North Beach Sun Fall 2022

FAL L 2022 vol. 141

Tight Lines

Looking back on nearly 70 years of great catches at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center

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Find Your Way to Corolla, NC The Currituck Beach Lighthouse A beacon helping guide travelers for well over a century, the Currituck Beach Light towers over the Outer Banks landscape. For a small fee, visitors can climb the winding staircase for a wide-open view of both the Currituck Sound and the ocean.

Whalehead in Historic Corolla In the heart of Historic Corolla Park, you will find the Whalehead Museum, a restored 1920s era Art Nouveau architectural masterpiece with a storied history.

Whalehead is host to several seasonal events, and tours are offered Monday through Friday.

OBX Center for Wildlife Education The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education houses exhibits on both natural and wildlife history, including a million-dollar decoy collection and a theater for viewing an educational film, and offers free educational programs on the Currituck Sound.

The Currituck Maritime Museum Located across the park from Whalehead, the new Currituck Maritime Museum tells the integral story of the history of wooden boats and their craftsmen through interactive exhibits and artifacts. The museum is open Monday through Friday.

With autumn upon us, many families are planning to find their way here now that the busy season has ended. It is nice to know that remote beaches, the legendary Corolla Wild Horses, and historic sites like the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, Whalehead and the new Currituck Maritime Museum await you and yours in Corolla, NC.

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FROM THE DESK

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BUT FIRST...

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FALL EVENTS CALENDAR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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DON’T BE SCARED Horror apparel is a hit for local duo

COMMUNITY

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VOICES OF THE PAST A new project highlights African American history

CREATING HARMONY Cabinetmaker Jacob Dehus

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FOUR IF BY SEA Working multiple OBX jobs

OFF THE PAGE Sears catalog homes on the Outer Banks

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OUTER BANKS VISIONARY Remembering the legacy of Diane Baum St. Clair

DESIGN SNAPSHOT The new neutral

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SUN SALUTATIONS

REAL ESTATE

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NATURE

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ON THE TRAIL Crossing North Carolina by foot THE FOREST FOR THE TREES Learning from the iconic bald cypress tree ON PATROL The tools of a N.E.S.T. volunteer

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TOWN REPORT

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

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FIVE FACTS Oregon Inlet Fishing Center

FOOD & BEVERAGE

SMALL BUT MIGHTY Shrimp prepared three ways THE LOCAL LIFE

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CAPTAIN MARTY BRILL Radio personality & commercial fisheries port agent

ABOUT THE COVER: The Oregon Inlet Fishing Center has been a dream destination for anglers from all over since the 1950s (photo by Aycock Brown, courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center).

ABOVE: Photos courtesy of Cory Godwin (top left), Elizabeth Neal (top right), Ryan Moser (lower right), and the Outer Banks History Center (lower left).

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F R O M T H E DE S K

staff staff PUBLISHERS Adam & Cathy Baldwin PUBLISHERS Adam &EDITOR Cathy Baldwin Amelia Boldaji EDITOR ART DIRECTOR Amelia Boldaji Dave Rollins ART DIRECTOR WRITERS Dave Rollins Cathy Baldwin WRITERS Amelia Boldaji Cathy SteveBaldwin Hanf Amelia Boldaji Catherine Kozak Steve Katrina MaeHanf Leuzinger Catherine Kozak Fran Marler Katrina MaeMcDanel Leuzinger Amanda Arabella Saunders Saunders Arabella Corinne Saunders Saunders Corinne

Slow down, and take a breath.

SUMMER LOOMS LARGE IN OUR COLLECTIVE IMAGINATIONS when it comes to a coastal in season – but chances are that the majority of Outer Banks residents would line up to vote for fall as our hands-down favorite season.

Traffic concerns aside, that local preference for this coming season isn’t a slight on the crowds of vacationers during the preceding months either. Everyone who’s either moved or stayed here long enough knows that seasonal drill, and even though our personal reasons for doing so may vary, it’s something we all very knowingly signed up for.

Because, yes: The idea that paradise has a price isn’t anything new – though that is perhaps easiest to bear in mind (and appreciate) once our schedules start to free up a bit and the humidity takes it down a notch or two.

But it also doesn’t hurt to remember that feeling some relief over the opportunity to slow down a little is pretty universal. It’s the spirit behind urging someone to “take a deep breath” in the middle of conflict, or counseling patience in times of uncertainty – because even though we live in a modern culture that tends to prioritize reaction over reflection, an impulse to gravitate toward the latter isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

So, whether you live here or are just getting here – and regardless of what brings you to this area in the first place – don’t forget to take that breath. To slow down, and practice patience. Because no matter what season we’re in, the truth is that we’re all in this together.

As always, we hope you enjoy this issue!

PHOTOGRAPHERS PHOTOGRAPHERS Cory Cory Godwin Godwin Elizabeth Neal Ryan Moser Outer Banks History Elizabeth NealCenter Outer Banks History Center GRAPHIC DESIGNER DylanDESIGNER Bush GRAPHIC Dylan Bush SALES MANAGER Helen Furr SALES MANAGER Helen Furr ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Faith Turek ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Faith Turek DISTRIBUTOR Donna Roark DISTRIBUTOR Donna Roark The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by Access Media Group. All works contained herein are The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by the property of the North Beach Sun. Access Media Group. All works contained herein are The views in the North articlesBeach contained theexpressed property of Sun. herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, The views expressed in the articles contained herein editor or Access Media Group. The published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, material, advertisements, editorials and all other editor or Access Media Group. The published content is published in good faith. Access Media material, advertisements, editorials and all other Group and North Beach Sun cannot guarantee and content is published in good faith. Access Media accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any Group and North Beach Sun cannot guarantee and kind caused by errors, omissions or the accuracy of accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any claims made by advertisers. kind caused by errors, omissions or the accuracy of claims made by advertisers.

NORTH BEACH SUN NORTH BEACH SUN 115 West Meadowlark St.

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Editor

Kill West Devil Meadowlark Hills, NC 27948 115 St. Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 252.449.4444

252.449.4444 editor@northbeachsun.com editor@northbeachsun.com 10 | FA L L 2022

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but first...

Patent drawings filed by the Wright brothers (left).

The brothers on their porch in Ohio (inset).

Photos courtesy of the Library of Congress.

A BirdBrained Idea William Shakespeare referenced precisely 64 different types of birds in his writings, but for an entrepreneur and literary buff named Eugene Schieffelin there was only one real question: Would it be possible to introduce all 64 of them to the North American ecosystem?

WHILE THE WRIGH T BROTHE RS ARE BEST KNOWN FOR ACHIEV ING FIRST FLIGHT

right here on the Outer Banks, the flipside of their legacy isn’t always rememb ered as fondly. Following their history-making flights in 1903, the brothers were granted a patent for their flying machine in 1906 – and then promptly began a widespread legal campaign against any would-be competitors for intellectual property theft.

By interpreting their patent as covering any potential flying machine (not just their specific design), the brothers effectively tied the American aircraft industry up in a series of lengthy legal battles from 1909-1917. The situation became so untenable that when the United States entered WWI in 1917, the government couldn’t find any American-made aircrafts fit for military service.

Not good at sharing.

Something clearly had to be done. Thanks to the diplomatic intervention of Franklin Roosevelt (who was then serving as the assistant secretary of the United States Navy), the major players in the aeronautic industry were all persuaded to create a more collaborative patent pool – thus ending the contentious “patent wars,” and finally ushering in the Roaring ‘20s’ golden age of aviation.

Busted!

THINK YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF

THE LAW? Depends on who you ask. While it’s not uncommon for certain laws to become less meaningful over time, getting rid of them entirely is a whole other matter. In North Carolina there are more than a few laws still on the books that might stump even the most law-abiding citizen, so don’t forget to mind your manners…and your rap sheet.

Ask before you receive. It’s not only unneighborly to temporarily borrow your neighbor’s dog, mule or horse without permission, it’s also a Class 2 misdemeanor.

There can be some serious consequences for stealing kitchen grease, but it depends on the value of the take – if the oil’s worth $1,000 or less, it’s a misdemeanor; anything more, and it can get bumped up to felony status.

Dating back to an incident at a Methodist church in 1873, you can be legally charged with singing off-key – and if your backup plan is the piccolo, playing a tune after midnight and before sunrise can also land you in hot water.

With the very best of intentions, Schieffelin attempted to answer this by releasing approximately 60-80 European starlings (a bird Shakespeare only mentioned once) into New York’s Central Park during the early 1890s – and subsequently unleashed what’s long been considered a natural disaster of epic proportions. More than a century later, that modest flock has reportedly surged to an estimated population of anywhere from 85-200 million, making starlings one of the most abundant birds found on the North American continent.

Though some more current research suggests that certain elements of this starling origin story may be fictitious, these diminutive songbirds are still considered a non-native invasive species throughout the United States, where they’ve reportedly wreaked havoc on everything from aviation to agriculture since at least the early 1900s – and in North Carolina (the Outer Banks included) they are one of the only animals that can be hunted year round without restrictions.

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 13

fall events Though not all events are the same this fall, the Outer Banks is always full of fun things to do! Some of the following events were still being modified or added as of press time, so please don’t forget to check individual websites for the most current information.

OUTER BANKS TRIATHLON

September 16 – 17 DOWNTOWN MARKET ON THE MANTEO WATERFRONT

Saturday mornings through the summer, ending September 17 Buy fresh local fruits, veggies and crafts at this farmers’ market every Saturday in downtown Manteo at George Washington Creef Park from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. townofmanteo.com

CURRITUCK CORNHOLE TOURNAMENTS

Wednesdays through the summer, ending September 14 Compete in weekly games at Whalehead in Historic Corolla Park for a chance to win a beach vacation donated by Brindley Beach. visitcurrituck.com

COROLLA CORK & CRAFT

Wednesdays through the summer, ending September 14 Enjoy local beer and wine tastings, live music and curated crafts in the scenic setting of Historic Corolla Park. visitcurrituck.com

OBX ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL

September 7 – 8

This annual show at the Hilton Garden Inn features 25 local artisans and their work. A portion of artists’ entrance fees are donated to local charities. facebook.com/obxartfestival

THROWDOWN SURF CLASSIC

September 10

This annual “family-style” surf contest in Southern Shores raises money to give back and support the community. facebook.com/throwdownsurfclassic

OBX PRIDEFEST

September 16 – 18

This three-day, all-inclusive event will feature live music, a drag show, booze cruise and more. obxpridefest.com 14 | FA L L 2022

This endurance multi-sport race challenges participants to swim, bike and run through Roanoke Island. obxse.com

SURFALORUS FILM FESTIVAL

September 18 – 21

This three-day celebration of coastal marine culture showcases the year’s hottest surf films and ocean documentaries. surfalorus.com

THE EASTERNS SURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS

September 18 – 24

Top surfers compete in the ESA’s “grand finale” at Jennette’s Pier. surfesa.org

PARADE OF HOMES

October 6 – 9

Tour a select group of new, remodeled and green homes all along the Outer Banks. obhomebuilders.org

CRABDADDY FALL FESTIVAL & HOOK’D FISH FRY

October 8

Enjoy steamed blue crabs, BBQ and fried fish while sipping local wine at this annual festival, complete with live music, hayrides and the Crabdaddy Olympics. sanctuaryvineyards.com

DUCK JAZZ FESTIVAL

October 8 – 9

This free, all-day event features national, regional and local acts at the Duck Town Park. townofduck.com

OUTER BANKS SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

2022

WINGS OVER WATER WILDLIFE FESTIVAL

October 18 – 23

This several day event features a multitude of programs on subjects ranging from wildlife photography, natural history, kayaking and more. wingsoverwater.org

BLUEGRASS ISLAND FESTIVAL

October 21 – 22

Bluegrass lovers from all over the world flock to the Outer Banks annually to hear acclaimed bands play in one of the most beautiful venues anywhere, Roanoke Island Festival Park. bluegrassisland.com

OUTER BANKS BREWTAG

October 22

Watch teams launch handcrafted keg-driven flying machines from a flight deck while enjoying live music and sampling local and regional beers at The Soundside event site in Nags Head. obxbrewtag.com

NIGHT OF 1587 PUMPKINS

October 29

Enjoy a festive, fall night of trick-or-treating and contests at The Elizabethan Gardens as they attempt to light 1,587 jacko-lanterns. elizabethangardens.org

ANNUAL OUTER BANKS SHRIMP COOK-OFF

November 5 – 6

Local restaurants compete for the best shrimp dish in this tasty shrimp crawl to benefit the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research. obxdolphins.org

CURRITUCK BULLS & BBQ

November 5

Enjoy a BBQ competition, mechanical bull-riding, live music, craft market, axe throwing, a live rodeo and more at the Currituck County Rural Center. visitcurrituck.com

October 15

TOWNEBANK OUTER BANKS MARATHON & HALF MARATHON

Enjoy fresh, local seafood, cooking demos, mullet tossing, live music and more at this family-friendly event at The Soundside event site in Nags Head. outerbanksseafoodfestival.org

This three-day event includes a marathon, half-marathon, 8K, 5K, Southern 6, a fun run open to all ages and more. obxse.com

November 11 – 13

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A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T

DON’T BE SCARED How the love of a good fright inspired some spectacularly spooky apparel

WHEN THE DAYS BEGIN TO LEAVE US WITH A LITTLE LESS LIGHT THAN

there’s still much to celebrate.

Cooler temperatures, cotton candy skies, backyard bonfires – and, of course, the coming Halloween season. It’s a time when costumes are created, fall festivals get underway and horror flicks start to dominate the airways in constant rotation.

For some, however, the latter is more than a seasonal obligation: It’s a lifestyle.

That’s certainly the case for Stephen Brewer and Lance Parker – two likeminded souls who have harnessed their passion for horror movies by creating a platform that’s uniquely their own.

“Our love of horror films didn’t really explode until our college days,” Stephen explains about impetus for their present-day collaboration, Toxic Coffin. “We played together in punk and hardcore bands, which probably inspired us the most. There’s a sense of escapism and controlled chaos in that type of music, which can also be found in horror films.”

From there, it was their day jobs at Video Fan in Richmond, Virginia, that allowed their passion to fully bloom.

“They had all the good underground horror films from the ‘70s and ‘80s,” Stephen adds. “Being there allowed us to find the hidden gems we probably never would’ve otherwise.”

But there were a few detours along the way. After college, Stephen found himself doing illustration and design for a snowboard company, while Lance applied himself to the corporate world of marketing and development.

“We always figured out a way to binge horror movies and spend Halloween together, though,” Stephen says. “We

DESIRED,

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“IT’S HARD TO REALIZE THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE’RE DOING BECAUSE IT’S BEEN A PASSION PROJECT FROM DAY ONE.” -TOXIC COFFIN CO-CREATOR STEPHEN BREWER even left Virginia in 2018, and moved our families five doors down from one another in Kill Devil Hills – but then Covid hit, and everything changed.”

The time for taking yet another step into the unknown seemed right. With $600 in their pockets, Lance and Stephen established a business website over the course of 18 days…and Toxic Coffin finally emerged from the abyss.

The focus of this venture was firmly rooted in their love for the horror scene, but it was also a way to create goods such as apparel that the duo personally

wanted to wear. A prime example of their unique designs is their Freddy’s Shreddy Surf Camp t-shirt, which features Freddy Kreuger from A Nightmare on Elm Street beckoning folks into a haunted surf camp – a perfect homage to both their love of the ‘80s and cheesy B-movies.

But designing Halloween-themed merchandise is one thing. As the pair soon found out, designing and selling officially licensed horror movie memorabilia is another monster entirely.

“We actually got our first licensed order by getting a cease-and-desist

from the studio that produced Mandy,” Stephen candidly explains about their early run in over the 2018 psychedelic horror film starring Nicholas Cage. “We ended up working with them to make quality merchandise, but the artwork had to be approved by none other than Elijah Wood who owns Spectre Vision and helps produce independent horror films.”

Between licensing fees and royalties, there are a substantial amount of costs that go into designing legit film merchandise, and in the beginning, the guys could literally only afford pens and stickers to spread the word about their business – but thanks to pre-orders, they’re now making more shirts than ever.

With an impressive licensed collection

fall fun in the

PHOTO BY RYAN MOSER • STORY BY FRAN MARLER

it means to them. And once a customer makes a purchase, they put together curated packages that relate to certain movies in fun little ways – like adding toothpick “stakes” to vampire-themed gear, and sunglasses with coffee to their Shreddy Freddy orders.

“We want to show customers our appreciation, and make it feel like we’re there with them,” Lance says.

“It’s what we’ve been chasing this whole time.”

Working collaboratively with other makers has long been an important part of the duo’s process as well. By participating in events such as Scares That Care, Mad Monster and the Carolina Fear Fest, Stephen and Lance have been able to promote their business alongside other similarly minded folks and even meet some of their horror movie idols along the way. This continued networking has led to a variety of opportunities – including everything from local pop-ups with other small businesses to scoring a deal that’s landed Toxic Coffin tees Stephen Brewer (left) and Lance Parker (right). in the nation-wide chain of Spencer’s giftshops.

“Our next goal is to get into Hot Topic,” Stephen says that includes classics such as The enthusiastically. “But the holy grail of Shining, Rosemary’s Baby and the accomplishments would be to get the iconic Suspiria (Stephen and Lance’s licensing for a John Carpenter film!” favorite film of all time), the two are No matter what comes next, gaining more momentum than they however, the two friends remain fully ever imagined. committed to the life they’ve built here “It’s hard to realize the scope of on the Outer Banks with their families. what we’re doing because it’s been a “It feels very different than the passion project from day one,” Stephen corporate world we came from,” Lance says. “It’s been very organic, and we’ve says. “The local community has really tried not to have any expectations – embraced us, and we’re beyond happy plus, we also just want to make the fans with all the support as we continue to happy.” share our creations.”

To them, that means making each But fans of the supernatural sphere transaction feel personal. For every should still beware. When the spooky shirt they make, Lance creates a gear drops, it’s been known to vanish corresponding blog post about why as quickly as a specter on a moonless they chose that particular film and what night.

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 17

NAT U R E

CLINGMANS DOME

ON THE Think the drive to the Outer Banks is long?

Try making a nearly 1,200-mile trip across the state on foot.

Trail THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE STAND AT THE BASE OF JOCKEY’S RIDGE EVERY YEAR,

surveying the mountain of sand with a mix of awe and excitement. Then they begin their ascent, one step at a time.

On May 6, 2022, a man with a bushy beard, wild hair and a full complement of hiking gear

BY STEVE HANF was like those everyday visitors in many ways – and completely unlike them in one rather important regard. For him, those last few steps to the top of Jockey’s Ridge marked the end of an extraordinary journey: The culmination of a 1,175-mile hike on North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail over the course of slightly more than four months.

With a small group of well-wishers cheering him on, Marshall James (who now prefers to go by his well-earned moniker, “Trail” Marshall) made that final climb, soaked up the scene, and revelled in the knowledge that yet another impressive trek – with all its solitude and companionship, trials and thrills – was behind him.

“I never, ever in my life thought about walking 80 miles up a beach, and it was just amazing,” Marshall says of that final stretch from Ocracoke to Nags Head. “The people I met all through the Outer Banks were amazing. People were driving past, beeping their horns and screaming congratulations. I’m an emotional guy. I was crying.”

Marshall grew up near Pittsburgh but has North Carolina roots, having played high school sports at Mount Pleasant High School in the Piedmont some 30 miles outside of Charlotte. And like countless others in recent years, he began to grow weary of the constant online noise – but instead of taking a simple digital detox, he decided to disconnect from the world entirely.

“You see the worst in people, and you think there’s just no good in the world; I’m just gonna go wander the land, like Caine from Kung Fu or whatever,” he recalls. “And I had that attitude when I got on the Appalachian Trail: ‘The hell with everybody. I’m just gonna do me.’”

Friends told him he was crazy, and they weren’t wrong. Marshall didn’t plan his trip – he just went home, bought some gear and took off.

For the record, he does NOT recommend doing it that way. He fully admits that he could have died at several points along the famed Appalachian Trail (AT) by tackling it without preparation. But day after day, mile after mile, he kept moving, and about 500 miles in, he made a startling realization.

“I started noticing stuff,” he says. “I started seeing the good in people. And it was just strangers. People who had no reason to stop, they just blew me away.”

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Marshall spent 406 days on the AT, and that’s when he first heard about North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail – Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains is part of the AT and is also the westernmost point of the NC state trail. From there, the nearly 1,200 miles of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is run by a mix of local communities, the state parks system and a Friends Of group, which hosts a website with maps and other details. More than 150 names grace the list of Mountainsto-Sea finishers, including 10 just this year.

Marshall decided he should explore his own state more and set off to do it – but once again, on his terms.

He started in the mountains. In the middle of winter.

“I said, ‘You know, I want to do a winter hike,’ and people were like, ‘Don’t do it in the winter. That’s stupid,’” he recalls, then adds with a laugh: “They were right.”

He headed to Clingmans Dome at the end of December, and started his trek on January 1. The first snowstorm hit the next day, but despite the challenges of slowly trudging through feet of snow, the silence, the views and the lack of other footprints enthralled him.

Marshall estimates he didn’t meet another person on the trail until the Elkin Valley area, about 350 miles in. He survived the challenge of the mountains – a lack of water, frozen food supplies and trail maps showing campsites that weren’t as accurate as he would have liked – and kept moving. But most of his favorite memories from the Mountains-to-Sea Trail came down east.

Walking through the Holly Shelter Game Land outside of the Surf City/Topsail area, for instance, immersed Marshall in forests of tall pines and swamps. “I walked 40 miles on the day I went through there, and my feet hurt so bad, but I couldn’t stop because there was a full moon,” he says. “I didn’t even use my headlamp. I just walked and walked and walked, and hoped I didn’t get lost. That was probably the most amazing day I was out there.”

He did get lost one day, though, and encountered an older man sitting in his car at the end of a dead-end road listening to music. Marshall had taken a wrong turn and walked eight miles to the Cape Fear River before realizing it. The gentleman laughed and said, “You’re in trouble, buddy!”

Except, he wasn’t. The man offered to drive Marshall back to the trail, saving him an entire day of correcting an eight-mile mistake.

“This guy, for no reason whatsoever, is sitting at the end of a dead-end road at the exact time I get there,” Trail Marshall marvels. “And the thing was, he lived down the street, and said his wife was nagging him, so he went off to listen to music. It’s addictive to see the good in people. I want to hear their stories.”

Marshall also met Gary and Eva Brock outside of Roseboro, just southeast of Fayetteville. Gary is the assistant fire chief for the Beaver Dam Fire Department,

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From the Great Smoky Mountains to the top of Jockey’s Ridge, “Trail” Marshall documented some of his favorite moments along North Carolina’s 1,175-mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail to share with his online followers – and to celebrate his life-changing journey.

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and he and Eva make it a point to meet every thru-hiker they hear about, offering a comfortable bunk, a good meal and friendly conversation. (“Real-life heroes,” Marshall calls them.)

Then the pastor of a church in Carteret County welcomed Marshall despite facing an unspeakable tragedy at the time: The aftermath of a plane crash that had claimed the lives of eight people, including members of his congregation.

“We’re talking about a guy who’s going through unimaginable grief, and he’s worried if I’m okay,” Marshall says. “I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know if I could do that.’ It makes me want to be a better person.”

In fact, Marshall still wears a wristband etched with the reminder, “I am creating the best me I can be.”

And compared to the grueling mountain terrain, Marshall found the coast a welcome change of pace. He remembers loving the long ferry ride to Ocracoke, “People were like, walking up and down the boat the whole ‘Don’t do it in the time filming rather than relaxing. On the winter. That’s stupid,’” island, he was treated to a free spot for he recalls, then adds his tent at Teeter’s Campground and with a laugh: “They hospitality from nearby campers. were right.”

The long walk up the national seashore -“Trail” Marshall included scurrying ghost crabs, longawaited glimpses of the Cape Hatteras and Bodie Island lighthouses, and endless numbers of fishermen who of course had to stop to chat and make the inevitable Forrest Gump and Castaway jokes about the man with the wild hair walking down the beach.

“I did find a volleyball out there!” Marshall recalls with a laugh.

That Tom Hanks-esque snippet of video was a popular one on social media since Marshall films his journeys and enjoys letting others experience his long hikes vicariously. He hears from all manner of people who are inspired by his wanderings – but, of course, it wouldn’t be social media without the occasional naysayer, including a poster who recently called him a “[expletive] hippie.”

That was a new one for Marshall, and he wasn’t actually sure how to feel about it.

“All I know is that seeing how good people are, it’s something I want others to see,” he explains. “Basically, everybody goes through things, and you see the resilience in them and you think, ‘Well, maybe I ain’t got it so bad.’

“I try to pass it on to folks…to show the beauty in the world,” Trail Marshall adds.

“At first, I wanted to get away from people – but that’s when I found them.”

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 19

NAT U R E

Learning from the iconic bald cypress tree

BLAND SIMPSON STANDS IN THE CENTER OF A

20-FOOT CAROLINA SKIFF, balancing one L.L. Bean-clad

boot on a vinyl seat as he talks about bald cypress trees.

To his left: A drowned cypress forest on the Roanoke River, and two boats full of students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who are on a field trip in Plymouth for a class entitled “The Changing Coasts of Carolina.” Simpson, an NC-bred writer, serves as co-professor for the course alongside marine scientist Brent McKee. As Simpson explains how tree rings can help scientists learn about climate history, his hands move like an orchestra conductor. His voice is soft and rhythmic, like the current lapping against the hull of the boat. Snarled grey cypress trunks tower over him as he speaks.

“How many of you have been down east like this?”

Simpson asks. “Down into Swamp Country?”

Only two students raise their hands. Simpson smiles.

“Welcome,” he says, and motions out toward the trees.

“We’re glad you could be here.”

“I THINK IT’S A GREAT RESOURCE TO USE THEM,”

The Forest for the

Trees

BY ARABELLA SAUNDERS

2 0 | FA L L 2022

Dr. Brent McKee says of the cypress trees he’s taken his students to visit at the Roanoke River – the same type of trees that can be found all along coastal NC, including the Outer Banks. “Not only to see them for their beautiful majesty but also to use them to help us understand the last couple of hundred years in terms of climate.”

In the mid-1980s Dr. David Stahle, a University of Arkansas professor, began working on a National Science Foundation project to build climate-sensitive tree ring chronologies across the southeastern United States. The project led him to the Black River, a tributary of the Cape Fear River near Wilmington, NC. On that visit, Stahle and his team discovered bald cypress trees that were more than 1,000 years old.

The scientists were thrilled. It was rare to find trees that old outside of places like the redwood forests in California.

“I mean, in this business, the older the better, right?”

Stahle says. “We were trying to get a long sample of climate variability to place the modern era in a natural background.”

Stahle is an expert in dendrochronology – which is the science of dating events, environmental change and archaeological artifacts by using the characteristic patterns of annual growth rings in timber and tree trunks – and the findings at Black River in the 1980s helped Stahle and his team reconstruct soil moisture variability across North America.

In 2011, Stahle visited the Black River again, this time for a fellow researcher’s master thesis. After several return trips, they published a paper in 2019 entitled, “Longevity, climate sensitivity, and conservation status of wetland trees at Black River, North Carolina,” which revealed their finding

Bald cypress trees like these specimens found on the Scuppernong River in downtown Columbia are a common sight on the waterways of eastern North Carolina. Photo by Cory Godwin.

of the oldest known living tree in the eastern United States. The discovery of this 2,624-year-old tree led to bald cypresses being named the fifth oldest tree species in the world.

To put that in perspective, that one tree predates the medieval legend of King Arthur, the Norman conquest of England, and even the religious revelations that led to the creation of the Muslim holy book, the Koran.

“There are trees, and then there are exceptional trees,” Stahle says. “That’s what we’re talking about in Black River, North Carolina. This is one of the greatest natural areas left in the United States.”

The trees are fascinating for their age, but also for their usefulness to climate scientists. By analyzing the growth rings, researchers can get closer to answering important questions about periods of drought or episodes of extreme precipitation.

“The modern instrumental rain gauge record is of course used to address those questions, too, but really it’s only 125 years long,” Stahle explains. “Trees are proxies.”

Bald cypresses are especially sensitive to climate and rainfall, so the insight they provide can also help scientists measure the rate and magnitude of climate change – and better understand the ultimate consequences of those changes on our modern weather patterns.

And sometimes, the information buried inside those ancient trunks brings up new questions that no one ever thought to ask before – such as Stahle’s discovery that periods of catastrophic drought coincided with the disappearance of the Lost Colony on Roanoke Island in 1587 and the failed Jamestown settlement attempt in the early 1600s, potentially contributing to the ultimate demise of both ventures.

But the idea that weather can shape the course of history isn’t anything new, of course.

The Nature Conservancy protects more than 16,000 acres in the Black River basin that are McKee estimates primarily used for research. Stahle and his team believe there are much older trees there as well that the oldest of that they just haven’t found yet – and there are the Roanoke River still thousands of acres of unprotected land at Black River that Stahle urges North Carolinians cypresses was to get more serious about protecting.

growing when Genghis Khan invaded China, approximately 800 years ago.

THE

TREES

THAT

MCKEE,

SIMPSON

AND THEIR STUDENTS visited along the Roanoke River aren’t quite as old as the ones found in the Black River, but they’re not exactly spring chickens either: McKee estimates that the oldest of the Roanoke River cypresses was growing when Genghis Khan invaded China, approximately 800 years ago.

The bald cypresses outside of the Black River area aren’t typically as healthy either. Many of the cypresses along the Roanoke River and other locations in northeastern North Carolina, like the Outer Banks, are dead – either as a result of saltwater intrusion, the logging industry, or some other human-related cause.

“A lot of times, those ghost forests are caused by big storms that bring in more saline waters, which kill the trees,” McKee explains.

But that doesn’t mean these younger, less spiffy, or even dead trees aren’t still valuable to scientists.

“You can see both the width of the tree rings, the density of the tree rings, and you can look at isotopes of oxygen in carbon,” McKee adds. “All those things tell you about temperature, precipitation, drought and so forth. They’re still perfectly good trees to examine.”

More locally, bald cypresses are a fairly common sight on and near the Outer Banks, including locations in Kitty Hawk’s Sandy Run Park, the Albemarle Sound, the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, and the North River Game Lands in Currituck and Camden counties.

To spot an ancient cypress, Stahle suggests being on the lookout for certain characteristics: relatively large and heavy limbs, hollow voids, dead limbs in the canopy, and a massive root system.

“They’re the gift of nature,” Stahle says.

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 21

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ON PATROL

An eclectic mix of high and low-tech tools are employed by the volunteers that locate and monitor sea turtle nests.

P H O T O B Y R YA N M O S E R / S T O R Y B Y A M E L I A B O L D A J I

DURING THE PRIME NESTING PERIOD from about May through August, volunteers with the Network for Endangered Sea Turtles (N.E.S.T.) gas up their ATVs (1) for a very specific type of busy season.

At sunrise every morning, five drivers each grab a safety vest, helmet (2) and shovel (3) (in case an ATV gets stuck) before tackling their assigned routes that combine to patrol the coastline from the Virginia border to south Nags Head in daily searches for “crawls” – the distinct tracks nesting turtles leave behind as they make their way onto dry land.

After a crawl is sighted, drivers alert the N.E.S.T. hotline to dispatch a two-person lead response team as they begin staking a temporary 25x25-foot area around the site with a rubber mallet (4), four PVC pipes (5) and a length of perimeter rope (6).

2 2 | FA L L 2022

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Before resuming their route, drivers also leave behind a toolbox (7) containing measuring tape (8), pens (9) and a hammer (10), plus a clipboard with crawl data sheets (11), a cautionary sign (12) and wooden stakes (13).

When the response team arrives, they pinpoint the exact location of the nest and place a single eggshell in a DNA vial (14) to be sent off as part of a larger project tracking the habits of sea turtle populations across the Eastern Seaboard. Three Bluetooth-enabled temperature data loggers (15) to remotely monitor the eggs are then strategically placed in and around the nest, along with strings attaching them to a secured piece of rebar (16) in case of any erosive weather. After filling out a data sheet, the responders also create a more precise 7x7-foot perimeter with the wooden stakes and some green cord (17). Either markers or blue tape (18) is then used to note the surface sand level on the stakes, and a sign is posted for public awareness.

In certain circumstances, a nest can require relocation as well. If that’s the case, responders add a cooler with numbered egg cartons (19) to their arsenal – not only to ferry the eggs safely and in order, but also to ensure that things are always left as near-exactly as they were found.

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C O M M U N IT Y

Voices OF THE PAST

A new project aims to tell the story of African American heritage throughout the region B Y C O R I N N E S AU N D E R S

Located at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, the First Light of Freedom Monument commemorates the 1862 Roanoke Island Freeman’s Colony, which was the very first governmentestablished community of African American freedom seekers in the South. Photo by Ryan Moser.

2 4 | FA L L 2022

NORTHEASTERN NORTH CAROLINA HAS MORE TO OFFER than just Showcasing locations like these as part of the African American Experience warm sand and a salty body of water – it’s also home to a deep and diverse project not only preserves our past, but also helps people understand the history that’s helped shape our nation. While marketing for this area may not complicated context of historical race relations in this region. Etheridge’s have always reflected that much, things are beginning to change. position – which he held from 1880 until his death in 1900 – was highly coveted A collaborative, six-county project called the African American Experience of and groundbreaking, but it was especially poignant because it occurred as the Northeast North Carolina is paving the way in that direction. Launched in June Jim Crow era set in following the Civil War. of 2021, the program highlights a heritage trail featuring 31 sites of immense “1880-1937 was the height of lynching in America,” explains Darrell Collins, a historic value to the region, state and – in some cases – the whole country. local historian and president of the Pea Island Preservation Society.

“The cultural and historic significance of those sites here and in the other Etheridge and his six-man crew were posthumously awarded Gold Lifesaving counties is tremendous,” says Lee Nettles, the executive director of the Outer Medals in 1996, 100 years after their incredible rescue of nine people aboard the Banks Visitors Bureau, which is one of the partnering organizations in the project. schooner E.S. Newman, which ran aground during a hurricane in 1896. The event “It’s a source of pride,” Lee adds of this region’s history. “The more you know, is widely regarded as one of the most heroic U.S. rescues at sea to this day, but the prouder you are of your area.” no recognition was given to the crew during their lifetimes.

With detailed information about each site available on the project’s website If anything, quite the opposite was true. “Any slip up would mean an end to at ncblackheritagetour.com, visitors are encouraged to embark on a self-guided what they did,” Darrell notes. “They had to be the best of the best.” tour that currently spans Camden, Chowan, Today, a life-sized statue of Etheridge holding Currituck, Dare, Pasquotank and Perquimans a rescue boat oar – another of the project’s tour counties – each of which are home to related stops – stands in the middle of a roundabout monuments, museums, parks and waterways. near the Cookhouse Museum.

The diverse sites cover points of interest “I think it’s good to bring awareness to such as the Colored Union Soldiers Monument a lost history that most people don’t really in Hertford – one of only a few monuments in realize occurred on the Outer Banks of North the nation that recognizes African American Carolina,” says Darrell, who regularly shares the Union soldiers – which was put up by local wives Pea Island Lifesaving Station history at talks with and widows of the soldiers. That’s Perquimans everyone from out-of-area museum visitors to County’s only tour stop, but nearby Currituck local elementary school students.

County has three sites, Camden has six, Chowan “Most of these African American stories and Pasquotank each have five, and Dare adds 11 have been swept under the rug,” Darrell says, to the count. noting that people universally share a range of Of course, Dare County has a list of historical emotions and dreams – which makes building firsts that are widely known, including the first empathy a significant overall goal. “[It’s vital] for British settlement attempt and the Wright acquiring knowledge of where you came from brothers’ pioneering flight experiments, but and how people think.” lesser-known events haven’t always received Aaron Tuell, public relations manager for the attention they deserve – such as Hatteras’ the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, agrees. He’s Hotel de Afrique, which was the state of North lived and worked in Manteo for a long time, but A life-sized statue of Richard Etheridge – a former Carolina’s first haven for the formerly enslaved he says that being involved in this project has slave who served in the Union Army before being from 1861-1865. deepened his understanding of the history we appointed the first African American keeper of a US lifesaving station at Pea Island – stands at the center of a Following the Union Army’s first Civil War have in our own backyard – and he calls it “one roundabout by Collins Park in Manteo. Photo courtesy of victory, the so-called hotel of about a dozen of the most rewarding” efforts of his entire the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau. barracks became a strategic part of the national career.

Underground Railroad as a place where freedom The project website includes suggested trip seekers could exchange their skills for food and safe shelter. Though the camp itineraries, with the idea of linking the counties as visitors make their travel plans. no longer stands, a large memorial pays tribute to those refugees and soldiers at “By working together, we can increase the visibility of each of our sites in a way the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras Village. that we couldn’t do individually, [so] it becomes something bigger,” Lee explains.

A number of other tour stops in Dare revolve around the incredible life of Each participating county contributes $2,000-$10,000 annually to the a local man known as Richard Etheridge, and the story of the nation’s very first project. Dare and Currituck both contribute the higher-end amount, as they all-African American lifesaving crew. receive the most tourism revenue in the region and can do so. Since the Manteo’s Island Farm, a living history site that interprets life on Roanoke project’s launch, other counties in the region have reached out with interest in Island in the 1800s, is one of those locations. That was where Richard Etheridge participating as well, which Lee considers a mark of success. was born enslaved years before he went on to serve in the Union Army – and was In July 2022, Gates, Martin and Washington counties officially joined the eventually appointed the first African American keeper in command of a United initiative, meaning that nine counties are now onboard. “That’s 50% growth in States lifesaving station. one year,” Aaron observes.

Etheridge and his crew’s heroic “Travel in general is an extraordinarily accomplishments are also celebrated at the Pea important thing for society,” Lee adds. “Any Island Cookhouse Museum in Manteo, where time you visit another area, you broaden your “The cultural and historic visitors can learn more about the hundreds perspective and develop an appreciation of rescues the men performed in some of the for other people and ways of life. Increasing significance of those sites here and in most difficult conditions along the coastal sensitivity and appreciation for other cultures the other counties is tremendous.” waters known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

– in this case African American – isn’t only our mission; it’s the right thing to do.”

-Lee Nettles, Outer Banks Visitors Bureau

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 25

F OU R I F BY S E A

Work It

H CILL AGR BBAEE CH BBARR&A & GRILL HELL O HELL O

Holding multiple jobs is more than just a way of life on the Outer Banks.

BY AMANDA M C DAN EL

WHILE THE LANDSCAPE OF THE OUTER BANKS HAS CHANGED QUITE A BIT OVER THE PAST FEW

YEARS – increased visitation, new bridges, second homes turned permanent residences, the anticipated grand opening of a Target – a key principle of living here still largely remains the same: Most locals simply don’t have just ONE job.

As with many “transplant” residents, my love affair with the Outer Banks started one summer while I was employed at a retail store by day and as a waitress by night. I was immediately fascinated with the whole beach vibe, and I, too, wondered what it would be like to live here permanently – which ultimately came down to one question: “Where would you work?”

Nowadays, with increased opportunities to work remotely, the question has morphed somewhat into: “What would you do for work?”

The answer is A LOT. While my initial reasoning for working two jobs that first long-ago summer was to stock up a nest egg for returning to college in September, unconsciously, it was also influenced by the well-established local work culture.

I waited tables alongside both cute 20-something surfer boys and 50-some-year-old town planners who clocked in after clocking out of their nine-to-fives. School teachers traded kids in the classroom for kids in the dance studio.

Librarians went from shelving books to slinging beers all summer long. Everyone was always coming or going to some type of employment in a revolving door of summer tourism.

The key components of employment on the Outer Banks of yore were cheekily known as the “Three Rs” – namely, restaurant, retail and real estate, with nearly 80% of residents employed by one of those tourism-driven economies. The big three idea still holds true to some extent, but with the influx of people who have continued to make either a primary, secondary or temporary home here, the opportunities have expanded quite a bit.

Take it from me. From scheduling skydiving and hanggliding trips to learning how to craft a Rusty Nail, teaching the dynamics of a male speedo and providing personal style consultations, I’ve bobbed and weaved through all of the channels of opportunity on this sandbar over the years.

As a potential poster person for a jack-of-all-trades, master of merely a few, I’ve definitely been on all ends of

2 6 | FA L L 2022

the food spectrum (from small-event catering to dessert making to fine-dining service).

Undaunted, I also taught middle school summer cooking classes for seven years with the understanding that if no one cut themselves I’d get a bonus. (Spoiler alert: I didn’t.) I did, however, develop and co-write a cooking curriculum that’s now used on the national level, and over the past few years I even taught private cooking lessons that were spurred by the popularity of the Instant Pot and everyone’s fear they would blow up their house if they used it. (More than 30 classes later, no one has…that I know of.)

My professional background’s taken me down many tourism companies and social media, including a selfother roads as well. I did a lot of work writing a state published bi-monthly e-magazine under the Four if by curriculum on teaching health and safety to young Sea moniker…and the list just continues to grow. children, and also taught childcare providers how to The best part about our community is that I’m clearly enhance their science curriculum by making fake scabs not the only one doing these things. Our island is simply and boogers (always a favorite). I’ve been a keynote filled with people with fascinating pasts and incredible conference speaker at large conferences a handful of talents. Superficially, you may see a retail store worker times, worked with school nurses to provide continuing counting the hours in a shift, but if you scratch the education on social emotional surface, you’ll likely realize that the development in the school tapestry of this community is much One way or another, system, revamped cafeteria food richer and intricately woven. One we all find avenues to programs, and worked alongside way or another, we all find avenues school counselors at all levels to to use our given talents, or acquire use our given talents, deliver grief support groups. new ones, because the price of or acquire new ones, And sometimes things come living in paradise is paid in many because the price of up a bit more by chance. When different ways. living in paradise is paid the current publishers of this So next time you see your local magazine purchased it in 2012, lawyer singing in a band at the in many different ways. they casually asked me if I was a school carnival, your surf instructor writer while we were picking up strumming a guitar at a brewery our two-year-old daughters from or your barista selling tapestries the same daycare – and I replied with: “Does a master’s at an annual craft fair, take a minute to dive deeper. Ask thesis on the development of a quantitative measure to about their day, and listen to their stories. Maybe even capture the social emotional growth of children with buy them a beer. All of the moving pieces they represent heart defects after attending a specialized camp count?” help craft the Outer Banks you know and love – plus, you Ten years later, I’ve now published more than 50 articles might just learn a thing or two about a secret shell bed, a in the Sun, ranging on a wide variety of local topics that spectacular sunset location or the locally favorite menu are enjoyed by MANY more people than my thesis was, item. (P.S., that’s the Rip Coyles – trust me.) and are also way more fun.

And above all, please tip generously, and remember As is often the case, one thing almost always leads to to be kind. Your happy hour waitress may very well be on another, so I’ve also written pieces for real estate agents, her third shift of the day.

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C O M M U N IT Y

Remembering the remarkable life of Diane Baum St. Clair, the woman who helped shape Kill Devil Hills BY CORINNE SAUNDERS

Visionary OU T E R B A NKS

A

mid the papers, photos and other memorabilia housed at the Outer Banks History Center on Roanoke Island is a collection of unpublished biographies written by local author David Stick. Included in those documents – which were compiled as Outer Bankers to Be Remembered prior to Stick’s death in 2009 – is an entry that pays tribute to his longtime personal friend, a woman whose legacy is arguably responsible for the shape of present-day Kill Devil Hills and numerous other aspects of daily life on the Outer Banks: Diane Baum St. Clair.

Besides recognizing her name from street signs and other local institutions, you’d be forgiven for not knowing much about Diane’s life and near-endless contributions to this area. By all accounts, Diane didn’t necessarily seek out the spotlight during her lifetime – though it often had a way of finding her.

BORN IN NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ON FEBRUARY 1, 1909, as the only child of Thomas and Annie Baum, Diane’s family had deep roots on the Outer Banks that traced back as far as the 1700s – so despite being born across the state line, Diane reportedly traveled by train and mail boat to spend her summers with relatives in Nags Head from as early as five years old.

Fiercely independent by nature, Diane caused a minor scandal when she ran away from home to New York City after graduating from high school, where she promptly landed a career as a professional model after she was rescued from being run over by a taxi. Though her career credits were said to include show dancing, horse racing and appearing in television commercials for Marlborough Lights, she eventually struck a deal with her parents to attend college.

Easily proving that she wasn’t just a pretty face, Diane went on to graduate with degrees in both abnormal psychology and chemistry from John Hopkins University before earning a doctorate in abnormal psychology from Yale University.

2 8 | FA L L 2022

In her role as an academic, Diane worked as a clinical psychologist in Philadelphia hospitals and helped isolate tumors through the use of vibratory sensation under a research fellowship prior to pursuing biological research at John Hopkins University – but this part of her distinguished career was cut short when her father suffered a heart attack in the 1940s.

THOUGH DIANE’S FATHER, THOMAS, MANAGED A FERRY COMPANY IN

when she was born, he was an entrepreneur at heart. For his initial solo venture, he established the first ferry lines to the Outer Banks, with four routes up and running by 1928. About a decade later in 1939, he branched out into hospitality by opening the Wilbur Wright Hotel. As legend has it, Orville Wright was a guest at the hotel when he gave Thomas permission to name the business in honor of his brother – and, again with Orville’s blessing, the family named their next property the Orville Wright Hotel.

But, when Thomas’ heath began to decline, Diane knew she had to return to the Outer Banks. As the Baums’ only child, she inherited both the ferry business (which the state of North Carolina later purchased from her) and the hotel business. As far as the latter was concerned, Diane ultimately chose to make that her longest-held occupation – after a waterspout destroyed the Wilbur Wright Hotel several decades later in 1978, Diane forged on by renaming the surviving structure the Orville and Wilbur Wright Motor Lodge.

That hotel still operates today as part of the Days Inn on the beach road in Kill Devil Hills – a fact that likely would’ve thrilled Diane. Although she sold the business and retired sometime in her late 70s, she was still going strong at the age of 75 when she declared herself the oldest innkeeper in the area during an interview for The VirginianPilot. The resulting article, which was published on August 5, 1984, was appropriately invested in Diane as its star subject, running under an oft-repeated headline that hailed her the “Grande Dame of the Outer Banks.”

VIRGINIA

Diane Baum St. Clair chats with Dare County Commissioner Bobby Owens at the dedication ceremony for the Thomas A. Baum Senior Center (which was named in honor of her father) in 1987. Photo

by Drew Wilson, courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center.

PIECING TOGETHER A TIMELINE OF DIANE’S LIFE TODAY CAN BE

given how active she was in the local community for much of her life. In addition to keeping her family’s hotel business afloat, Diane served on the Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners for several years in the ‘60s before being appointed mayor of the town in 1968.

In addition to her civic roles, Diane was married four times over the course of her life, though she only kept a last name from her final marriage to Edward St. Clair. That relationship began after Diane purchased 72 acres west of the Wright Brothers National Memorial off Colington Road (which Dare County had foreclosed on during the Great Depression), and she hired Ed to help develop the property that she’d named Baum Bay. (According to David Stick, their marriage ended prior to Ed’s death in 1981 when he left to return to his previous wife.)

Above all, however, Diane was a nimble businesswoman in many regards – and she had the foresight to invest heavily in property early on. This was of particular benefit to the Outer Banks as a whole when Diane took unprecedented steps to partially gift and partially sell nearly 323 acres of land to the town of Kill Devil Hills in the 1980s.

SURPRISINGLY DIFFICULT

Diane’s land was bound on the north

by Ocean Bay Boulevard, on the east by Norfolk Street, on the south by a realty subdivision, and on the west by Colington Creek. The purchase price for the sprawling 322.68 acres was $1.5 million, according to the minutes of a 1983 Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners’ meeting. The purchase was financed at the rate of 5% per annum for 15 years.

Despite the incredible deal, however, public opinion on the purchase was mixed.

Two local residents shared concerns over entering into such a debt, given the town road conditions at the time (which one called “bad” and the other, “deplorable”). Other residents hesitated over the public tax burden. But the majority – including all the commissioners – were in favor of the proposition.

The motion to submit the contract passed unanimously on March 8, 1983, with a vote of 5-0.

Later, in response to being asked why she sold the property for a mere fraction of its worth, Diane said simply, “The town needs the land.”

The Kill Devil Hills post office. The First Flight middle and high schools. The town’s senior center, administrative offices and police station. Dare County’s water department, parks and recreation facilities, and the Outer Banks’ Chamber of Commerce building – the list goes on and on. Without Diane’s contributions, none of these services would look quite the same today.

Road designations such as Baum Street and Baum Bay Drive continue to pay tribute to her legacy in their own small ways, and the Thomas A. Baum Senior Center was named for her father by Diane’s request in 1987. Always a supporter of education, Diane also donated more than $500,000 to the College of The Albemarle’s Dare County campus – and even though she passed away at the age of 94 in 2003, she attended a dedication ceremony for the college’s new Diane Baum St. Clair Education Center in 2000 In honor of her parents, the Thomas and Annie Baum Memorial Fund was also created posthumously with the Outer Banks Community Foundation in 2005. Since then, more than $200,000 has been distributed for educational and cultural purposes in keeping with Diane’s last wishes – and with the foundation’s management, her gift will continue to give back to the local community for many years to come.

Which is exactly how Diane would have wanted it. In a 1989 Outer Banks Current article, at the age 80, she described not earning a cent during her time as a town commissioner to a reporter.

“I lost more money being a commissioner because it took so much time, [and] I neglected my own business,” she said without an ounce of regret. “But I enjoyed it.”

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3 0 | FA L L 2022

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Books for all ages and genres, the best selection of Outer Banks titles and the biggest collection of greeting cards on the OBX. Open seven days a week in-season. Join us November 1 for the release day launch of We Are The Light, with author Matthew Quick (call for details).

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Take a walk down memory lane in this little mom and pop sweet shop! Ice cream, throwback candies, chocolates, homemade cotton candy, fun gummies, bulk candy and more!

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The newest craft cocktail bar located inside of Outer Banks Distilling, specializing in Kill Devil Rum cocktails. The distillery gift shop is open from 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. and the Wheel House Lounge is open from 12:00-9:00 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 31

town report What’s happening in your town? Here’s a report from all over the Outer Banks.

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

Kill Devil Hills Currituck County At their July 18 meeting, the Currituck County Board of Commissioners approved a zoning change for the H2OBX Waterpark in Powells Point, which could lead to the addition of a campground on the waterpark property with up to 335 campsites. A site plan for the proposal must still be approved by the board in order to move forward with the project that would be renamed the H2OBX RV & Waterpark Resort. If constructed, the campground would include a mix of RV campsites, tent sites and cabins that would be built in at least two phases.

The campground, which would be accessed from the existing waterpark entrance, would also feature a swimming pool, playground, dog park, and a lodge with a pavilion and golf cart rentals, as well as pickleball, cornhole, shuffleboard and volleyball courts.

Duck During a July 6 meeting of the Duck Town Council, members responded with tentative approval for some kind of law – preferably on a statewide coastal level – to prevent people from digging dangerous holes on the beach.

The discussion was prompted by an earlier letter sent to coastal towns by Nags Head Mayor Ben Cahoon that encouraged a united approach to the issue. Attention to the longstanding problem was reignited locally in May after Kill Devil Hills Ocean Rescue supervisor Dave Elder posted a photograph on Facebook of him standing in a sevenfoot-deep hole left on the beach, and recent publicity about a death in New Jersey from a collapsed hole has served as an unfortunate illustration of the risks these holes pose.

Children and families often spend hours digging large holes at the edge of the surf without realizing how easily the heavy sand can bury them if a large wave 32 | FA L L 2022

washes in. Another common issue is that people dig holes and don’t fill them in when they leave, making them a future hazard to other beachgoers. Judging from the councilors’ discussion, Mayor Don Kingston said that Duck would be looking to participate in a “reasonable” solution.

Southern Shores In a move that expands options for mixed-use development, the Southern Shores Town Council has voted in favor of a zoning ordinance amendment allowing residential housing as part of some commercial properties.

According to minutes of the June 7 council meeting, the amendment applies to group development of commercial and residential buildings as conditional use units in the general commercial zoning district. The council agreed to require that the residential building and parking portion comprise a maximum of 25% to 40% of total lot coverage.

Commercial group development is limited by the maximum allowable lot coverage of 60%.

Kitty Hawk Fire insurance ratings for the Kitty Hawk Fire Department improved dramatically with new rankings by the North Carolina Department of Insurance and the Office of the State Fire Marshal, according to a town press release. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey announced on June 27 that a recent inspection found that the department has improved its ability to respond to fires in its district, earning a higher fire rating of two (with a previous rating of four). The North Carolina Response Rating System ranges from one (highest) to 10 (not recognized as certified by the state), and higher ratings in a district can result in lower homeowners’ insurance costs.

The Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners has voted to amend its zoning ordinance to allow for the construction of cluster homes as another option for supplying desperately needed workforce housing. This will allow for compact homes that are separated from other homes in their respective “clusters” by at least 10 feet, and includes the provision that the units can share septic and driveways.

The amendment added cluster homes by designating them as special use constructions in low-density residential zones, and they are required to be used only for long-term housing of at least 31 consecutive days.

Nags Head The Nags Head Board of Commissioners has approved a working group to develop a voluntary septic subscription service, which was recommended in the town’s Decentralized Wastewater Management Plan that was adopted by the board back in May. The idea behind this service is to give property owners the option of paying an annual fee for basic maintenance such as inspections and tank pumping, rather than having to request these services on an irregular basis. Increased participation in the town’s Septic Health Initiative could help ensure that proper septic function is maintained and that any future pollution issues could be prevented in a timely manner.

Manteo In light of a lack of local health care providers on Roanoke Island, the Manteo Board of Commissioners has agreed to appoint a Healthcare Task Force to seek solutions to the crisis. This past May, more than 2,400 patients at Outer Banks Family Medicine in Manteo were notified that the practice could no longer provide services due to staff shortages.

The task force, helmed by resident Malcolm Fearing, will focus on both retention and recruitment, as well as patient care and facility needs. In addition to Fearing, the panel includes both elected and public officials, as well as representatives from the local healthcare community.

The medical community has already taken steps to address the issue, according to several video presentations made over the summer by Ronnie Sloan, president of The Outer Banks Hospital.

On July 8, Sloan announced that the Manteo practice will be fully staffed with three physicians by this fall. On July 22, Sloan also announced that the building where the Manteo practice is housed will be renovated, and that an addition will be built adjacent to the existing facility.

Dare County After many months of ironing out various complications, Dare County Manager Bobby Outten announced at the July 18 board of commissioners meeting that two workforce housing projects providing 100 units under the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program are ready to advance.

The projects, which are to be constructed by the Ohio-based company Woda Cooper, will be located on county-owned land off Bowsertown Road in Manteo and on unspecified land in Nags Head, with about 40 units in Manteo and 60 in Nags Head. According to Outten, the board finalized a contract with Woda Cooper at a special meeting this past June, with Dare County being expected to provide no more than $9 million toward the projects. In addition to this, the county is working with Coastal Affordable Housing on plans to construct another 350 to 400 housing units within Dare.

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

business briefs COMPILED BY C ATH ERI N E KOZ AK

Photo courtesy of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.

Economic Picture Reveals Both Disparities and Common Ground In economic snapshots released by the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center in June, Dare and Currituck counties each had housing costs that were unaffordable to nearly half of renters; about 12 percent of residents lack health insurance; and approximately one-quarter of all residents are considered low income, which is defined as an annual income of less than $55,500 for a family of four.

One notable difference between the two counties, the report found, is that there were 2% fewer people working in Currituck County in April 2022 than before the pandemic began in February 2020 – but in Dare, over the same period, there were 6% more people working. In addition to this, the wealthiest 5% of households in Currituck earn an average of 14 times more than the lowest 20%, while in Dare, the top 5% average more than 17 times the income of residents on the other side of the economic spectrum.

Real Estate

market snapshot

NC Ranks Number One for Business in America For the first time since it began releasing its annual rankings in 2007, CNBC named North Carolina America’s Top State for Business in 2022. According to a July 13 article, CNBC cited the state’s “solid finances” and “pristine” credit rating, as well as its access to capital. North Carolina’s ability to overcome partisan politics in the interest of fostering a good business climate was also named as a reason for the its strong economic and job growth.

Tattoo Art Comes to Kitty Hawk Following a public hearing, the Kitty Hawk Town Council approved a request to open a tattoo studio in the beach commercial district. The town planning board approved a special use permit to establish a tattoo studio in an existing commercial structure as long as certain conditions are met, which includes establishing a buffer zone between the studio and any church, school, library, public park or other tattoo studio.

Black Flag Tattoo officially opened on July 5, making it the first tattoo studio in Kitty Hawk. Located between mileposts four and five off the U.S. 158 Bypass, its sister studio (also named Black Flag Tattoo) opened five years ago in Frisco. Other tattoo studios in Dare County are located in Manns Harbor and on Colington Road.

3 4 | FA L L 2022

New Season, New Home for Theater The Theatre of Dare’s first full season at its new permanent venue in Kitty Hawk was announced in July 2022, and its 32nd season kick-off will debut on October 7 with the classic murder mystery The Mousetrap. Season tickets for a total of five different shows are available on the community theater’s website, with 2022-2023 packages ranging from $75 to $90.

Smoothing Out a Bumpy Ride Rehabilitation of the Washington Baum Bridge’s deck and joints began at the end of July. Work on the span over the Roanoke Sound has started from below and will not require lane closures for several months, according to a July 7 North Carolina State Department of Transportation press release.

The $21.3 million project will correct the uneven pavement on the deck, mirroring similar work that was completed earlier on the Wright Memorial Bridge over the Currituck Sound north of Kitty Hawk. The one-mile-long Washington Baum Bridge, commonly called the Pirate’s Cove Bridge, was completed in 1994 and is situated between Nags Head and Manteo. The project, which includes structural concrete repairs, is expected to be completed by the fall 2025.

The party for Outer Banks real estate isn’t over; it’s just calmer. According to the Outer Banks Association of Realtors’ June 2022 MLS Statistical Report, all property sales fell 22% from June 2021, with residential sales down 23%, lot/land sales down 17% and commercial sales down 29% – though the report also noted that the current decline is seasonal, and not associated with any other factors.

Although total inventory is down 3% over June 2021, residential inventory over the same period has climbed 25%. Similarly, residential median sale prices don’t reflect last year’s meteoric rise of 54%, but it’s still a respectable rise of 3% over June 2021, from $529,000 to $545,000. On average, residential properties are also spending considerably less time on the market: 62 days in June 2021 compared to 25 days in June 2022.

Lot/land yearly sales did fall 17% short of last year, from 482 to 398, but that’s after the extraordinary increase in 2021 of 169% over 2020.

Lot/land median prices also increased 18% over June 2021, from $102,583 to $120,650.

And although all Outer Banks communities from Corolla to Ocracoke saw increases in median sales prices, the town of Duck saw the largest spike – 39% – from $650,000 in June 2021 to $902,500 in 2022.

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 35

Photo courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center.

F I V E FACT S

Oregon Inlet Fishing Center 3

BY K AT R IN A M AE L E UZ I N G E R

WITH THE SOUND ON ONE SIDE, AND THE ATLANTIC ON THE OTHER, there’s no shortage of good places to fish on the Outer Banks – but the best spot might just be where those two bodies of water meet. Though inlets have long dotted the barrier islands, Oregon Inlet is undoubtedly the most famed in today’s fishing industry, and at the epicenter of this local hotspot lies the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. Since the 1950s, this full-service marina has been bustling with people heading out on charters, booking tours, launching kayaks and admiring the day’s fresh catch – all while telling time-honored tales about the big one that just got away.

1

B AT TEN DOWN THE HATCHE S

Though it may seem as though the fishing center has always been there, it ultimately owes its existence to a particularly troublesome 19th century hurricane.

Prior to 1846, the main passage from the Atlantic to the sound waters west of the barrier islands was down near the once-central Portsmouth and Ocracoke islands.

That September, a monster of a storm blew through, leaving wreckage and two major new inlets in its wake. With Hatteras Inlet to the south, and Oregon Inlet farther north, economic opportunities abounded – and the northernmost passage was subsequently named after the first ship to navigate its waters, a side-wheeler named the Oregon.

2

MANAGING A MARINA

The National Park Service (NPS) manages an impressive 84 million acres of land in the United States. This includes the roughly 70-mile stretch from south Nags Head to Ocracoke known as the Cape Hatteras National Seashore – and, yes, that puts the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center under the NPS’s purview. While that might seem like an oddity, the NPS’s mission isn’t just about preserving nature; it’s also about giving people opportunities to appreciate our country’s natural resources. You won’t see any park rangers bagging up bait sales, though – the NPS has contracted out the center’s daily operations from the very start in 1953, and current manager Russ King has a 20-year lease on the space that won’t expire until 2038.

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B AG GING THE BIG ONE

If you’ve ever been to the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, you’ve probably spotted the life-size replica of what was once a world record blue marlin – weighing in at more than half a ton, and stretching nearly 14 feet long, it’s a little hard to miss. The bragging rights for this catch belong to Jack Herrington, who fought almost three hours to land the impressive fish almost 40 miles off the inlet in 1974. Afterwards, Jack had two taxidermized mounts made – one for the fishing center and one that graced his living room until his death, when his wife donated it to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. Though Jack’s world record was broken three years later, his 1,142-pound catch held the state record for another 34 years.

4

S OMETHING WICKED THIS WAY C OME S

Outer Banks commercial fishermen had their first brush with reality TV fame when the popular National Geographic show Wicked Tuna created the spin-off Wicked Tuna: North vs. South in 2014. The show pitted Northern fleets against local ones to see who could catch the most tuna – with Captain Greg Mayer of the Oregon Inlet-based Fishin’ Frenzy claiming the top prize right out of the gate. The show was redubbed Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks by season two, and according to some of the captains, the hardest part about being a reality TV star is remembering to keep their language “family friendly” while wrestling 500-pound tuna. Still going strong, the ninth season of this locally filmed show premiered in July 2022.

5

FISHING F OR THE F UTURE

While the ‘60s-era ship store has served the marina well, it’s seen better days – and that’s precisely why the NPS announced in 2021 that major renovations are on the way. Phase I is supplying new utilities, plus an upgraded parking lot and a new fish house, while Phase II will concentrate on building a new ship store with a museum and a restaurant. In Phase III, which is scheduled to start this winter, the old store will be removed to make way for an open-air pavilion designed to host everything from fishing tournaments to weddings. Barring any weather-related delays, the improvements are expected to be complete sometime in 2023 – paving the way for many future generations of avid anglers.

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R E A L E STAT E

CREATING

HARMONY When life closes a door, sometimes it opens a drawer.

Just ask cabinetmaker Jacob Dehus.

Photos by Cory Godwin • Story by Steve Hanf

T

he junk drawer. The cabinet filled with so many mismatched cups that one wrong move will create an avalanche. For a lot of folks, kitchen cabinets can be scary places. But for some, they can also be beautiful ones.

“Cabinets are just one of those things: Everybody needs them. And they can make or break your house,” says Jacob Dehus of Harmony Cabinets. “But when you walk into a house that has gorgeous, custom, handcrafted cabinetry, you can tell right away.”

Jacob didn’t set out to become one of the top cabinetmakers on the Outer Banks – but when the opportunity presented itself, he jumped at the chance.

The son of an Outer Banks builder and one of six brothers – five of whom are also in the building trades – Jacob grew up dividing his time between Currituck and Maryland. A bit later, he graduated from the Columbus College of Art & Design in Ohio and worked in industrial design before the recession hit in the late 2000s.

38 | FA L L 2022

A move to western Australia followed, but when the allure of living on the other side of the world wore off, Jacob and his wife, Kara, moved back to the Outer Banks to start a concrete countertop business. It was a good news/bad news proposition. The recession still weighed heavily on the local economy, so jobs were scarce, but Jacob did have the opportunity to meet some important folks in the industry before ultimately deciding to move his family back to Columbus.

His countertop company was a success up in Ohio, but there’s only so long a die-hard surfer can live in the Midwest as well. In 2015, Jacob’s dad called with some big news: Glenn Steed of Harmony Cabinets was ready to retire and move to Hawaii. The business was up for grabs.

“I called Glenn and said, ‘Don’t sell anything yet, I’m flying down there!’ I literally got a plane ticket that Thursday night, flew down Friday, and stayed for the weekend to check out all his equipment,” Jacob remembers fondly. “We’ve been jamming ever since.”

There was just one small problem: Jacob didn’t actually know anything about cabinets. He bought all kinds of books (“Like Cabinetry for Dummies,” he jokes), but it was Glenn who proved to be the best teacher. Jacob spent three months essentially working for free alongside Steed and his longtime employee Victor “Skip” Haynes to learn the ropes before taking over – and on Glenn’s recommendation after building up Harmony’s reputation for 30 years, Jacob kept the company’s original name intact.

Jacob Dehus of Harmony Cabinets in his current Kitty Hawk shopfront (far left). Above, top to bottom: A cart full of doors, and the inside wall of a drawer that’s been laser etched with the company logo – a signature that authenticates every custom Harmony Cabinets project.

&

Jacob Dehus Designs, LLC, doing business as Harmony Cabinets, was born.

“I learned so much from that experience,” Jacob says. “Having my design background, and with Glenn and Skip’s understanding of the manufacturing side of it, we’ve been able to make it work. It’s been really cool.”

Business has been booming for the 39-year-old ever since, with Harmony doing nearly 40 jobs a year out of a small shopfront next to Glenn’s son, Matt Steed’s, Woods Road Furniture in Kitty Hawk. Jacob has five full-time employees, including Skip, and hopes to break ground on a new 6,000-squarefoot manufacturing space in Currituck as soon as this fall.

Shifting from concrete to cabinetry has meant a different level of artistry for Jacob, though. There’s no more sculptural work, for instance, but he has found that cabinets, in all their boxy simplicity, can still offer opportunities for creative intricacies in places like fireplace surrounds or mantel-top panels.

Jacob also is proud to feature American-made materials, from drawer boxes out of Louisiana to cabinet doors made in Kenly, North Carolina, and top-quality plywood from Greensboro-based Columbia Forest Products.

“You can go to a big box store and get some cheap imported cabinets, and pay nearly as much as you would for custom, high-quality ones,” Jacob says.

“But these cabinets are going to last forever. It’s incredible: you can go into houses that Glenn and Skip did 20 years ago, and they still look brand new.

“I love doing the design work and making people happy,” he adds. “That kind of gratification is one of the major things that keeps me going.”

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 39

R E A L E STAT E Manteo’s Croatan Cottage is an original Sears catalog home that was bought as a kit by Clyde and Carola Hassell in 1923 (pictured left, photo courtesy of Dee Evans). A 1920s advertisement for an Honor Bilt Vallonia – the exact model the Hassells purchased – touts its $1,979 price tag (below).

OFF THE

Page

Mail-order homes survive and inspire on the Outer Banks

BY ARABELLA SAUNDERS

F

rom lighthouses to lifesaving stations, hunt clubs and cottages, the architectural history of the Outer Banks dates back to at least the 1800s with many distinct features that were born of necessity given this area’s once-remote, weather-beaten nature.

But that hasn’t always been true. In the early 1900s – long before Frank Stick built the first Southern Shores flat top in 1947 – a different kind of architecture was starting to sweep across the nation with a concept so breathtakingly simple that it even made its way to the Outer Banks: Sears, Roebuck and Company’s mail-order houses.

WHILE SEARS DIDN’T INVENT KIT HOUSES, they were certainly the first company to radically popularize them. From the time Sears’ Modern Homes catalog debuted in 1908 until it was discontinued in 1940, it’s estimated that the company sold more than 70,000 houses all across America.

Sears offered a number of different models at various price points over the years (many with evocative style names, such as the Plymouth, the Queen Anne or the Mary Washington), but the basics mostly remained the same: In a single coordinated order, Sears could supply everything needed to build a home – from blueprints, nails and screws to staircases and light fixtures – all of which could be boxed and shipped to the buyer’s nearest railroad station.

But that also might begin to explain why Sears houses were never really a common sight on the Outer Banks. In 1924, at the height of the Sears home craze, the only

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hard-surface road on the barrier islands ran between Manteo and Wanchese, and a bridge connecting Kitty Hawk to the mainland didn’t even exist until 1930 – which meant that the first real attempts to make the Outer Banks more accessible had the misfortune of coinciding with the start of the Great Depression.

THOUGH IT’S HARD TO SAY FOR SURE, it’s likely that at least a few Sears houses were constructed on the Outer Banks prior to World War II. Depending on who you ask, you may hear rumors about one or two of them still standing on a backroad in Kitty Hawk or some other private wooded area – but even the most faithful Sears home enthusiasts are just guessing when they estimate that about 70% of those original houses are still in use nationwide.

At least one local Sears home has been preserved, though. On Roanoke Island near the downtown Manteo waterfront, the Croatan Cottage is a perfect example of the Vallonia, one of Sears’ bestselling designs. Purchased by Clyde and Carola Hassell in 1923 for $1,979, the Craftsman-style bungalow isn’t only remarkable for its condition – it’s also noteworthy for how it got to the island in the first place.

Clyde – who was a boatbuilder long before that became an Outer Banks industry – knew the importance of quality materials, so the Hassells opted for the top-grade “Honor Bilt” version of the Vallonia from the start. The lumber for the house was cut in Indiana before being sent by train first to Norfolk, Virginia, and then to CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

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Elizabeth City. From there, the only option was to send the kit by boat the remainder of the way to Manteo via Shallowbag Bay – chandeliers and all.

But widespread economic uncertainty was just on the horizon. Between the advent of the Great Depression and WWII – when blackouts and submarine patrols became regular events along the coast – the idea that the Outer Banks could be turned in to a prosperous vacation destination seemed increasingly unlikely. The Hassells managed to make do, however, and when tourism finally began to show promise during the late 1940s after the war ended, they even began renting out a few rooms to Roanoke Island visitors at a fairly reasonable going rate of $3 to $6 per night.

EVEN AFTER HER HUSBAND’S DEATH, Carola Hassell remained in their Sears bungalow until she also passed away in 1972. Today, the property is owned by nonprofit Outer Banks Conservationist founders Bill Parker and John Wilson, and it’s seen surprisingly few changes since the Hassells called it home.

Local homebuilder and third-generation Kitty Hawk resident Matt Neal of Neal Contracting is someone who can attest to that. While he’s seen his fair share of changes to this area over the past few decades, his uncle Briggs Neal owned Croatan Cottage for a time prior to Parker and Wilson, and Matt has fond memories of the property.

That includes historic moments such as the landfall of Hurricane Irene in 2011 when the house’s floors were covered in two inches of standing water – which luckily didn’t cause much damage because the storm swept out so quickly – as well as quieter moments refinishing the floors and restoring the cottage’s deck alongside his uncle in the early 2000s.

“The interesting thing – and it’s true for all Sears homes – is the efficiency and the history of them,” Matt says. “They have these very simple profiles that aren’t heavily ornamented – but also aren’t at all bland.”

PERHAPS UNSURPRISINGLY, a lot of today’s conversations about Sears homes are centered around our collective fascination with the past – particularly when that past can feel much simpler than the comparative busyness our modern-day lifestyles.

That’s certainly true for longtime Outer Banks resident Dawn Trivette. When asked about the subject, one of the most immediate memories that comes to mind is driving around her Richmond hometown as a teenager while daydreaming about one day owning her own Craftsman-style Sears house. Years later – and with the actual means to make that dream a reality – Dawn began her search in earnest.

“I even got three or four books that told the history and had copies [of order forms] from the actual Sears catalogs,” Dawn recalls. “I loved how you could just buy one, and it came with the plans and every single thing you needed.”

What Dawn soon learned, however, is that modern needs have changed quite a bit since the Roaring ‘20s. Enlisting the help of Matt and his wife, Rachel, Dawn set out to build a version of her dream home that took its cues from those original Sears designs rather than replicating them exactly.

“We definitely have a segment of clients that appreciate a vintage look,” Matt says.

“But Dawn was the first person to specifically request that traditional Sears catalog style.”

The result was a five-bedroom beach road home called “Another Point of View” in Kitty Hawk. Unlike other local ocean-facing houses that typically utilize reverse floor plans, Dawn’s house was designed to align with its predecessors by sticking to a more standard layout with the kitchen and living room located on the first floor – alongside other Craftsman-style details such as tapered front porch columns, basketweave tiling and Sears-replica hardware like crystal doorknobs.

Acknowledging the difficulties of building a truly faithful Sears-inspired house along the coast where it’s a practical necessity to build on stilts, the Neals made up for that by paying a tremendous amount of attention to the details – and, at times, being open to changing things on the fly.

“I would say it mimics that Craftsman look more than anything,” Matt says. “But it was fun because in many ways, Sears homes cemented an American style, and opened up the idea of homeownership on a larger, more accessible level.”

Rachel agrees, and points to last-minute additions like the gold-shadowed house numbers they decaled on a small transom above the front door as an example of those subtle whispers of the past – because, unlike the houses it takes its inspiration from, Another Point of View didn’t come with a ready-made set of instructions.

“It was one of those ‘aha’ moments, because it’s almost impossible to figure out everything at once,” Rachel explains. “And that little detail was just one of those things that really brought everything together.”

42 | FA L L 2022

Top to bottom: A Sears Modern Homes catalog from the 1920s details the Vallonia model’s interior features; Matt and Rachel Neal of Neal Contracting designed Another Point of View in Kitty Hawk by drawing inspiration from old Craftsman-style Sears houses (photo courtesy of Elizabeth Neal).

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

The New Neutral Compiled by Amelia Boldaji / Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Neal

INSPIRED BY RENOWNED ARCHITECTS SUCH AS ALBERT FREY, Keely Owens of Indehouse Design + Build approached the style of Southern Shores’ “Transcendence” with a mid-century modern vibe in mind – as well as her usual creative eye for blending shapes and textures that embrace the natural elements around us. “It’s all about creating an environment that feels relaxed, not fussy,” Keely explains of this partner project with SAGA Realty & Construction. “I wanted someone sitting here to relish the room, but to also be able to see past it in the best possible way.”

Natural Wood Walls When mixing modernism with a little local flair, going big with wood is an obvious winner. In homage to older beach cottages that often feature locally sourced pine, Keely selected cypress, which is also native to this area, for a slightly lighter tone. Using horizontal cypress planks to define the space, she was then able to let other pieces amplify that element – including the custom wooden table by local artisan Matt Steed and its eye-catching driftwood centerpiece.

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Concrete Geometric Flooring Many original mid-century designs embrace geometric shapes, so Keely leaned in to that by introducing concrete flooring made up of giant hexagonal tiles. In addition to adding a distinctive shape to the room, she was then able to let that geometric theme echo throughout the room in objects such as the similarly shaped dining room table and the soft, yet angular, lines of the oversized art prints on the room’s west wall.

Dark Accent Pieces

Sunflower-Yellow Sectional

With so many elements at play in this spacious open floor plan area, Keely felt strongly that certain aspects of the room should blend seamlessly rather than draw one’s visual attention in too many directions. To this end, darker-hued accent pieces provide the room with some subtle punctuation marks – including two hanging chandeliers, a black metal curio cabinet, a durable area rug and the room’s main propellor-style fan.

A picture is worth a thousand words – but even so, there can be limits. Though not depicted here, the eastern-facing wall opposite this crushed velvet sectional boasts near floor-to-ceiling windows with expansive oceanfront views of the Atlantic. So, while Keely was drawn to this couch for the unexpected pop of color it provides, she was also firm on one point most of all: “I didn’t want anything in the room to compete with the natural beauty just outside.”

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 45

sun salutations Beach Realty & Construction Beach Realty Recognizes Top Agents Beach Realty & Construction is pleased to announce the 2022 year-to-date top three producing sales agents: Ilona Matteson from the Duck office, Joanne Kepler from the Corolla office, and Charles Rocknak from the Kitty Hawk office. All three agents are experienced and consistent volume leaders. Sales Manager Beth Urch says, “These agents have very different styles but all three agents offer their clients valuable experience, outstanding customer service and a thorough knowledge of the Outer Banks real estate market.” 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 or call (252) 261-3815.

Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales Brindley Beach Vacations and Sales Recognizes Top Agents Edith Rowe and Catherine Strachan Edith Rowe has earned the Top Sales Agent Award for the last five years. This award is based on closed sales volume. Edith holds a broker’s license and has been in sales on the Outer Banks since 2000. She brings to the table a degree of local sales acumen and a familiarity with the area found in few agents. Contact Edith at (252) 202-6165 or edithroweobx@gmail.com.

A resident of the Outer Banks since 1988, Catherine Strachan has worked as a fulltime broker and realtor for the past 16 years. She is passionate about her job, working diligently to see that all of her clients are satisfied, whether buying or selling. Contact Catherine at (252) 489-9540 or at obxproperty@gmail.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Names Brook Sparks Top Producing Agent Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty congratulates Brook Sparks on earning the firm’s Mid-Year Top Producing Agent award. This award is based on individual closed sales volume for the period of January 1 through June 30, 2022. “The relationships and friendships I have made in the past few years are the highlight of what I do,” Sparks says. Brook can be reached at (252) 619-1177 or brooksparks@cbseaside.com.

4 6 | FA L L 2022

VanderMyde Group Earns Top Producer Award Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is pleased to announce that the VanderMyde Group is the 2022 Mid-Year Top Producing Team. Heather VanderMyde, along with team members Kiirsten Farr, Will Gregg, Kasey Rabar and Trish Berruet, rank number one in the firm in sales volume, units sold and new listings. VanderMyde is also ranked in the top five of all producing agents in the Outer Banks Association of Realtors’ MLS for this time period. “Heather and her team have been responsive, knowledgeable and easy to work with. Prep and marketing unbelievable...the photos, staging and marketing made me want to buy my own property!” said a recent five-star review. Team leader Heather VanderMyde can be reached at (252) 202-2375 or hvandermyde@gmail.com.

John Mausteller, Debbie Shealey and Lauren Rickard Earn the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Certification Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty congratulates John Mausteller, Debbie Shealey and Lauren Rickard on earning the Coldwell Banker’s Luxury Property Specialist Certification for Global Luxury. All three have completed the required courses and met the threshold criteria to receive this prestigious designation. They can be reached at the following numbers: John at (757) 876-9273, Debbie at (252) 202-2224 and Lauren at (252) 202-3519.

Emily Bray Earns Internationally Recognized Achievement for Performance in Luxury Real Estate Emily Bray, a Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Agent with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, has earned The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing’s Million Dollar GUILD™ recognition for experience, knowledge and expertise in million-dollar and above residential properties. Bray is a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist, part of an exclusive group of real estate professionals who have completed The Institute’s training and have a proven performance in the upper-tier market. Emily can be reached at (252) 412-5991 or emily@cbseaside.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Welcomes New Agent Sarah Hueneman Sarah Hueneman has joined Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty in their Kitty Hawk location. Sarah will join her mother, Crystal Clark, on the Coastal Sales Group team. Sarah and her husband Josh are heavily involved with Liberty Christian Fellowship and help lead the RISE youth group there. She can be reached at (252) 489-1747 or sarah@cbseaside.com.

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Y E A R S

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 47

sun salutations Resort Realty Resort Realty Welcomes Kristen “Buck” Meier as Director of Business Development for Hatteras Island After growing up on a farm and graduating from VMI, Buck has called Avon home for the past 12 years. He shares his love of Hatteras Island with his wife, Caroline, and their three dogs. Buck brings a wealth of Hatteras Island property management experience to Resort Realty.

Text or call Buck directly at (252) 255-3569 or email him at buck.meier@resortrealty.com.

SAGA Realty & Construction SAGA Realty & Construction Welcomes New Team Members SAGA Realty & Construction welcomes Tom Fleming to the premier sales team. With 27 years in the real estate industry focusing on new construction and residential, Tom has a thorough understanding of the home buying, building and selling process. His experience provides sharp negotiating skills that are delivered in a friendly demeanor. Contact Tom today for all your real estate needs at (804) 334-2013.

SAGA Realty & Construction welcomes Laura Walker to the leadership team as the human resource manager. Laura has been on the Outer Banks since 2017 and brings to SAGA more than 30 years of experience in human resources working with corporations such as the Walt Disney Company and Alcoa. A graduate of Rollins College with a master’s degree in human resource management, Laura will provide guidance to the ever-developing business and will also be involved in the acquisition process.

Sun Realty Sun Realty Congratulates This Quarter’s Agents of the Month Richard Hess took top honors in April. Richard offers more than 30 years of Outer Banks sales experience. A dedicated professional, Richard is well-versed in today’s marketing and sales strategies and works tirelessly for his clients.

The Willey team of Hugh and Gerri are the Sun Realty Agents of the Month for May. The Willey Real Estate Group also boasts decades of experience in real estate on the Outer Banks. Hugh “Scooter” brings his expertise in rental properties and resort and second-home vacation investments, while Gerri focuses largely on marketing and managing their website.

For the month of June, the M&M Team of Madonna and Michael VanCuren took top sales for Sun Realty. Another couple of Outer Banks real estate veterans, Madonna and Michael have more than 20 years of experience helping clients buy, sell and invest on the Outer Banks.

All of these Sun realtors can be found at the Sun Realty Kill Devil Hills office at (252) 441-8011.

4 8 | FA L L 2022

Twiddy Premier Sales Twiddy Premier Sales Congratulates Kim Endre on Strong Sales Kim Endre joined Twiddy Premier Sales in January 2020 and quickly became a strong, successful and independent agent with more than $24.6 million in sales (year-to-date) with Twiddy. Twiddy Premier Sales congratulates Kim on her tireless efforts and dedication to the industry on the local, state and national level.

Steven Gross Celebrates 10 Years with Twiddy Premier Sales Twiddy Premier Sales recognizes and thanks Steven Gross for his nearly 10 years of dedication to customer service, hospitality and principled real estate sales. Twiddy Premier Sales truly appreciates his hard work.

Bill Hogan Celebrates 31 Years with Twiddy Premier Sales Bill Hogan is a successful and devoted agent with decades of expertise to help folks make the most of their Outer Banks investments.

Twiddy Premier Sales thanks him for his 31 years of loyalty to the company.

Village Realty Village Realty Introduces the Newest Brokers Stephanie Blosser is a graduate of The Ohio State University and has vacationed on the Outer Banks her entire life. Now a Kitty Hawk resident, she and her dog, Ozzy, love the beach, but she remains a hockey super fan who never misses a New York Rangers game.

John Winstead was born and raised in Nags Head. A family-owned construction business gave John extensive experience with construction and renovations. After graduating from East Carolina University with a BA in business finance, John put his knowledge to work and earned his real estate license.

Nicholas Antonis grew up on the Outer Banks, giving him great insight into the area, from the fun-filled activities of the summer to the slower pace of the off-season. With a family history in real estate, the business was a natural fit for Nick.

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50 | FA L L 2022

Small but Mighty

FOOD & B E V E R AG E

FRESH IS ALWAYS BEST WHEN IT COMES

– and the Outer Banks sets a gold standard for these munchy morsels. But if you really want to experience their maximum flavor, it’s time to ditch the plain cocktail sauce and see how shrimp can really shine.

TO SHRIMP

STYLED BY CHEF DAN LEWIS PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH NEAL

Shrimp lettuCe wrapS

Whether served hot or cold, a bite-sized shrimp salad wrap is as refreshing as it sounds – and it also leaves room for a lot of creativity. The key is to combine tastes and textures as much as possible, so dressings can range anywhere from ranch to balsamic vinaigrette, with toppings such as fried shallots or toasted pine nuts for an extra bit of crunch (just don’t add the latter too early or you’ll risk them going soggy). Sturdy lettuces such as iceberg, bib or baby romaine are good options for your edible outer wrap, and like most seafood dishes, finishing things off with a spritz of citrus will add a dash of brightness to the flavors.

Pictured here: A filling of shrimp chopped with cucumber, red onion and cilantro dressed with a Southeast Asian-inspired mix of lime juice, fish sauce and chili-pepper powder – all topped with chopped toasted peanuts and served on baby romaine hearts with a wedge of lime.

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 51

Despite its name, a New Orleans-inspired pan-barbeque dish has nothing to do with smoke… or even barbeque. The only similarity is that this entrée is all about the sauce. Though some barebones versions insist on using only cracked black pepper and butter, most will agree that the basic ingredients should also include hot sauce and Worcestershire. For the most memorable sauté, just be sure to start with a very hot pan, don’t overcook, and be prepared to serve it right away. For the perfect amount of creaminess, you’ll also want to wait until the shrimp is done before stirring in the butter to finish – and have plenty of thick-crusted bread on hand, because you won’t want to waste one drop of this sauce.

Pictured here: Tail-on shrimp sauteed in hot oil with garlic, white wine, hot sauce, Worcestershire, Cajun seasoning, butter, a generous helping of medium-ground black pepper and fresh oregano for garnish – served with slices of a grilled baguette to savor every last bite.

PanBarbecued Shrimp 52 | FA L L 2022

N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 53

low fall events 2022 Country Shrimp boil

How low can you go? In the eastern Carolinas, a low country boil is considered the classic way to serve up fresh-caught shrimp. Though recipes can differ, the staples generally remain the same: All you need are some shrimp, potatoes, corn and sausage – plus a pot big enough to hold it all. Adding a dash of beer (or other delicacies such clams or crabs) to the mix is optional, but the general consensus is that being heavy handed with a seafood spice like Old Bay isn’t. The best part is that you can mostly set it and forget it – by the time the potatoes are tender, this flavorful feast should be table-ready and sure to please.

Pictured here: Shell-on shrimp slow boiled with red potatoes, wedges of yellow corn on the cob, smoked sausage and an abundance of seafood spice served with a slice of lemon and cocktail sauce on the side.

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N O RT H B E ACH SU N | 55

THE LOCAL LIFE

Captain Marty Brill Radio personality & commercial fisheries port agent STORY BY AMELIA BOLDAJI / PHOTO BY CORY GODWIN

Marty Brill has spent the better part of several decades as the Outer Banks’ premier fishing expert. Known by most simply as Captain Marty, his distinctive baritone continues to keep generations of professional and amateur anglers up-to-date on all things fishing related – while an early inclination toward spinning a good yarn has developed into a lifetime of storytelling that’s as colorful as any old sea shanty.

WHETHER OUT AT SEA OR ON THE AIR,

How did you get started in the fishing industry?

I grew up in a little fishing community in Florida, and started out in fifth grade on a headboat as a bait boy… other kids were working in ice cream shops, but I was on a boat. [Laughs] My existence was a little like Tom Sawyer’s, and I learned all the skills I’ve used later in life on a headboat: customer service, knots, boat handling and maintenance. You learn a ton of stuff, and I fell in love with it. I spent years after that as a mate, and got my captain’s license in the spring of ‘81. First, I ran my friend John Bayliss’ boat until I got my own – and then I ran that one for 14 years straight until ‘96.

After that you took a break – what inspired the change?

I just wanted to do something new with my career, so I built a shop in ‘96: Captain Marty’s Hunting and Fishing 56 | FA L L 2022

Outfitters in Nags Head. But until I sold it in 2001, I had to buy radio advertising to promote the store, and the station wanted me to talk on air. One day I was reading about a Dallas cowboy in Reader’s Digest – this guy would ride through a plaza and tell stories about being out on a ranch, and people were fascinated. I thought, I could do that! So, I told the station I’d renew, but I wanted to tell stories about the legends I’ve fished with over the years. The show was so popular, they finally said, ‘How about we pay you, instead of you paying us?’

That was how it started – my first love was always telling stories.

What does your radio station schedule look like these days?

It’s a lot of things. [Laughs] Every single morning, I do a live, seven-minute story segment with Jody [O’Donnell], and also tape a fishing report that runs a little later for

Beach 104. Every evening, it’s the same thing: I tape a story and a fishing report for Big 94.5. Then on Saturday morning, Jody and I do “The Other Side of Fishing” live for both stations – it’s by far our most popular segment, and I’m proud of it. Jody came on six months after I got here in ‘98, and I couldn’t have done it without him. He has a way of drawing things out of me that no one else has, and we feed off each other – it’s kind of like wine; over the years we’ve just gotten better.

You’re a busy man! What else do you do with your time?

I also work with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries as a commercial port agent – not many people know that’s my real job, but every single pound of seafood in Dare and part of Hyde County goes across my desk. I have 21 years there now, and I’m retiring soon.

[Laughs] I’ve got some land out in Engelhard where I love to garden – if I could do anything, I’d just take my cane pole out to the pond in my yard and catch catfish with my granddaughters. And I like sitting around a hunting camp and telling stories – because it’s the story stuff that just keeps morphing. I don’t write any of them down, I just remember, and new stories keep happening to me all the time. It’s been a life of adventure…and I’m thankful that things flow that way.

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.

MORE THAN

22 YEARS

$59

EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH BUYERS AND SELLERS

MILLION SOLD IN 2021 *

69

UNITS CLOSED IN 2021 *

BRINDLEY BEACH TOP PRODUCER

obxrealestate.net

•

252-202-6165

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edithroweobx@gmail.com

*Based on information from the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS®

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