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Nags Head, NC -- The Life-Savers of the Outer Banks
Historic buildings
have purposes. They just may not be the ones for which they were originally
built and used. That’s certainly true for several historic life-saving
stations along the North Carolina coast.
In the Outer Banks alone, there are several former life-saving stations that have been lovingly restored and converted into other uses. The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site in Rodanthe is a classic example of reuse with two original (1874 and 1911) life-saving stations, along with a cook house, freshwater tanks, 1907 village house (built by Cornelius Midgett, who also owned and operated the original First Colony Inn in 1937 at the 16 MP in Nags Head), and soundside boat house being used as a museum to help define and depict life in the Outer Banks in another era.
Black
Pelican Oceanfront Cafe serves as another successful form of reuse of
Kitty Hawk Station #6. A modern and popular restaurant serving fresh seafood
and wood-fired pizzas to visitors of the Outer Banks since the early 1990s,
the original 1874 life-saving station served as a Western Union office (where
the Wright Brothers sent their telegram about their successful flight), a
bed & breakfast, and another restaurant before becoming Black Pelican.
Up in Duck, the Sanderling Resort & Spa has preserved a little piece of history by using Caffey’s Inlet Station #5 as their resort restaurant since 1985. Called the Lifesaving Station Restaurant, it serves three meals a day to resort guests or the public and has a wonderful collection of lifesaving memorabilia.
Several other
North Carolina lifesaving stations have interesting second
lives…..including an amazing private home in the former Caswell Beach
station. Though many were lost forever, it’s nice to know (and see)
several of North Carolina’s historic life-saving stations saved, restored,
and creatively used for varied new purposes.