North Beach Sun Real Estate Winter 2021

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WINTER 2021

2 | W I N T ER 2021

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R E A L E S TAT E

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Winter 2021 6

FROM THE DESK

9

BUT FIRST...

10 BUSINESS BRIEFS 12 TOWN REPORT 14 KEEPING UP WITH

THE CURRENT CurrentTV keeps locals informed

17 HOME SPOTLIGHT The One in Southern Shores

20 SET IN STONE

The history of The Elizabethan Gardens’ Virgina Dare statue

28 DESIGN SNAPSHOT The space between

30 SUN SALUTATIONS 34 FIVE FACTS

Things you didn’t know about Nags Head Woods Preserve

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ABOUT THE COVER: Louisa Lander’s marble depiction of Virginia Dare, located at The Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island. Photo by Elizabeth Neal.

ABOVE: Photos courtesy of Village Realty (left), Dave Rollins (top right) and Elizabeth Neal (lower right).

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­

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 5

F R O M T H E DE S K

staff PUBLISHERS Adam & Cathy Baldwin EDITOR Amelia Boldaji

We’re all part of a narrative that’s still being written.

WHETHER YOU APPROACH THE NEW YEAR (and the ever-growing activities surrounding it) with excitement or a bit of preemptive exhaustion, there’s something undeniably satisfying about turning the page on that particular calendar – a sense of accomplishment mixed with some vaguely defined notions of possibility and potential.

But while much is made of “newness” as we approach those last few days of December, it’s not exactly that simple. Unconsciously or not, we celebrate both the beginning and the end of a year simultaneously because all those mixed feelings don’t exist in a vacuum. We can’t move forward if we don’t choose a starting point, and we can’t mark progress without first having a point of reference to measure it by.

We talk a lot about that sort of context here at the North Beach Sun. An idea for a story is nothing without also figuring out a compelling way of telling it, after all, just as a single photograph can’t capture the whole of an experience, and bare biographical facts won’t ever adequately illustrate a life.

Much has changed in the world over the past year, and in many ways we’re all still coming to terms with that. On the Outer Banks in particular, this has included a real estate boom of epic proportions, a record-making number of seasonal visitors, and an overall growing level of interest in these barrier islands that hardly seems proportionate given our size.

So where do we go from here? The trouble with talking about hypothetical futures is that they can so easily become abstract. But only looking at hard statistical data generated by market reports won’t get you very far either. Neither a projection nor a past accounting will ever fully explain why so many people are drawn to the Outer Banks.

But consider this: In 2022, the North Beach Sun will have been in continuous publication for 35 years, the past decade of which has seen it evolve as a magazine under the direction of the Baldwins – and in that span of time there’s never been a shortage of stories to share about the diverse people and things that continuously make this narrow strip of land so special.

Because when you get right down to it, that’s the ultimate context: The shared narrative that all of us on the Outer Banks are still writing together, piece by piece – slowly shaping and reshaping a community that’s both our largest achievement and our greatest work in progress.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue!

ART DIRECTOR Dave Rollins GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Adam Baldwin Dylan Bush CONTRIBUTORS Cathy Baldwin Amelia Boldaji Steve Hanf Catherine Kozak Katrina Leuzinger Ryan Moser Elizabeth Neal Britton Ricketts SALES MANAGER Helen Furr ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Faith Turek

The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by Access Media Group. All works contained herein are the property of the North Beach Sun. The views expressed in the articles contained herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor or Access Media Group. The published material, advertisements, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. Access Media Group and North Beach Sun cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by errors, omissions or the accuracy of claims made by advertisers.

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Q U A L I T Y C O N S T R U C T I O N A N D R E N O V AT I O N S I N C E 1 9 8 9 8 | W I N T ER 2021

but first...

The visitors’ center at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills is part of a historic landmark that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, and the flight room pictured here is one of its biggest draws.

But the full-size flyer on display is actually a detailed replica of the Wright brothers’ 1903 design – though it can be easy to see how it could be confused with the original flyer, which is exhibited in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Photo by Ryan Moser.

High Flyers

DECEMBER 17, 2021, MARKS THE 118TH ANNIVERSARY of the first successful powered, controlled and sustained flight – a feat which sent Orville Wright soaring a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds. More than a century later, that moment is still remembered as a revolutionary breakthrough in aviation, and has inspired a near-endless number of technological advancements…many of which have paid tribute to that historic milestone made on the Outer Banks.

A Flyer of Many Fabrics has been considered the world’s first working airplane since its debut in Kitty Hawk, but unlike its modern-day counterparts, many of its original components were decidedly fragile – including the unbleached muslin fabric that covered the plane’s wings. This was likely why Orville Wright completely re-covered the flyer with new fabric before loaning it to the London Science Museum in 1928, and the Smithsonian subsequently re-covered it a second time in 1985.

THE 1903 WRIGHT FLYER

Although great care was taken to replace the fabric according to the exact 1903 specifications as part of a long-term preservation project at the Smithsonian, the current fabric’s pristine appearance may explain why many museum visitors think that the flyer doesn’t look old enough to be the original.

In July of 1969, the Apollo 11 crew accomplished the first human lunar landing, with Neil Armstrong becoming the first person to step foot on the Moon – which he did while carrying some muslin fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer’s left wing, and a piece of wood from the flyer’s left propeller.

On April 19, 2021, a small, robotic helicopter named Ingenuity became the first aircraft in history to execute a powered, controlled flight on another planet. After hitching a ride to Mars on NASA’s Perseverance rover, the Ingenuity made its groundbreaking mark with a small piece of fabric from one of the Wrights’ flyers taped around a cable underneath the helicopter’s solar panel.

Apollo 11 Lunar Module Wright Flyer

Perseverance Rover / Ingenuity Helicopter

Distance traveled

Distance traveled

Distance traveled

Total flight duration

Total flight duration (each way)

Total flight duration (one way)

120 feet

12 seconds

224,000 miles 4 days

300,000,000 miles 204 days

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 9

business briefs R E A L E STAT E

COMPILED BY C ATH ERI N E KOZ AK

Outer Banks Beaches Remain a Top Draw

Photo courtesy of Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Remnants of Old Bridge Now a Restored Fishing Spot To the delight of Outer Banks anglers and visitors, the Bonner Bridge Pier opened in October on the south end of Oregon Inlet for fishing opportunities 24 hours a day. The 1,046-foot fenced fishing pier was once part of the old Herbert C. Bonner Bridge that was demolished to make way for the new Marc Basnight Bridge in early 2019. For much of the 55 or so years the Bonner Bridge was in use, the two piers on its south end were popular with fishermen and women of all ages.

While no fees are required to access the new Bonner Bridge Pier, a state recreational fishing license – which can be purchased at ncwildlife.org – is required to fish there. Parking for about 70 vehicles is also available nearby.

A New Opportunity to Float Your Boat at the Seashore Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s first officially designated kayak launch opened in late August at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. A picnic table and parking for trucks, trailers and other vehicles are located nearby, and interpretive signage provides information about Oregon Inlet and kayak safety. The $17,000 project, supported by sponsors TowneBank and Ocean Atlantic Rentals, was funded in part with $10,000 from Outer Banks Forever – the nonprofit partner of the Outer Banks national parks – as well as a grant from Bass Pro Shops and numerous other private donations.

Real Estate

market snapshot The remarkable blazing-hot Outer Banks housing market amidst Covid-19 impacts has started to cool somewhat, with sales and inventory flattening a bit toward the end of last summer, according to the September 2021 Outer Banks Association of Realtors MLS Statistical Report.

10 | W I N T ER 2021

An analysis by Visit North Caroliina, the state tourism office, found that statewide tourism spending declined a whopping 31.7 % in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions. By comparison, the Outer Banks only suffered a mild downturn for the year, however, dropping just 2.2 % – even with a two-month closing of the barrier islands last spring.

“For our local tourism industry to accomplish what it did, despite the closure, statemandated capacity limits and the operational changes forced by a global pandemic is nothing short of remarkable,” said Outer Banks Visitors Bureau Executive Director Lee Nettles in an October 8 press release announcing the findings of the annual study. “It’s a tribute to the popularity of the Outer Banks and a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our local tourism partners.”

The study, entitled “Economic Impact of Travel on North Carolina Counties 2020,” reported a number of other interesting details: 11,803 tourism-related jobs were counted in Dare County, amounting to nearly one-third of its population; local visitor spending generated $123 million in state and local tax revenue, slashing an average of $3,244 off each resident’s tax bills; visitors spent a total of $1.4 billion in Dare, making the county the fourth largest vacation destination in the state; and that state tourism spending in 2020 totaled $19.96 billion. The study also reported that North Carolina is the nation’s fifth most-visited state.

Last of Iconic Kelly Eateries Sold Mako’s Beach Grille & Bar in Kill Devil Hills served its final customer this past October, making it the last of owner Mike Kelly’s three local restaurants to close. Known until recent years simply as Mako Mike’s, the restaurant was purchased in 1994 from the late Frank Gajar, Kelly’s former business partner.

In 2017, Kelly sold Kelly’s Restaurant & Tavern in Nags Head to a national grocery store chain, although the property has yet to be developed. Two years later, he agreed to sell his sound-front Nags Head restaurant, Pamlico Jack’s, to the Dare County Tourism Board. Then in early 2021, Dare County announced that it would buy Mako’s in order to expand property for the county’s emergency medical services and the town of Kill Devil Hills’ public safety facilities. Published reports estimate that the revenue from the three sales totaled $9 million.

The year-to-date number of days on the market for residential properties was one of the most notable figures in the report, dropping from 114 days in 2020 to 55 in 2021. Residential sales for September 2021 are still up a respectable 12 percent, with 2,340 units sold versus 2,092 sold in 2020. Land/lot sales topped the charts, however, shooting up 90% this year, with 746 units sold in September 2021, compared with just 392 units over the same period the year before.

Inventory has been relatively level for the past three months, the report stated, although residential

properties are still down 31%, from 723 units in 2020 to 501 units in 2021. Lot/land inventory is also down 14 % over 2020, from 664 units to 568 units.

The overall September 2021 residential median sales price is up 17% over September 2020, from $423,200 to $495,000 – though numbers in specific areas can vary. Ocracoke Island, in particular, far exceeded other Outer Banks areas with year-to-date sales, rocketing up 169% over 2020. Southern Shores also reported the biggest leap in median sale prices over September 2020, from $510,000 to $760,152 – a 49% increase.

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 11

town report R E A L E STAT E

COM PIL ED BY C ATH ERI N E KOZ A K

Currituck County The Currituck County Water Department has launched a new program to prevent contaminants from entering the drinking water system. As a proactive measure to stop backflows and cross-connections that can carry pollutants and other toxins, the county is working to enforce existing regulations and forestall problems that could harm the drinking water quality. Backflows happen when the water flow reverses because of a change in the water system, such as a break in the water main or excess pressure on a customer’s water supply, while cross-connections describe a link between potable water and potential pollutants.

Charles Sawyer has been hired as the county’s new water department backflow cross-connection operator. Sawyer is charged with inspecting facilities connected to the system, assessing potential contaminations of the water system, and ensuring that all devices are tested and maintained by certified professionals.

Duck An increase in trash pickup days throughout the town has become unpopular with some Duck residents, but it’s unlikely to change for the time being. At the October 6 town council meeting, representatives from Waste Management, Inc. explained that labor shortages and an enormous spike in the volume of trash created by Covid-19 disruptions will make it difficult to quickly return to the former pickup schedule and routing system.

Although the majority of the 357 residents who responded to a town survey agreed to a trial change that split the town into southern and northern routes and doubled trash pickup days to four times a week, many residents have 12 | W I N T ER 2021

since complained about increased traffic backups and noise. Council members agreed to continue discussions with Waste Management and the community in an effort to resolve this issue.

Southern Shores With a labor shortage that has made it difficult to fill a police officer position, the Southern Shores Town Council agreed during its October 5 meeting to increase the officer salary range in order to attract more candidates in a highly competitive job market. At the suggestion of Town Manager Cliff Ogburn, the council agreed to create a separate pay scale for the police department that will allow it to adjust to market forces. The town’s previous advertisement for a police officer position offered a salary range of $44,354 to $66,531. As of November 1, the annual starting salary for that position will range from $47,354 to $71,031.

Kitty Hawk A conceptual building for town police, emergency management services (EMS) and fire services that meets the expectations and needs expressed by Kitty Hawk town officials would cost close to $10 million, nearly twice the $5.5 million budgeted, according to a presentation given at a town council meeting on September 7.

David Woodward, with Baltimore-based architectural design firm, Manns Woodward Studios, told the council that for the project to meet that budget, either the size of the building or a portion of each service space would need to be reduced substantially.

Another option would be to eliminate the fire or EMS services. The council thanked Woodward for his suggestions, and has not taken further actions on the matter as of press time.

What’s happening in your town?

Here’s a report from all over the Outer Banks.

Kill Devil Hills Major drainage and road upgrades on west Third Street between the U.S.158 Bypass and Bay Drive started this past fall, after the Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners approved a $2,639,375 contract in September with FCS II, LLC for water line, drainage and right-of-way improvements.

With additional fees for sideway construction and engineering, the total cost for the .67-mile-long project is $2,944,415. The project is expected to be completed by May 2022.

Nags Head On September 1, the Nags Head Board of Commissioners promoted Andy Garman to the post of town manager. Garman, who has served as the town’s deputy town manager since 2019, previously served as Nags Head’s town planner, and later, as director of community development in Duck. He returned to Nags Head in 2014 in the dual role of deputy town manager and director of planning and development.

In other news, Nags Head oceanfront property owners are invited to apply to participate in the 2021-2022 dune vegetation cost-share program that started in October 2021. Grantees are eligible for reimbursement of up to $500 in order to plant approved native dune plants, with additional funds provided for properties wider than 100 linear feet or those working in conjunction with at least one adjacent property. Any interested oceanfront property owners of single-family homes, residential condominiums, cottage courts or motel/ hotels are eligible to apply, and funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Manteo In an October 19 press release, the town of Manteo announced that Town Manager James Ayers is stepping down from his position. Hired in January 2019, Ayers succeeded former manager Kermit Skinner, who retired after more than 30 years.

Ayers had previously served in various municipal administrative positions in South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina. The town board said it will announce its options for filling the position in the near future.

Dare County More options for two popular activities in Dare County – camping and eating – may be on the horizon, with the October 2021 approval for the construction of a proposed campground in Skyco, and the go-ahead to expand the number of food trucks allowed in unincorporated areas.

Following an earlier recommendation from the county planning board, the Dare County Board of Commissioners voted in favor of a zoning amendment that will allow businesses to locate as many as five mobile food trucks on their property.

In 2018, the zoning ordinance was amended to allow one food truck on properties in unincorporated areas of Dare, which encompasses Hatteras Island, Colington Island and Roanoke Island, except for the town of Manteo and mainland communities. In a separate meeting, the county planning board recommended a proposed 120-unit campground in Skyco, which would be located on 415 acres off N.C. 345 and will include space for travel trailers, tents and cabins.

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 13

C O M M U N IT Y

Current Keeping Up with the

Y

ou might not think you’ve ever heard of CurrentTV, much less watched it – but that may not exactly be true.

Even if you don’t subscribe to cable and stay glued to the television screen, chances are you’ve seen some CurrentTV content. All those adorable Outer Banks SPCA Pet of the Week videos that tend to circulate online?

CurrentTV did those. And the Covid-19 video updates with Dare County Department of Health and Human Services Director Dr. Sheila Davies that we relied on for the latest information all those months? Ditto – all CurrentTV productions.

Granted, you might have missed a few other captivating pieces the CurrentTV folks produced, but they’re working to change that. With any luck, their slogan of “Know Dare” will grow into the equally important, but slightly less catchy adage of “know that Dare County offers this informative news source.”

“I think we have some work to do with the branding and the name recognition, but I also believe that the work that’s being done is shared frequently and helps many, many people,” says Dare County Public Information Officer Dorothy Hester. “The main thing is seizing the opportunities that exist, because video is an essential part of communications now.”

CurrentTV has replaced the old GovEd Television that was developed to broadcast government meetings. It now consists of two separate CurrentTV channels – one focusing on education and the other on government – in a partnership with the towns of Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head and Manteo, plus the Dare County government, Dare County Schools, the Coastal Studies Institute (CSI) and The College of the Albemarle.

The CurrentTV government channel (191 via Charter Cable) broadcasts town meetings as well as video segments on a variety of local happenings, while its education 14 | W I N T ER 2021

channel (198) features school highlights and specials such as the CSI lecture series, Science on the Sound.

And no, you won’t find the next Wayne’s World on CurrentTV. There’s a difference between government access and public access.

“It seems to come up every once in a while…some communities have a public access channel where any group out there can submit something,” Dorothy explains. “[With CurrentTV] everything we program has to be tied to one of the entities that’s a participating member, so it truly has to be something that involves one of the towns or the county or the schools.”

That’s because CurrentTV is funded with money the state government collects as part of those fees in your television bill – and all of Dare’s participating group members have a stake in both the funding and the programming.

“CurrentTV allows us to provide local, unfiltered information directly to the public,” says the town of Nags Head’s Public Information Officer Roberta Thuman, who’s been involved with her town’s programing for a number of years. “All of Dare’s municipalities, the county and the school system work together…and I think we have some of the best programming in the state. We have a lot to work with, after all – a close-knit, caring community and a picturesque environment provides for really interesting communityoriented shows.”

The numbers seem to bear that out. Even as more and more folks “cut the cord” and drop cable, CurrentTV’s reach is actually expanding.

Much of that is likely due to its flexibility. The CurrentTV.org website lets visitors watch videos in real time or on demand. Popular segments like the SPCA Pet of the Week, beach safety public service announcements (PSAs) and a variety of historical features are readily available with the click of a mouse. So, too, are specials on everything

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Dare County’s CurrentTV brings information to life

By Steve Hanf

from local gardening tips to news about the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum and National Park Service events.

Video producer Charlie Burroughs has worked at CurrentTV about a year now and loves the variety of content he gets to shoot alongside other local contract videographers like Benny Baldwin.

“Our ‘Destination Dare’ segments are always popular. That’s when all the towns produce a bi-monthly video, and it gets combined into one “CurrentTV allows 30-minute segment,” Charlie says. “It’s a great us to provide update as far as what’s going on in the towns – local, unfiltered and we’re always trying to produce interesting information directly stuff.” to the public.”

Going forward, Dorothy hopes to expand -Roberta Thuman, on CurrentTV’s mission to give everyone the Public Information chance to get to know Dare better. To that end, Officer, Town of they’re purchasing equipment that will enable Nags Head livestreams from the field – enhancing coverage of festivals or special events like the opening of the new Bonner Bridge Pier, for instance – to better share what’s happening in each town and throughout Dare County. From feel-good stories to more serious PSAs like “Love the Beach/Respect the Ocean,” CurrentTV strives to be a reliable source for news – at a time when keeping our community connected is more important than ever.

“We strive to tell stories and provide information in a way that’s effective,” Dorothy says, “but also in a way that people can relate to.”

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HOME SPOTLIGHT

The One rises slightly above a grove of live oaks in Southern Shores.

Finding The One A concrete and timber retreat that feels right at home in Southern Shores STORY BY AMELIA BOLDAJI

W

orld War II had just ended when Frank Stick – a celebrated artist, author, conservationist and developer – purchased about 2,800 acres of land slightly north of Kitty Hawk. It was a reported $30,000 investment of a lifetime (equaling approximately $430,000 today), but Stick had ambitious plans to create a tranquil ocean-to-sound community there – an area which he dubbed Southern Shores.

Seventy-five years later, Southern Shores still owes a great deal of debt to its founding father in many ways, including his popularization of the town’s signature flat top houses in the late 1940s – a design concept that remains deeply ingrained in local architecture, and continues to thrive in various forms to this day.

The One in Southern Shores is a perfect example of that legacy.

Built by Raleigh-based architect Nathaniel Meiggs along with his wife, Sarah, The One is a four-bedroom home with a distinctive rectangular shape that blends well with its surrounding sea of ancient live oaks – a type of structural harmony with nature that would’ve made Stick proud.

“The Outer Banks is a very special place,” Nathaniel says. “We wanted to celebrate its architectural history and carry on that legacy of thoughtful design.”

The One’s flat roof is an obvious nod to Stick, but other, less apparently inspired features include the house’s use of concrete and its spacious floor plan that highlights exposed juniper beams and cypress paneling. And the Meiggs N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 17

18 | W I N T ER 2021

An abundance of windows, natural wood and concrete create a polished look in spaces that were meant for entertaining, such as the toplevel kitchen and the bottomlevel lounge area (opposite page). The One blends classic local architectural styles with a modern sensibility in the second-floor dining and living areas, as well as its tastefully decorated bedrooms (pictured here, top to bottom). Photos courtesy of Village Realty.

didn’t restrict themselves to drawing from flat tops either – Nathaniel had long admired the old cedar-shake Nags Head cottages as well (the couple were even married in one in 2014), and that led them to embrace the warm glow of wood paneling and covered exterior spaces positioned to best take in the breeze off the Atlantic.

“We also borrowed the notion that materials left in their natural state can be allowed to age gracefully,” Nathaniel explains. “It looks great right now with its natural tans and beige tones, but eventually our cypress siding will patina into a soft grey – and letting materials be “It looks great right what they are is something I strive for.” now with its natural On a personal note, The One has also tans and beige tones, allowed the Meiggs to realize their life-long but eventually our dream of having a home on the Outer Banks.

Nathaniel grew up on a potato farm in Camden, cypress siding will North Carolina, and spent the tail end of every patina into a soft summer vacationing on the Outer Banks with grey – and letting his family (a tradition they still keep to this day). During his years at North Carolina State materials be what University (where he went on to earn a Master they are is something of Architecture degree), Nathaniel continued I strive for.” to divide his time between Raleigh and the Outer Banks – spending his summers living on -Nathaniel Meiggs, the east side of Helga Street in Kill Devil Hills while making his spending money waiting tables Architect at Kelly’s Restaurant, and, eventually, meeting his wife, Sarah.

“Having a home on the Outer Banks has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, but it’s hard to say that this was planned – [it was more that] we really fell in love with the lot and its magic,” Nathaniel says thoughtfully. “Before we started building, I spent a night out here to study how and where the sun came up, and what the wind was doing – we really wanted to take our time and make sure we built something that celebrated the site as much as anything.”

“We stumbled into the house’s name much as we stumbled onto the lot,” Sarah adds, while pointing out that house – rather fittingly – holds the first address spot on their street. “A single visit was all it took for us to realize we’d found ‘the one.’”

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 19

L O OK B AC K

SET IN

STONE A 19th-century sculptress created a marble statue of Virginia Dare that defied historical records – and took more than a century to find its place on Roanoke Island.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BRITTON RICKETTS STORY BY AMELIA BOLDAJI

V

irginia Dare is remembered as the first English child born on New World soil, and a marble statue bearing her name in a quiet corner of Roanoke Island’s Elizabethan Gardens does nothing to dispel that account. But the oft-told story of Virginia most commonly begins and ends with her birth – shortly thereafter she vanished along with the Roanoke Island colony of 1587, fatefully immortalized by virtue of her infancy.

The statue in the gardens is not that Virginia Dare.

Wearing an expression of both confidence and calm, this Dare is a full-grown woman. With arms lightly crossed and a bent knee, she’s simply adorned by a few strands of beads and a slight covering of fishnet that drapes just above the bowed neck of a heron.

This Virginia is self-possessed with only the slightest suggestion of mystery. She’s also a radical reimagining of the stories that have long defined her history – a bold creation that was made possible by the imagination of a young woman with virtually no prior connection to Dare, the colonies, or even the island that this statue now calls home. continued on page 22

2 0 | W I N T ER 2021

Louisa Landers’ Virginia Dare sculpture in its permanent home amongst the oaks at The Elizabethan Gardens. Photo by Elizabeth Neal.

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MARIA LOUISA LANDER – KNOWN BY MOST SIMPLY

– was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1826. One of eight children in a well-to-do family, Louisa demonstrated an early interest in anatomy when she began sculpting figures out of stone and wood with a penknife, and her family happily supported her artistic ambitions from the start.

The Landers were not unaccustomed to weathering accusations of unladylike behavior, after all. Only 20 years prior to Louisa’s birth, her grandmother, Elizabeth Derby West, notoriously paraded a series of prostitutes through the Salem courts in order to publicly prove her husband’s infidelity – making her one of the first American women to retain her family fortune in a divorce suit.

Equipped with both the means and her open-minded family’s full blessing, Louisa had every reason for optimism when she sailed to Rome at the age of 29 to study under renowned sculptor, Thomas Crawford – who famously crafted the Statue of Freedom on the United States Capitol building. Under his tutelage, Louisa’s talent flourished until he passed away suddenly only two years later.

Faced with finding another teacher, Louisa decided instead to bet on her own abilities – and pursue an independent living by opening her own studio.

AS LOUISA

WHILE LOUISA WAS AHEAD OF THE CURVE IN MANY

she wasn’t the only sculptor attempting to establish a career in Rome at the time. A sizeable community of expatriate artists was already thriving there well before she arrived, including a number of professional female sculptors who valued Italy’s welcoming attitude toward the arts.

This was an era when local guidebooks commonly listed artist studios for wealthy visitors who wanted to return home with an original piece of artwork to demonstrate their good taste – a social convention that was still popular when novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne and his family arrived there in 1858.

Louisa quickly met and befriended the Hawthornes – especially Salem-born Nathaniel, who was reportedly taken by her talent and independence, leading him to commission her with a bust of himself, and, according to rumors, later base a character on her in his 1860 novel, The Marble Faun.

He also recorded his admiration of Louisa in his diaries – including the fact that he thought one of her recent works in particular was very beautiful. The piece he chose to single out was an intriguing marble statue of a then little-known woman called Virginia Dare.

WAYS,

AS ACCEPTED AS FEMALE SCULPTORS WERE IN ITALY

the broader truth is that history hasn’t always been kind to women’s work – and for all her class and educational privileges, Louisa wasn’t excepted from that inequity.

As a result, much of what we know about Louisa today is taken from a variety of outside accounts – the whereabouts of most of her artwork is still unknown, and the bulk of her firsthand writing and other correspondence has been lost.

Given these limitations, a few key events seem to hold up. At some point during Louisa’s travels abroad, she visited the British Museum in London, where she came across the 16th-century watercolors of John White – the English artist and explorer who drew the native people, plants and animals he encountered during an early expedition to Roanoke Island in 1585.

White was also appointed governor of the ill-fated English settlement attempt on Roanoke Island in 1587 – during which his daughter, Eleanor, gave birth to Virginia Dare. About a week after his granddaughter was born, White sailed to England for supplies, not knowing that a war with Spain would delay his return for three

DURING THE 1850S,

One of eight children in a well-to-do family, Louisa demonstrated an early interest in anatomy when she began sculpting figures out of stone and wood with a penknife.

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long years – at which time he found the settlement abandoned, sparking the legend of a lost colony that would endure for centuries.

The story was immediately compelling to Louisa, who had long been drawn to the subject of strong female characters faced with adversity. Even though Virginia Dare was barely more than a footnote to White’s narrative, Louisa was inspired to imagine Dare as a mature female protagonist who had chosen to embrace a Native American upbringing in the southern wilderness.

It was a fresh, new reinvention of Dare that would go on to captivate Hawthorne and countless others over the next few decades.

THE LIFE LOUISA HAD CARVED OUT FOR HERSELF IN ITALY was soon brought to an abrupt end, however. The summer after she met the Hawthornes, Louisa briefly left Rome and returned to find that rumors had begun circulating about her supposed impropriety with an unidentified man – and perhaps even more damning – the suggestion that she had posed in the nude for other artists.

That there was no evidence to substantiate these claims was beside the point. Nathaniel was one of the first to sever all contact with her via a curt note, and despite her attempts to rise above the vicious gossip, her reputation was damaged beyond repair. The rumors persisted, and valuable commissions dwindled until Louisa made the difficult decision to return to Salem in 1860.

This meant that her unsold sculpture of Virginia Dare was also poised to Louisa was inspired undertake its first (of many) journeys – to imagine Dare as but like its creator, luck was not on its a mature female side. En route to Massachusetts, the ship protagonist who had carrying the statue promptly sank. chosen to embrace Sources say Dare’s statue spent about two years underwater off the a Native American coast of Spain before Louisa paid to upbringing in the have it recovered and sold to a collector southern wilderness. in New York City. This, too, didn’t last – before the sale could be finalized, a deadly fire broke out in the collector’s studio, and the sculpture was one of the only things that escaped unharmed. When the collector’s heirs subsequently refused to honor the sale, Virginia was reunited with Louisa in Salem.

There was just one problem: Civil War was now raging across the nation.

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR USHERED IN A PERIOD OF TURBULENCE,

but Louisa staged at least a couple of successful exhibits in Boston over the next few years – including a popular one featuring the Virginia Dare statue as a fundraising event to benefit the Union soldiers.

In preparation for that exhibit, Louisa composed a four-page pamphlet that included a list of her recent sculptures, a short history of the 1587 colony on Roanoke Island, and a two-page essay in which Louisa declared Dare “The National Statue,” elevating Virginia as a patriotic symbol of a young woman living freely on American land.

By all accounts, critics unanimously praised Louisa’s talent during this period of her career, but for unknown reasons, no major works were attributed to her after the Civil War ended in 1865.

From a historical point of view, the trail of her life then went cold for almost three decades, until Louisa relocated in 1893 to Washington, D.C. – a city she called home, with Dare’s statue as a companion, until shortly before her death at the age of 98.

WHILE LITTLE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ABOUT LOUISA’S LATER

we do know that she almost sold the Virginia Dare sculpture at least one other time at the behest of a North Carolina woman named Sallie Southall Cotton.

In the early 1880s preparations were well underway for the much-anticipated Chicago World’s Fair of 1883, and Sallie had been tasked with forming an exhibit to represent the state of North Carolina. Though it was her first foray in public service, she quickly proved herself an able organizer – and her interest was YEARS,

2 4 | W I N T ER 2021

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piqued by the snippets of stories she heard about Virginia Dare during her promotional travels in the eastern part of the state.

Armed with the idea that North Carolina could be crowned the “Mother of the Colonies” through its link with Dare, Sallie approached Louisa about purchasing the statue for the fair – but due to the state’s meager budget, Louisa wasn’t ready to part with it quite yet. The two women reportedly struck up a friendship anyway, and Sallie ultimately convinced Louisa to will the sculpture to North Carolina.

Almost 30 years later – thanks to Sallie’s efforts – Louisa’s statue arrived in the state where its subject was born.

THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE VIRGINIA DARE SCULPTURE

was unquestionably its least celebrated one. A few years after Louisa’s death in 1923, the statue made its way to Raleigh where it was briefly displayed in the state’s Hall of History. Vocal objections to the topless figure soon arose, however, and Dare was unceremoniously relegated to the dusty basement of the old Supreme Court building.

The statue languished in storage for about another decade (though some say pranksters occasionally dressed it up with lipstick) until Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green conceived of a new dramatic form – the symphonic drama – to depict the circumstances surrounding the 1587 English settlement attempt. The play was called The Lost Colony and it opened on Roanoke Island with great fanfare during the summer of 1937 – almost When the statue arrived exactly 400 years after the at [Waterside Theatre], events it depicted took its display was deemed place. inappropriate because Government initiatives no evidence existed to created to kickstart the suggest that Dare had economy during the Great Depression helped fund survived childhood. the venture, including the construction of an open-air venue called Waterside Theatre. Unofficial sources claim that someone in Raleigh took this as an opportunity to be rid of the Dare sculpture – but when the statue arrived at the theatre, its display was deemed inappropriate because no evidence existed to suggest that Dare had survived childhood.

Yet another important world event was on the horizon as well, and the now-controversial statue reportedly remained in its packing crate – fate undecided – for the duration of World War II. IN ONE LAST TWIST, THE STATUE OF VIRGINIA DARE

eventually wound up in Paul Green’s possession after WWII – though it wasn’t long before a small group of women attending a performance of The Lost Colony in 1950 broached the idea of establishing an Englishinspired garden as a permanent memorial to those early colonists. The Garden Club of North Carolina enthusiastically adopted the project, and by the time The Elizabethan Gardens formally opened a decade later (on the 373rd anniversary of Virginia Dare’s birth, no less), the playwright had added Dare to the gardens’ priceless collection of donated statuary.

At long last, Louisa’s Dare concluded its final chapter with a satisfying coda. A little more than a century after its creation, the marble figure that traveled between continents, surviving the elements, several wars and a number of other trials, had – like any good mythical character – found the one place it truly belonged.

In the hush of the gardens and the shade of an ancient live oak, Virginia Dare had finally come home.

2 6 | W I N T ER 2021

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 27

DE S I G N S NA P S H O T

4 2

3

Compiled by Amelia Boldaji • Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Neal 2 8 | W I N T ER 2021

The Space Between PUTTING TOGETHER THE VARIOUS PIECES

OF A PROJECT ISN’T ALWAYS EASY – but builders Matt and Rachel Neal of Neal Contracting in Kitty Hawk have a way of making it seem effortless. In their line of work, a room’s final effect often comes down to the smallest details, blending factors such as light, space and texture to create a look that’s both perfectly modern and unmistakably timeless.

1

Cyprus Slat Wall

Matt had a concept like this in mind for years, so when the owners of this oceanside home in Southern Shores gave him the green light to construct a slat wall room divider to set off the main living area, he went for it – and structured many of the room’s other design features around it. “The wall adds a vertical element,” Matt explains. “And I love how it makes you want to run your hands across it.”

2

Entertainment Center

Another one of the room’s main highlights from the start was a sizeable entertainment center positioned directly opposite the slatted dividing wall. Custom crafted by Cozy Kitchens in Kitty Hawk, the entertainment center was designed with enough space to house everything from audio/visual equipment to a selection of books – all with a wall mount to give it a floating, ethereal feel despite its large dimensions.

1

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White Oak Flooring

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Triple Window Set

Although juniper may be more traditionally used in local beach construction, the Neals tend to favor white oak, which is also indigenous to this area. With its distinctive grain, the lightly toned wood adds an organic texture to the room that’s long-lasting and versatile enough to complement a mix of other woods – while also providing a subtle match with the entertainment center’s bare white oak features.

Placing a set of windows as close together as possible allowed the Neals to open up the space and highlight its spectacular views – particularly since an identical set of windows mirrors them on the other side of the room.

Paired with the 360-degree pattern of windows directly above, the room is bathed in natural light more often than not. “And you never have a gloomy day,” Rachel adds cheerfully.

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 2 9

R E A L E STAT E

sun salutations Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Beach Realty & Construction

VanderMyde Group Named Top Performing Team of the Third Quarter

Beach Realty Recognizes Top Agents

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is pleased to announce that the VanderMyde Group is the firm’s top producing team for the third quarter. Heather VanderMyde, along with team members Kiirsten Farr, Will Gregg, Kasey Rabar and Trish Berruet rank number one in the firm in sales volume and units sold for both the quarter and the year. “I would highly recommend Heather and her team to anyone listing or purchasing property on the OBX. Great team, kept me up-to-date via voice, email and text.

Did an awesome job staging the property for picture and videos,” said a recent five-star review. Team leader Heather VanderMyde can be reached at (252) 202-2375 or hvandermyde@gmail.com.

Beach Realty & Construction is pleased to announce the top three producing sales agents year-to-date: Ilona Matteson (Duck office), Joanne Kepler (Corolla office) and Jackson Dixon (Kitty Hawk office). All three agents are veteran top producers and have long affiliations with Beach Realty. Ilona Matteson joined Beach Realty as a sales manager in 2002 and eventually went into sales fulltime. Joanne Kepler came to the Beach Realty team in 2005, and Jackson Dixon joined the team in 2010.

Beach Realty & Construction is a full-service real estate company offering real estate sales, vacation rentals and new construction and remodeling. For more information, contact salesteam@beachrealtync.com.

Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales Names Edith Rowe and Catherine Strachan Top Two Sales Agents, Year-to-Date Edith Rowe has won the Top Sales Agent Award for the past four years. This award is based on closed sales volume. She holds a broker’s license and has been in sales on the Outer Banks since 2000. In addition to a thorough knowledge of real estate and construction, Edith brings to the table a degree of local sales acumen and familiarity with the area found in few agents. Contact Edith at (252) 202-6165, toll-free at (877) 642-3224 or at edithroweobx@ gmail.com.

Catherine Strachan has worked on both the listing and selling side of several foreclosures and short-sale transactions, a valuable skill in today’s volatile market.

She is a designated Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource Specialist, as well as a Resort and Second-Home Property Specialist, who also specializes in the vacation home market. Contact Catherine at (252) 489-9540, toll-free at (877) 642-3224 or by email at obxproperty@gmail.com.

Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales Welcomes Pamela Howard to the Sales Team Pamela Howard grew up on the historical Inner Banks plantation estate of her late-great-uncle Wolfman Jack, and spent summers on the Outer Banks. She specializes in representing buyers and sellers in real estate and investment properties on the Outer Banks and the Inner Banks of North Carolina. She also recently appeared on HGTV’s show How Close Can I Beach, in the episode “Sandcastle Dreams in Duck.” Pamela can be reached at (252) 331-3303 or at pamela.obxbroker@gmail.com.

3 0 | W I N T ER 2021

Lisa Walters Named Top Producing Agent of the Third Quarter Lisa Walter is the firm’s 2021 third quarter top producing agent. This honor is based on total sales volume for the July 1 through September 30 timeframe. “Lisa is professional, very knowledgeable and understands the dynamics of the Outer Banks market,” said a recent five-star review. Lisa can be reached at (252) 489-1980 or lisa@sandmanteamobx.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Welcomes New Agent Kirsten Shackelford Kirsten Shackelford has joined Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at the Kitty Hawk location. Kirsten grew up in a real estate family and has a degree in software development, experience as a civil paralegal and a passion for efficiency. Kirsten can be reached at (252) 945-3997 or kirsten@cbseaside.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Welcomes Diane Kirkpatrick to the Kitty Hawk Location Diane Kirkpatrick recently joined the Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty sales team. Diane and her family relocated from the Chicago area two years ago, where she sold real estate with Re/Max Advantage Realty for close to 30 years. Diane can be reached at (224) 754-9329 or dianekirkpatrick@cbseaside.com.

Ashley King Joins Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty and the Burrus King Team Ashley King has joined Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty at the Kitty Hawk location. Ashley and her mother, Renee Burrus, have joined forces as the Burrus King Team.

Although both are based on Hatteras Island, they service clients all over the Outer Banks. Ashley can be reached at (252) 216-6325 or ashleyking@cbseaside.com.

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 31

sun salutations Twiddy Premier Sales Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates Shelley O’Grady Elected to OBAR Board of Directors Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates would like to congratulate Shelley O’Grady for being elected to the Outer Banks Association of Realtors’ (OBAR) Board of Directors.

Shelley is excited for this opportunity to serve as one of six directors-at-large working with the OBAR Board of Directors.

Southern Shores Realty Southern Shores Realty Adds Two New Agents: Rachel Neal and Rick Owens Rachel Neal is Southern Shores Realty’s newest agent.

Rachel has been in the real estate and construction business for the past 15 years. After graduating from James Madison University in Virginia, she obtained her real estate license while simultaneously starting a construction company with her husband.

She provides a unique perspective when guiding clients to buy or sell by evaluating current and future value, envisioning potential improvements and negotiating repairs. Rachel can be reached at (252) 599-6200 or rachellneal@gmail.com.

Rick Owens joined Southern Shores Realty in August. Rick made his way to the Outer Banks after living in the northeast and then in central Virginia the past 20 years. Prior to entering real estate, Rick gained over 30 years of financial experience in retirement savings and several years in mortgage lending. Rick has excellent customer service skills and a strong work ethic. Rick can be reached at (804) 852-7935 or at rick4obx@gmail.com.

Twiddy Premier Sales recognizes Janice Scarborough for her many years of service with the Outer Banks Association of Realtors. The company wishes to thank her for her willingness to help the realtor community. Janice is a thoughtful and dedicated agent who graciously helps others achieve their real estate goals. Call Janice at (252) 722-2410 or email jscarborough@twiddy.com.

Congratulations to Jason Summerton on his continued success and consistently ranked position as the number one sales agent in the 4x4 area of Corolla. Since 2006, Jason has been a leader in 4x4 sales, and his expertise makes him a fantastic resource for buying or selling in the most unique area on the Outer Banks. Contact Jason at (252) 202-0105 or jasonsummerton@twiddy.com.

Village Realty Village Realty Announces Top Three Agents of 2021 Caroline Basnight has been named the top-selling agent for Village Realty in 2021. As a mother of three, local restaurateur and one of the hardest working agents on the beach, Caroline hits the floor running every morning. As her many clients will attest, Caroline is diligent, responsible and very knowledgeable.

Willey Real Estate Group Earns Agent of the Month for the Third Consecutive Month

Cathy Turner is Village Realty’s second top-selling agent for 2021. Cathy has been selling Outer Banks real estate for 34 years – it would be tough to find an agent with more experience in purchasing, remodeling and owning rental homes. Cathy is well-respected within the community, not just for her real estate knowledge, but also for her volunteer spirit and charitable giving.

Sun Realty enthusiastically congratulates Hugh and Gerri Willey of the Willey Real Estate Group on earning Agent of the Month for the third consecutive month (July, August and September). This husband-and-wife team provides stress-free transactions and an excellent customer experience for all their clients. The Willey Real Estate Group can be reached at (252) 489-8491.

They’re the “full-time, overtime, anytime OBX realtor!”

Eddie Goodrich is Village Realty’s third top-selling agent for 2021. Eddie has been involved in real estate brokerage and land development on the Outer Banks since 1983. Eddie was, in part, instrumental in bringing the Outer Banks Hospital and Spring Arbor Assisted Living Facility to the Outer Banks. Eddie has also been a managing partner in numerous developments throughout the Outer Banks.

Sun Realty

32 | W I N T ER 2021

The OBX Legacy Home Sales Team have had a banner year. The team is comprised of top-producing agents Hunter Davis, Martha Springer and Kaleigh DiPietro.

They are a powerhouse trio with more than $50 Million in year-to-date sales. For all of your real estate needs, call Hunter Davis at (704) 936-6456 or email hdavis@twiddy.com.

Let me help you accomplish the greatest return possible when you sell your Outer Banks property.

Buying or selling an Outer Banks home doesn't have to be difficult.

Edith combines technology, a high degree of local sales knowledge, and familiarity with the area found in few agents. Heavily invested in the Outer Banks of North Carolina herself as an owner of both investment and primary residences, you will find Edith's knowledge an invaluable asset in your own Outer Banks home experience.

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 3 3

F I V E FACT S

Nags Head Woods PRESERVE

1

Call of the Wild

Nags Head Woods is the best remaining deciduous maritime forest in the world – an extremely rare scientific designation which basically means that a lot of things that wouldn’t normally grow and live together, do. There aren’t many places where you can watch beech tree leaves fall while enjoying the smell of magnolia blossoms, after all, and an impressive number of furry, finned and feathered animals love it, too.

The woods are home to more than 550 plant species, about 50 types of amphibians and reptiles, roughly 20 different mammals, and at least seven species of freshwater fish. It’s also considered a significant stop-over for migratory birds, hosting upwards of 150 bird species each year – about 50 of which nest there.

2

Blast from the Past

r Youo Log

The woods haven’t always been populated only by flora and fauna, however. Long before oceanfront property became a hot commodity in Nags Head, a community of around 40 families resided among the trees along the sound – complete with their own schoolhouse, churches, a gristmill and a shingle factory. The community thrived there well into the 1930s, and when the tourism industry started growing, many of the houses and other properties were propped up on logs and literally rolled over to the east side of the island. A few of those buildings still stand on the beach road to this day, including the Outer Banks Beachcomber Museum, which was once Miss Mattie Midgett’s General Store.

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Preserving to Conserve

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Despite – or perhaps, because of – the woods’ natural beauty, there was at least one other major attempt to turn it into prime real estate. In the late 1970s, developers reportedly created a man-made pond on site, and plans were underway to construct a spec house – until debris from the pond was dumped on a colony of rare orchids, invoking the ire of the Dunes of Dare Garden Club. In addition to cleaning up the site, the gardeners lobbied for Nags Head Woods to be declared an area of environmental concern under the Coastal Area Management Act. The woods were designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974, and its roughly 1,200 acres is now managed by The Nature Conservancy.

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BY KATRINA MAE LEUZINGER

the Outer Banks’ stunning beaches are rivaled only by its woodlands – particularly in the sound-side Nags Head Woods Preserve. With a variety of trails beloved by everyone from casual dog walkers to dedicated marathon runners, the preserve has long been an important part of the local community (even dating as far back as the early 1800s!), but some of its biggest claims to fame include its diversity of plant and animal life – and an odd folklore or two.

AS FAR AS SCENIC DESTINATIONS GO,

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Too Cool for School

Although spring break is more typically associated with sun, sand and the sounds of boisterous parties, a large (and growing) number of students at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, have committed themselves to spending an “alternative” spring break in Nags Head Woods. For the past 12 years, groups of students have traveled nearly 400 miles from the western side of the state to volunteer their time doing a variety of trail maintenance while learning about conservation and how coastal development can impact the forest. Often joined by students from other colleges and the Coastal Studies Institute in Wanchese, Nags Head Woods frequently inspires around 500 hours of volunteer service every year.

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Legend Has It

In certain circles, no story about Nags Head Woods is complete without mentioning Goatman – the area’s most famous rumored resident. While urban legends about Goatman aren’t unique to the Outer Banks (similar tales have popped up everywhere from Texas to Wisconsin), our homegrown iteration was likely popularized in the 1980s, and accounts tend to vary slightly. Some say he’s a real man who wears a goat head like a mask, while others insist that he’s truly half-man, half-goat, invoking any number of much older mythological figures. The only constant in local accounts is that Goatman haunts a yellow shack located in Nags Head Woods – and that once a trespasser sees the cabin lights flicker on, it’s already too late.

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