard. The U.S.C.G. cutter Diligence VI, was commissioned in 1964 and until recently was stationed on the Cape Fear River in Wilmington.

40 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Fowle ships in Barbados

1818

SHIPPING INDUSTRY F L O U R I S H E S

Sadie Fowle Of the notable shipping families that made a living from the trade on the Pamlico River, the Fowles are one of the most recognizable. For five generations, the family operated a successful shipping firm. Establishing their firm on Castle Island in 1818, the brothers Josiah Fowle, Samuel R. Fowle and James L. Fowle, built up a firm that would last a century and span five generations, under the lineage of S.R. Fowle.

“They went to the West Indies with lumber and came back with molasses and food supplies mainly,” said Sadie Fowle, who married a Fowle descendant. “Those trips to the West Indies were how they made their money. … It was one of the biggest businesses in this little town at the time.”

From 1861-1865, the Civil War interrupted this prosperity, as Union blockades strangled trade from Washington and coastal Carolina. While the industry rebounded after the war, the Fowles, like many others, returned to the business in a limited capacity. In the late 19th century, the coming of the railroad sounded a death knell as new technologies made shipping by water less practical and cost effective. While the heyday of Washington’s shipping industry is long past, and the wharves have given way to Stewart Parkway, the historic Fowle warehouse on South Respess Street stands as a relic of that bygone era.

1825

CONNECTING

THE SOUND AND TARBORO

Another notable shipping dynasty, the Myers family, also built the vessels they used to trade. The Myers shipyard, founded by John Myers and his sons, T.H.B. and Joseph D. Myers, was located near the intersection of Water and Harvey streets, near where the N.C. Estuarium stands today. Established in 1825, the firm came about at a time when steam power was on the rise. The Myers specialized in the construction of both “upriver,” shallow-draft ships and “downriver” steamboats, designed for the rougher conditions of the sound and ocean. For many years, Myers ships were used to carry passengers and cargo up the Tar River as far as Tarboro. At a time when roads were either nonexistent or in poor condition, these vessels provided an invaluable source of transportation for people and products in eastern North Carolina.

Myers II PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY RAY MIDGETTE | HISTORIC PORT OF WASHINGTON SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 41

1875

SHIPBUILDING

TURNING POINT

One latter-day shipbuilder, Alpheus Whitehurst Styron, came onto the scene in the tumultuous years after the Civil War. According to a biography written by his grandson, William Styron, A.W. Styron was raised on Portsmouth Island and found work on the Pamlico and Tar rivers as a steamboat captain after settling in Washington. As a captain, he traveled along the Pamlico and Pungo rivers, and as far north as Baltimore, carrying lumber, shingles and agricultural goods, returning home with manufactured goods. By the time he was married in 1875, Styron was building steam ships, starting with the steamer Edgecombe. Styron was

A.W. Styron

involved in the building and operation of more than 20 river steamers, including the Tarboro, which made regular trips up the Tar River to engage in trade. When the railroads stifled river trade, he converted one ship, the Aurora, into a pleasure ship, ferrying lovers on romantic cruises to the Outer Banks. Ultimately, this venture fell into decline, and Styron engaged in a number of business ventures, from running a lime factory to making his own brand of tobacco known as Mocking Bird Smoking Tobacco.

Today

CONTINUING

TRADITION

While the days of traditional shipbuilding are long

Today, operating his own business, Caldwell Marine

gone from Beaufort County, the legacy of that industry

Designs, Pete Caldwell and his team build 50 Sea Cat

continues today in the form of local boatbuilding

vessels each year, mostly for fishing and recreation. In

operations. Rather than naval stores and steam

addition, his team also builds some boats for Iconic

engines, Pete Caldwell, of Caldwell Marine Designs,

Marine Group—high-powered vessels that make waves

builds his vessels from fiberglass and resin. Their

where schooners and steamers once sailed the Pamlico.

purpose has also changed. Rather than shipping or

In their own way, Caldwell and his contemporaries

business, his boats are made for pleasure. With a 20-

continue a centuries-old tradition on the river.

year career behind him, Caldwell got his start with

“Every time I go across the bridge, I see the Havens

Fountain Powerboats when he was 14 years old. A

Wharf sign there and it reminds me that this is a

second-generation boat builder Pete follows his father

boatbuilding community,” Caldwell said. “It’s pretty

in the business. Jim Caldwell worked with Reggie

neat to live in an area like this where there is so much

Fountain, designing powerboats for many years.

heritage.”

42 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY RAY MIDGETTE | HISTORIC PORT OF WASHINGTON

The Tarboro

Pete Caldwell SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 43

creating a

H AV E N WRITTEN BY SABRINA BERNDT | PHOTOGRAPHY BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

Pamlico Rose CEO Robert Sands, pictured, wanted the main focal point of the Rose Haven Center to be the landscape, which is full of edible produce and colorful flowers.

44 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

A house built for the underrepresented

B

oarded up and covered in weeds, the house on 219 E. Third St. was once invisible to the people of Washington. No one thought about the historical eyesore, let alone its story or potential, but with the creation of The Pamlico Rose Institute for Sustainable Communities, the once-forgotten house is full of life and now a main topic of local conversation.

Pamlico Rose, with CEO Robert Sands and project engineer David Steckel, was created in 2017 with the purpose of transforming a historical home into a rehabilitation center for female veterans. With the purchase and restoration of the Rose Haven Center of Healing on East Third Street, that dream is slowly becoming a reality.

“A lot of events kind of created a perfect storm,” Sands said. “…

For five years, my wife was working at the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (in the Pentagon), so she became very intimate with the problems that female veterans have, such as what they call military sexual trauma. I have a sister who’s in her second recovery period, she’s working through substance abuse, and that was about the time we came upon this house.”

The house is only one aspect of the Rose Haven Center. The lot also highlights peaceful gardens and a former blacksmith’s barn that will soon be used to teach female veterans new skills, such as woodworking.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 45

According to the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, the house first appeared on the map in 1892. Although some people, including Sands, believe it was built before that date because of the style of the home, the house was nonetheless unique for its time.

The house was owned by an African-American widow in 1910, Hannah Bowen, who ran a laundry out of the home, as well as a boarding business, establishing a pattern of blue-collared residents that adapted the house as needed.

“I like to think of the first 20 years as sort of a period that was more serving the needs of those who are underrepresented or those who were marginalized or at-risk economically,” said Sands. “So that’s the period I like to focus in on when I talk about the house and what we’re doing, because we’re serving at-risk, underrepresented people, and this house started that way. It represents ordinary people just trying to make a living, just trying to do what they can.”

John and Lillian Duke bought the property in 1934, and in 1937, John Duke built a blacksmith shop in the backyard. Once again, the house was used as both a residential and commercial building, following the established pattern of working families.

By 1976, the building was no longer owned by the Duke family, and although the house had a constant flow of new owners, it was left empty, the lot overgrown and wasting away.

After lying vacant for decades, Sands bought the house for the Rose Haven program in 2017 and immediately began fundraising for the restoration process. Pamlico Rose obtained a building permit and a general contractor easily enough, and the process was seemingly smooth sailing, but the team did not anticipate the obstacles they would face months later.

“A local business came on and said they were going to be our (general contractor), but it didn’t work out for various reasons, and they decided to back away from the project,” Sands said. “So we were kind of just left swinging in the wind.”

Around the same time that the team lost their contractor, Hurricane Florence hit, and almost every contractor in the area became instantly overwhelmed with local repair jobs, leaving the Rose Haven House without a foreseeable future. Luckily, there was one contractor willing to help the nonprofit’s cause—Matt Sopher of Turning Point, Inc. Waiting for another building permit, along with an available roofer, the house’s visible progress ceased again. In the meantime, the team remained busy, doing smaller jobs that do not require oversight, such as landscaping, priming donated clapboards and Steckel personally restoring the historic windows.

“A lot of what we could do is sort of limited due to workers comp and liability and stuff like that,” Steckel said. “Our contractor pays close attention to that. We had an inspector come out and actually point out, ‘This needs to be done.’ So we’ve been using that as a checklist.”

As the project remains paused and the wait for an available roofer continues, the Pamlico Rose team is looking toward the future, finalizing their plans for the rehabilitation programs.

The first program is a three-month residential program, where four female veterans will work on mindfulness and social skills through activities seen as gardening, community service, yoga and more. The second program 46 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

David Steckel is personally restoring all 42 windows in the Rose Haven home despite having no previous experience. After restoring over half, he said he enjoys the work so much that he is contemplating starting his own restoration business.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 47

Troop 21 Eagle Scout Lucas Wood organized the construction of six raised produce beds with accessibility in mind. While the produce will be used to feed female veterans who attend the Pamlico Rose rehabilitation program; any leftover food will be donated to local organizations.

The detailed gardens are dedicated to individuals who have helped Pamlico Rose along the way, such as The Louis Randolph Garden, which is dedicated to the original owner of the New Beginning Funeral Home, now owned by Louis’ wife, Betty Randolph, who allowed Pamlico Rose to share its parking lot.

Although progress on the Rose Haven Center house may not be visible to the public, the Pamlico Rose team has been busy working on the details, such as priming the clapboards for Matt Sopher to use in the future.

is a condensed version, lasting three to four days, and works to provide a quick, mindful getaway while encouraging female veterans to engage with the community.

“When you try to help people through a reintegration process, one of the key things that they need to be aware of and to understand and to reach for is wellness,” Sands said. “…

Our program is designed as more of a social program, where we get them involved in the community, get them involved with each other.”

According to Sands, the first program will start in October.

While the house will not be completely finished, it will be an opportunity to put their plan into action and work out any kinks 48 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

in the program.

Although the restoration process has had its ups and downs in the past two years, for both Steckel and Sands, the house has been a worthwhile experience in Washington, making all of the arguments, headaches and obstacles worth it.

“We had grand ideas when we first started Pamlico Rose,” Steckel said. “We wanted to make actual communities of houses grouped together and have them all veteran-based. And that’s still a possibility after this program, depending on if this takes off. But one of the things is, if this is the only thing that Pamlico Rose does, I still I think it’s a success that we’ve turned an overlooked vacant lot into something that’s viable, useful.” ⋇

CAST A LINE

GIANTS E

Pamlico

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH BY CAPT. RICHARD ANDREWS

ach year, the Pamlico estuary experiences a spawning ritual that draws anglers from all over the country. Our giant red drum or “redfish” or “old drum” enter the Pamlico Sound and its tributaries to spawn in our waters primarily around the full moon of August and September. Although I have caught giant red drum as early as May and as late as December, the majority of the fish are here in August and September. Most of these fish are in the 40-50 inch range and 30-60 pounds. They can get larger, as the world record red drum was caught in North Carolina in Avon in 1983. The fish measured 60 inches and weighed 94 pounds. They also have a long lifespan, living up to 60 years, and state biologists have aged one fish into its early seventies.

That’s a long time to swim at large in the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico estuary.

Giant red drum can be caught using a variety of techniques. The traditional technique is to use fresh dead bait such as mullet, menhaden, croaker or spot on a large circle hook rig called an Owen Lupton rig. These cut bait setups are fished out of an anchored boat in a strategic spot like a shoal ledge or oyster lump or rock. The Lupton rig, named for the Pamlico County native who developed it, is a specialized rig that helps to reduce the chance of gut or throat hooking one of these old fish. Most fish caught with the Lupton Rig are hooked in the corner of the mouth and are safely released to swim another day. The North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries mandates that anglers use the Lupton rig while fishing for giant

Richard Andrews holds a large red drum on a boat earlier this year.

red drum during certain times of the year. Time of day is important in drum fishing using cut bait. The best fishing is late in the afternoon and at night, and early morning can be good, too.

The other now mainstream technique for targeting giant red drum is to use artificial baits. Much of this type of fishing takes place in open water, so baits that create commotion in the water such as popping corks, topwater lures, rattling lures and some others are very effective.

These baits get the fish’s attention and will often draw some aggressive strikes when fished around active bait schools or along ledges where drum cruise.

For anglers wanting to be a little more interactive with their fishing, fishing

50 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

artificials is preferred, and we utilize this method on almost all of our trips now.

If you have never experienced fishing for large trophy fish, we have a world class fishery right here in the Pamlico River.

You don’t have to travel to far-off places and exotic destinations to experience one of the most exciting angling experiences available anywhere in the world. Look no further than your home waters, and get out there and see what the Pamlico has to offer.

Capt. Richard Andrews is a resident of Washington and the owner of a local year-round guide service offering fishing excursions on the Pamlico and nearby rivers. He can be reached at 252-9459715 or richard@tarpamguide.com.⋇

WHAT'S TO EAT

EASIEST BRUSSEL SPROUTS Vail Stewart Rumley 1 (16 ounce) bag of fresh Brussel Sprouts; 1 pound of bacon; toothpicks.

Rinse and cut stem ends off of sprouts. If large sprouts, chop in half. Slice bacon in half. Wrap bacon around each Brussel sprout. Line large baking sheet with raised lip or 9-by-13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

52 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

PUMPKIN PIE Anne Van Staalduinen Terra Ceia Terra Ceia Cookbook No. 2

1, 9-inch pie shell; 1 1/2 cups pumpkin; 2 egg yolks; 2/3 cup brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon ginger; 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 2 egg whites; 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix pumpkin, egg yolks, brown sugar, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, milk, cream and vanilla. Whip egg whites with salt until stiff; add to first mixture. Pour into pie shell. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean.

STORY, PHOTOS AND FOOD PREP BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

T

he nights are getting cooler and a hint of winter to come is in the air. Maybe it smells like a whiff of smoke from leaves burning in a field; maybe it’s the sweet and savory scents of fall produce grown right here at home and transformed into delicious dishes from generations of Beaufort County cooks.

Many would say there’s nothing more fall than pumpkin pie, and a slice of pumpkin pie courtesy of Anne Van Staalduinen’s recipe from “Terra Ceia Cookbook No. 2,” topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, just may prove it. And if you’re looking for something to do with late season squash, look no further than Delores Mayo and Carolyn Lee’s recipe for squash puppies from Heavenly “Treasures,” Hodges Chapel PH Church in Chocowinity. A summer squash take on hush puppies, these delicious tidbits are great on their own or as a side.

Harvesting isn’t confined to the land, come September and October. The rivers of eastern North Carolina continue to offer up their bounty, including the blue crab for which the region is known. Celebrate the end of summer with Marlis Smith’s recipe for Crab Meat Au Gratin, straight from the Hyde County Cookbook.

No matter the weather, fall into fall with home cooking from some of the best kitchens in Beaufort County. ⋇

ZUCCHINI BREAD Erna Bienes First Presbyterian Church, Washington Our Celebration Cookbook

2 cups grated, well-drained fresh zucchini (double amount if frozen or canned); 2 cups sugar; 1 cup vegetable oil; 3 lightly beaten eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves; 1 cup chopped nuts; 1 cup raisins; 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind.

Coat nuts and raisins lightly with flour.

Mix together the first five ingredients (wet ingredients). Sift together the next five ingredients (dry ingredients). Blend the dry into the wet ingredients. Stir in the nuts, raisins and lemon rind. Divide batter and place into two well-greased loaf pans which have been coated with unseasoned bread crumbs instead of flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Remove cake from pans and cool thoroughly on wire racks. (Note: this can be divided into three small loaf pans for gifts)

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 53

SQUASH PUPPIES Delores Mayo, Carolyn Lee Heavenly Treasures Hodges Chapel PH Church, Chocowinity

5 to 6 squash, cooked and mashed; 1 egg; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 3/4 cup self-rising meal; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.

Mix all ingredients together. Drop by spoonful into hot oil. Fry until brown.

CRAB MEAT AU GRATIN

CABBAGE ON THE GRILL

Marlis Smith

Leslie Hardison

Hyde County

Tasty Temptations II

Hyde County Cookbook

Piney Grove Baptist Church, Williamston

2 cups crab meat; 2 tablespoons butter; 3 tablespoons flour; 2 cups milk; 1 cup grated sharp cheese; 1/2 green pepper, chopped; 1/2 small onion, minced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; dash of nutmeg; 1 cup bread crumbs.

Melt better, add pepper and onion. Cook five minutes.

Add flour, then milk, a little at a time, stirring until thickened. Add crab meat and salt. Cook 10 minutes longer. Pour in greased casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with bread crumbs, dot with butter. Bake until bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

1 medium head of cabbage; 4 teaspoons butter, softened; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese; 4 bacon strips.

Cut cabbage into four wedges, place each on a piece of double-layered foil (about 18-inches square). Spread cut sides with butter. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Wrap a bacon strip around each wedge. Fold foil around cabbage and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 40 minutes or until the cabbage is tender, turning at least twice.

54 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

SPINACH SIDE DISH Washington Pediatrics Collection of Recipes from Patients and Staff

1 tablespoon whipped butter; 1 tablespoon flour; 1 pinch of garlic salt; 1 pinch of kosher salt; 1/4 cup low-fat milk; 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; stir flour, garlic salt and kosher salt into the butter until smooth. Whisk in low-fat milk, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Simmer sauce until thickened; whisking constantly, about 1 minute. Stir spinach into sauce and heat until warmed through, 1-2 minutes.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 55

WORD ON WINE

RIESLINGS FOR THE FALL WRITTEN BY MARY MEHLICH | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZABETH REED

LIGHTLY SWEET RIESLINGS Delicacy

and a mineral - inflected fruitiness are

the hallmarks of fine , off-dry Rieslings. Their elegant style and absolute purity of flavor make them excellent partners for modern cooking that emphasizes high-quality, fresh ingredients. Spicy Asian/fusion cuisine, smoked fish and salty cheeses are excellent matchups for these qualities of lightly sweet Rieslings: • Naturally low alcohol. A lightly sweet Riesling’s moderate alcohol makes it ideal for spicy foods.

High-alcohol wines only make spicy heat taste hotter and less palatable. Lower-alcohol wines also fit well with today’s healthier lifestyle.

• Fine structure. Rieslings get their structure from ripe acidity, rather than from tannins drawn from stems and oak barrels. Tannic wines give spicy foods an unpleasant bitterness, whereas Riesling helps tame the spice.

• Cooling sweetness. This attribute makes lightly sweet Rieslings exceptional partners for spicy foods.

The slight sweetness cools the palate and keeps the food fresh and lively. A bit of sweetness also helps carry flavor, bringing out the fresh taste of the food.

Lightly sweet Rieslings also make excellent apéritifs.

• Crisp acidity. Riesling’s bright acidity balances its sweetness and helps cleanse and freshen the palate.

• Pairing ideas: Lemongrass chicken, crab cakes, roasted meats with pan sauce, dishes with acidic sauces such as beurre blanc, pumpkin ravioli, roasted vegetables, white-rind soft cheeses.

56 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

SWEET & VERY SWEET RIESLINGS Sweeter Rieslings,

German Auslese, work well on “sorbet” between courses. They can also pair well with rich, spicy Indian dishes or moderately sweet tropical dishes featuring fresh fruits. When they are mature (10 to 20 years old), Auslese-style Rieslings become earthier and drier to the taste, making them classic partners to braised or roasted game dishes, such as fowl, wild boar and venison.

Very sweet, dessert-style Rieslings (BA, Ice Wine, TBA) are extremely intense, concentrated wines, best enjoyed on their own. But their richness also matches very well with strong, salty blue cheeses, fruit desserts and foie gras. When pairing with a dessert, however, it’s important to be sure that the sweetness of the dessert does not overpower the wine. Avoid chocolate, one of the few things that Riesling does not work with. such as

their own as a refreshing

DRY RIESLINGS D ry R ieslings

are less flamboyantly

than those with sweetness, and their higher alcohol gives them a big, full-bodied structure.

This is what makes them well-suited to traditional European-style cuisine: • Pure, “stony” fruit. Dr y-style Rieslings have a fruitiness that can be described as “stony.” It is not as overtly fruity as with sweeter Rieslings. The wines have a sappy, spicy texture and density that gives them the body and power to pair well with full-flavored foods and classic sauces.

• Unoaked flavor. The absence of oak in these wines enables them to bring out the subtle flavors in fine cooking, rather than smothering them with wood or tannin.

Classic preparations of fish, poultry and pork all benefit from this.

• Firm structure. Dry Rieslings have a clean, focused structure and a fine mineral edge that can cut through the heaviness of classic reductions and cream sauces. The wines brighten the flavors of the food and refresh the palate.

• Pairing ideas: Fried or baked fish, simple seafood dishes, cream sauces, butter sauces, sauteeed mushrooms, roasted chicken, grilled pork chops, charcuterie.

Mary Mehlich is the owner of Wine & Words & Gourmet in downtown Washington. ⋇ aromatic and fruity

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 57

DINING GUIDE

58 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

DINING GUIDE

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 59

TRAVEL & LEISURE

E X P L O R I N G Pocosin Lakes

WRITTEN BY MITCHELL THOMAS | PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY POCOSIN WILDLIFE REFUGE

DESTINATION: POCOSIN LAKES NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE LOCATION: COLUMBIA, NORTH CAROLINA DISTANCE: 64.2 MILES TIME: 1 HOUR, 5 MINUTES ADDRESS: 205 SOUTH LUDINGTON DRIVE

60 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

T

here are tons of things to see and do at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. With well over 300 different species of animals in the refuge, visitors can partake in kayaking, hiking or hunting animals in season, just a few ways to experience the refuge.

The 110,000-acre refuge is located about six miles south of Columbia off of N.C. Highway 94 East, or 18 miles south of Plymouth to the West.

The origin of the word “pocosin” in the name of the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is an American Indian word for “swamp of a hill.” Although the land on the refuge is only a few feet above sea level, it is elevated to the surrounding marshes on the shorelines of the sound.

The refuge manager for Pocosin Lakes, Howard Phillips, talked about the details of the “Pocosin” origin.

Peatlands only make up 3% of the Earth’s surface. You don’t get a lot of them, but we’re blessed with a lot of them in this Albemarle-Pamlico-Peninsula area.

— Howard Phillips “It is a very unique wetland type. Peatlands only make up 3% of the Earth’s surface. You don’t get a lot of them, but we’re blessed with a lot of them in this Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula area,” Phillips said. “Peat is a high organic content soil. It has a lot of dead, formerly living material in it. The soil accumulated over geologic time. … It built up into a very slight dome, made up of this soil material. When the rain would fall on that dome, the ground holds in that rain like a sponge and releases it very, very slowly. That’s where the origin of the name ‘pocosin’ came from.”

When it comes to wildlife in the area, Pocosin has hundreds of animal species roaming the area.

“We’ve got one of the densest populations of black bear reported anywhere in the scientific literature,” Phillips said.

“Some of the other wildlife we’re focused on is migratory birds called neo-tropical migrants. There are a number of different warblers and sparrows. … Those neo-tropical migrants, especially ones that require large contiguous blocks of forested wetlands, are in decline. A lot of those species are now, so areas like these are very important to them.”

Other animals on the land include 200 different species of birds, 40 different mammal species, 40 reptiles and 30 amphibian species. Included in that reptile group are a few alligators.

“We’re on the northern tip of the alligators’ range,” Howard said. “You’ll see more down around Swan Quarter, but I’ve actually seen one in the Scuppernong River, just outside of my office here one time.”

You can take in all the wildlife and the beautiful scenery by hopping in a kayak, taking a walk on the Scuppernong River’s Interpretive Boardwalk. The refuge is also open to different kinds of hunting.

“We’re open to a lot of different kinds of hunting. The most popular is deer hunting,” Phillips said. “There is kayaking, we actually have a paddle launch right outside of our headquarters here in Columbia. The Scuppernong River is a place you can go, now that’s waters of the state and not the refuge but we have land right up beside it.”

There are tons of things to do on the refuge. Whether it’s hopping in the water, taking a walk along the river or trying to take down a trophy buck, Pocosin offers the opportunity. Give them a visit as temperatures start to cool down this fall. ⋇

OUT & ABOUT

CALENDAR

Sept. 6

ALL SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER BCTMA Jams Turnage Theatre

Thursday nights/Saturday mornings open jams. Thursday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by Beaufort County Traditional Music Association. www. bctma.org/

River Roving Tours

North Carolina Estuarium

Learn about the history and habitats of the Washington waterfront. These boat tours cruise the Pamlico River, Wednesdays through Fridays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.

Call 252-948-0000 for reservations.

Alive After 5 Caboose Lawn

Washington Civic Center

5:30-7:30 p.m. Downtown Washington is excited to host Alive After 5! This free, family-friendly event allows you to unwind and network while enjoying live music, tasty beverages in a fun, casual atmosphere. Face painting, lawn games, Kona Ice and more!

7 p.m. Singles and couples over 40 are welcome to come and dance the night away. Admission is $8; 50/50 drawing; door prizes; no alcohol/no smoking/no children.

Sept. 7

Historic Ghost Walk Harding Square

Sept. 1– 7

8 p.m. Washington Haunts: The Historic Ghost Walk. Tickets are $15 per person.

Cash only. No reservations. Meet at Harding Square beside the Washington Visitors Center at the foot of Market Street. 252-402-8595.

Turnage Theatre

Sundays in the Park

Sidewalk Sale Arts of the Pamlico’s annual sidewalk sale.

Get amazing bargains on works by local artists. Everything is 50% off.

Sept. 12

Senior Dance

Sept. 8

Festival Park

2 p.m. Sundays in the Park concert series featuring Rural Route Romance.

Sponsored by Arts of the Pamlico. Free.

62 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Pickin’ on the Pamlico Festival Park

5 p.m. Join friends, neighbors and family for a low country boil and live music on the banks of the Pamlico River. Fundraiser for the Washington Harbor District Alliance. www.whda.org

Sept. 27

Power of the Purse

Sept. 13

Rocky Horror Picture Show Turnage Theatre

9 p.m. Arts of the Pamlico presents “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on the big screen at the Turnage Theatre. Prizes and prop bags for first ticket buyers. 252-9462504.

Sept. 14

Toga Party Pamlico House Bed & Breakfast

Toga Party fundraiser for Arts of the Pamlico. Call 252-946-2504 for more information.

Sept. 15

“The Sound of Music” Turnage Theatre

2 p.m. Broadway on the Big Screen series.

Sing along with the this classical musical featuring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. For more information, call 252946-2504.

Washington Civic Center

5:30 p.m. This night out for women features a guest speaker along with delicious food, great music, a live auction and raffle of upscale and designer purses, jewelry and many specialty items. 252975-6209.

Fall Art Walk Downtown Washington

6-8 p.m. New exhibits, mini-receptions and local artwork are featured in this downtown Washington tour of art galleries in the Harbor District. 252-9462504.

Sept. 28

Hands on Art Festival Havens Gardens

11 a.m. Hands on Art Festival—a hand’s on approach to art as hosted by Arts of the Pamlico. Call 252-946-2504 for more information.

OCTOBER Oct. 4

Alive After 5 Caboose Lawn

5:30-7:30 p.m. Downtown Washington is excited to host Alive After 5! This free, family-friendly event allows you to unwind and network while enjoying live music, tasty beverages in a fun, casual atmosphere. Face painting, lawn games, Kona Ice and more!

Oct. 4-5

Little Washington Food Tour Downtown Washington

A Ruth’s House domestic violence shelter fundraiser. Get a taste of Washington’s food culture with a walk around town and a sampling of downtown restaurant’s fare.

Two tours planned for each day. Call 252946-0709 for more information.

Oct. 5

Sept. 21-22

Historic Ghost Walk

Turnage Theatre

8 p.m. Washington Haunts: The Historic Ghost Walk. Tickets are $15 per person.

Cash only. No reservations. Meet at Harding Square beside the Washington Visitors Center at the foot of Market Street. 252-402-8595.

“Greater Tuna” Arts of the Pamlico’s AOP Players present “Greater Tuna” on the Turnage Theatre stage. Two showings; 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. 252-946-2504.

Sept. 21

Color Me Free Festival Park

7 a.m. Color Me Free: A Run Against Domestic Violence.

Sept. 21

Trades of the 18th Century Bath Historic Site

10 a.m. Come learn more about the trades of the 18th century in this event focused on some common trades from the period. For more information, call 252923-3971.

Harding Square

Hoops on the Pamlico Stewart Parkway

8 a.m. A 3-on-3 basketball tournament on the Pamlico River waterfront. 252-9469168.

Walk to De-feet Dementia & Expo First Baptist Church

9 a.m. to noon. Annual educational fair and walk to bring awareness to dementia. Call 252-944-3446 for more information or visit www.dementianc.org/ washington2019.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 63

Oct. 10

Senior Dance Washington Civic Center

7 p.m. Singles and couples over 40 are welcome to come and dance the night away. Admission is $8; 50/50 drawing; door prizes; no alcohol/no smoking/no children.

Oct. 11-12

Bath Towne After Dark Bath Historic Site

6 p.m. Learn about the legends and haunts of North Carolina’s oldest town in this dark-of-night walking tour.

Panic at the Disco Turnage Theatre

7 p.m. Arts of the Pamlico’s AOP Players present “Panic at the Disco” on the Turnage Theatre stage. $25. www. artsofthepamlico.org.

Oct. 15

Turnage Theatre

“Estuscarium”

Open Mic Night 7 p.m. Sign up for a spot in the spotlight at this open invitation to do what you do best — sing, dance, comedy, etc. 252-9462504.

Oct. 17-19 “Turn of the Screw”

Downtown Washington

Turnage Theatre

A Ruth’s House domestic violence shelter fundraiser. Get a taste of Washington’s food culture with a walk around town and a sampling of downtown restaurant’s fare.

Two tours planned for each day. Call 252946-0709 for more information.

7:30 p.m. East Carolina University’s School of Theatre and Dance presents the stage adaption of the classic novel “The Turn of the Screw.” Visit artsofthepamlico.org for more information.

“Hocus Pocus”

Washington Civic Center

Historic Ghost Walk

Washington’s annual barbecue festival and state barbecue championship competition, includes a fire engine pull, classic car show, live music, barbecue and chili contests, kids’ events, arts and crafts and a beer garden. Friday night activities include the pig parade and a movie in the park. For more information: 252-9446136; smokeonthewater.info.

Raised in a Barn Farm

Annual Humane Society Dinner and Auction

Stewart Parkway

Belhaven

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This inaugural festival honors independent horror movies from across the globe. Scheduled experiences feature dancers, art vendors, face painters, fire twirlers, fortune-tellers, dining opportunities, a panel of filmmaking professionals and much more. Tickets at FilmFreeway.com.

North Carolina Estuarium

5-8 p.m. Join us for the third-annual “ESTUSCARIUM,” an evening of all that goes bump, skitters or crawls. 252-9480000.

Oct. 18-19

Smoke on the Water

Carnival of Darkness Film Festival

Oct. 26

6 p.m. Support Humane Society of Beaufort County’s efforts to keep animals out of the local shelter and its successful spay/neuter program through the nonprofit’s annual dinner and auction.

252-946-1591.

Oct. 12

9 a.m. Proceeds from the 10th-annual Darleen’s Flamingo 5K will be donated to the Shepard Cancer Foundation in Washington in honor of Darleen Smith, who battled breast cancer and lived by her favorite slogan “you make your own party.” Race course is lined with pink flamingos and water views. Registration begins at 7 a.m. and breakfast will be served after the race. Sign up at runsignup.com/Race/NC/Belhaven/ DarleensFlamingo5K.

Turnage Theatre

2 p.m., 7 p.m. More Halloween fun with the classic story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” on the Turnage Theatre big screen. artsofthepamlico.org

Little Washington Food Tour

Darleen’s Flamingo 5K

Oct. 26

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

Oct. 19

Pink Out Cancer Awareness & NC Circuit Shoot

Harding Square

8 p.m. Washington Haunts: The Historic Ghost Walk. Tickets are $15 per person.

Cash only. No reservations. Meet at Harding Square beside the Washington Visitors Center at the foot of Market Street. 252-402-8595.

Oct. 27

Broadway on the Big Screen Turnage Theatre

Hunters Pointe Sporting Clays

2 p.m. Arts of the Pamlico’s Broadway on the Big Screen series presents “Ruthless,” 252-946-2504.

Call 252-975-2529 or visit www. hunterspointenc.com/Events.html for more information.

A Scare-Free Halloween

Oct. 31

Bath Historic Site

Oct. 22

BCCA Concert Turnage Theatre

7:30 p.m. Beaufort County Concert Association launches its season with Sons of Serendipity, www.gobcca.org.

Oct. 25

Turnage Theatre

Halloween Celebration

2 p.m. It’s a Halloween movie matinee featuring “Hocus Pocus” at Arts of the Pamlico. Call 252-946-2504 for more information.

7 p.m. Join fans of Arts of the Pamlico for the Monster Mash costume event and movie fundraiser featuring the Halloween classic “Beetlejuice.” 252-946-2504.

Turnage Theatre

64 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

5-8 p.m. Bring the family and friends to this “scare-free” Halloween celebration in North Carolina’s oldest town. 252-9233971.

Historic Ghost Walk Harding Square

8 p.m. Washington Haunts: The Historic Ghost Walk. Tickets are $15 per person.

Cash only. No reservations. Meet at Harding Square beside the Washington Visitors Center at the foot of Market Street. 252-402-8595.

Good Hands Within arm’s reach.

®

Albermarle Craftsman’s Fair

21

Ag’s Home Solutions

19

Arts of the Pamlico

21

AssureVest Insurance Group-Ryan Whitford

65

Backwater Jack’s

19

Beaufort County School

21

Beaufort Equipment Co.

8

Beth Wilder/United Country Realty

11

Big Bargain Furniture

9, 29

Bloom Women's Apparel

29

Carolina Wind Yacht Brokerage

29

Cantrell/Edward Jones

25

Carryout by Chrislyn

59

Coldwell Banker Coastal Rivers Realty

3

Century 21

43

Century 21/Alexis Davis

24

Copper Canyon

21

Cottage Junkies

29

CresCom Bank

17

Daughtridge Patio & Hearth

19

ryanwhitford@allstate.com

Dellinger's Pawn

29

252-946-3904

Diane Edwards/Coldwell Banker Coastal Rivers Realty

9

Dowry Creek Marina

51

700 West 15th Street Washington

El Charrito

58

Personalized service. Trusted advice.

Executive Personnel Group

24

Feyer Ford

2

First Bank

20

Gail Kenefick/Coldwell Banker

19

Hunter's Pointe Sporting Clays

19

Inner Banks Outfiters

11

Jones & McKinney

11

Kelly O Crisp/Edward Jones

17

King Chicken

5

Marabella Italian Restauurant

59

Mauri Evans State Farm Insurance

24

Mi Fiesta

25

Nan McLendon/The Rich Company

25

NERSBA 24 Noria Namaz/Coldwell Banker

19

Robinson Jewelers

25

Power of the Purse/United Way

43

Servpro 19 Scott’s Apothecary

65

Sloan Insurance

29

Steamers Carpet Cleaners

19

Stewart's Jewelry Store

7

The Rich Company

61

The Tavern at Jack's Neck

58

United Country Respess Real Estate

29

Vidant Medical Group

68

Washington Civic Center

49

Washington Daily News

29, 58, 59

Washington Funeral/Hillside

49

Washington Noon Rotary

17

Washington Yacht & Country Club

19

Watsi Sutton

29

Wine & Words ... & Gourmet

49

I’m proud to protect Washington and Williamston because I know Washington and Williamston. As your local Allstate agent, I know the ins and outs of all your insurance needs. Call, email, or stop by my office any time so I can provide protection for the things you love.

Ryan Whitford

252-792-8131

1121 Walmart Dr. Williamston

Subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co. © 2019 Allstate Insurance Co.

9402865

ADVERTISER INDEX

WHY I LOVE WASHINGTON

W H AT ’ S N OT TO

love?

A

WRITTEN BY ROLAND WYMAN | PHOTOGRAPH BY VAIL STEWART RUMLEY

dopt: “to take by choice into a relationship”—MerriamWebster Dictionary I chose Washington.

You might say I “adopted” this city, and Washington, in return, you adopted me. You welcomed me. You integrated me and made me more than someone who merely lives in Washington.

You made me family.

“Adopt” is a word that has deep significance to me. I learned about it at an early age when my mother began explaining to me that I was adopted.

In terms that a child could grasp, she explained that they had purposely chosen me and because of that, I was even more special to them. Their careful introduction of this concept ensured I would always feel great about how our family came to be.

During my career, I had been to eastern North Carolina many times, meeting clients and overseeing engineering projects. I was already predisposed toward moving to this region, and when my wife and I visited Washington, our decision was an easy one to make.

Soon after that, the magic began.

The folks we met were open, friendly, welcoming and happily allowed me to lend a hand wherever I thought I could help. This was truly an adoption process.

I’ve discovered much about you, Washington. You are a city that is steeped in its history and that you celebrate all the progress and boom times you’ve encountered, while taking pride in your endurance through the challenges and disappointments.

Knowing that no community is perfect, you are constantly working toward a brighter future, intent on improving it day by day. You are undaunted and optimistic. You are also realists, and you realize you must earn this better future through hard work.

I’ve lived and worked in many areas of the country and abroad, from Biddeford, Maine, to Los Angeles, Tucson, Arizona, Santa Clara, California, London, Curacao and more. So, I guess I can claim to know a thing or two about communities! In Washington, I’ve discovered a special blend of attributes that, together, produced an amazing city in which to live.

When you can say that you leave the

66 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

house every day, rubbing your hands in anticipation of the day’s activities, when you can say that you truly look forward to meeting with that group of people or organization, you know you’ve found the perfect adopted family.

No family is perfect, and families can have disagreements, but the family members’ commitment to stick with it and continue to make life better for his or her family is what makes the process rewarding.

What a privilege to have been taken in by such a community.

So, when the question is, “Why do I love Washington?” I say, “What’s not to love!” ⋇

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE • 67

Rest assured, you’re in

good hands

Expect excellence at your local hospital Being a true system of care means more than simply providing health care services. It means bringing better health and wellness directly to you, close to home. At Vidant Beaufort Hospital, we’re delivering access to specialty services like gastroenterology, oncology, orthopedics, outpatient rehabilitation and urology where you live. Because our goal isn’t just to treat disease, but to prevent it in the first place. And that improves the lives of everyone in eastern North Carolina.

Call 855-MYVIDANT (855-698-4326) for an appointment with a doctor near you.

VidantHealth.com

68 • WASHINGTON THE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019