“ Built as a living memorial to Sir Walter Raleigh’s lost colonists, The Gardens include a collection of Renaissance statues and Elizabethan-style buildings that let you imagine you are back in the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Spring-time tulips lead to an ever changing palette of year-round color from hydrangeas, native plants, perennials and camellias. Enjoy the colorful crepe myrtles in the Sunken Garden or the view from a sound-side 16th-century style gazebo.”

Upcoming events at the Elizabethan Gardens:

Coldest Day of the Year Plant Sale
Saturday, January 21, 10 a.m. -2 p.m.
Yard sale with books, household items, clothing, damage gift shop items, tools and more. Members receive an additional 10% off all purchases. After the sale enjoy a walk in the Gardens.

State of the Non-Profit Dinner
Wednesday, February  8, 6 – 9 p.m.
The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. The cost is $25. per person for Members/Friends and $30. per person for Non-Members. Please RSVP by Wednesday, February 1, 2012, call Nancy Harvey 252-473-1554 or email marketing@elizabethangardens.org.

Camellia Watercolor Workshop with Linda  Miller
February 14, 17, and 16, 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The Gardens have over 300 Japanese camellias in the collection, represented by over 125 cultivars. Learn basic drawing skills, observation, and watercolor techniques to create a botanical painting. Each student will work at their own pace while Linda Miller consults with each student individually. Beginner to advanced welcome. Materials list provided. 3 day class for Members/Friends $135. 3 day class for Non-Members $145. Call 252-473.3234 or email for reservations marketing@elizabethangardens.org.

Marshes Light Expands Manteo Horizon

Since 1982, when townspeople adopted the motto “Come Sit on Our Front Porch; Let Us Tell You of the Dreams We Keep” as part of an ambitious revitalization for Manteo, this Roanoke Island town has seen its dreams come true.  The view from the porch has been transformed.

A once deserted downtown is now filled with shops and restaurants, with residences located above.  Historic homes have been renovated, and picket fences have returned to nearly every yard.  New public spaces are filled with activity—boat docks, boardwalks, and a waterfront park with benches set beneath live oaks—in place of rotten pilings and dilapidated, abandoned buildings. 

Across the creek, a barren spoil island is now home to Roanoke Island Festival Park and the representative 16^th century ship Elizabeth II, built and berthed in Manteo, but able to sail to coastal ports, as North Carolina’s only moveable historic attraction.  A new state maritime museum at the old boathouse brings families together to build a boat in a day, and youngsters learn to sail, with wet-sponge fights part of the lesson plan.  On summer evenings, dance, music, and drama play out on a pavilion lawn with Roanoke Sound as part of the stage set.

It took a full 20 years to complete the 11 major components that brought $20 million in public and private investments to Manteo.  Between 1980 and 2006, the tax base increased a whopping 5,581 percent, from $11.2 million to $625.2 million.  How does a town manage that kind of growth while preserving a sense of place?  How can it make 5,000 visitors a day feel welcome while still making its 1,000 residents feel at home?

Professional planners claim that an involved citizenry is why Manteo’s plan has succeeded, where so many others fail.  This renaissance of a once dying town is the result of a public/private planning initiative that drew on the expertise of NC State University School of Design, Professor Randolph T. Hester, and planner James Rouse’s American City Corporation.  But more importantly, it drew on the dreams and imagination of town residents, who attended design charettes, were interviewed by students on their front porches, or who completed surveys asking what they would like their town to become.

Twenty years later, deserted streets were no longer the problem.  In 2002, residents complained they couldn’t find a place to park, traffic on the main highway was backed up to the bridge on busy summer days, and gated communities elsewhere on the island seemed to fly in the face of townspeople’s motto, envisioning porch-lined streets and a public waterfront that functions as the town’s giant front porch.

As it had done in the past, town commissioners reached out to the School of Design for help.  Once more, residents and business owners filled out surveys, attended meetings, and worked with students and professors to create a plan for the next 20 years.  As they dreamed of the future, citizens recognized it was time to preserve important elements of the past.

Townspeople were especially concerned about plans to sell a large tract of land bordering Shallowbag Bay that had been in the same family since the 1860s. Would there be wall-to-wall condos?  Would a gated community sit condescendingly across the street from some of the oldest houses in the town?  Would the new development, nearly the same size as the historic downtown, overshadow a townscape that had changed little in 100 years?

The entire town breathed a collective sigh of relief when a group of local residents bought the property, and did the unthinkable.  They asked townspeople to help plan the new development.

The site became a School of Design project, but planning didn’t stop there.  How would the development relate to the historic downtown?  To the proposed new campus of College of the Albemarle?  To the everyday town center on the main highway?  Were there opportunities for street connectivity to address traffic concerns?  A new master plan for the entire town, with a major development designed within the heart of town, was adopted in 2005 as another example of public/private partnerships and citizen input.

Once plans were in place, the owners sold their interest to Kitty Hawk Land Company, with more than 50 years’ experience developing properties on the Outer Banks and beyond.   In the summer of 2006, construction began on what is being marketed as Marshes Light, named for the screwpile lighthouse that lies just off the point.  With a mixture of single- and multi-family homes, shops, and a waterfront inn, the new neighborhood is designed to be seamless with the historic waterfront. 

Residents and guests at Marshes Light will be able to walk along the new boardwalk bordered by boat slips and a public park, then continue along the existing boardwalk.  There, the Maritime Museum’s collection of traditional workboats forms the core of its “floating museum.”  Residents can look out their windows and see which weather flag is flying atop the historic US Weather Bureau storm-warning tower.  Standing watch over the sound is the reconstruction of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, part of the museum complex, and the Elizabeth II rides at anchor across the creek.  Shops, restaurants, galleries, and marina slips will flank the boardwalk in both the old and new parts of town. 

While you could walk from Marshes Light to Roanoke Island Festival Park in just five minutes, a slower pace is more inviting.  On the way to a summer performance at the park’s outdoor pavilion, you can stop for various necessities, from a picnic basket to a bottle of wine to a take-out dinner.  You can even buy a vintage tablecloth on which to spread your feast as you watch the evening’s performance of music, dance, or drama, with Roanoke Sound as the backdrop.

Across the street from Marshes Light is the new campus of the College of the Albemarle’s School of Professional Crafts.  Just beyond is the everyday town center, where banks, grocery stores, dry cleaners, and other services are conveniently located. 

A 10-minute drive takes you to the North Carolina Aquarium, Elizabethan Gardens, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Waterside Theatre, where Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green’s outdoor drama The Lost Colony has been performed for the past 70 years.

It’s easy to understand why Manteo was chosen as a 2007 recipient of the Preserve America Presidential Award, recognizing the town’s “preservation of cultural and natural heritage assets, and the integration of these assets into contemporary community life, using innovative approaches to showcasing its historic resources,” according to the award criteria.

Marshes Light exemplifies the spirit of that effort.  Not only does Marshes Light look across to some of the oldest houses in the town, one of its most historic homes is incorporated into the new neighborhood.  Undergoing a meticulous restoration is the home of William T. Brinkley, who operated a herring and shad fishery beginning in the 1860s, and whose descendants later turned to dairy farming, delivering bottled milk up and down the Outer Banks.  Parts of the house date to the 1820s, while the house as it stands today dates to the 1880s or 90s, according to architectural historian Peter Sandbeck.  It was Brinkley who encouraged his sister and brother-in-law, Rosa and John Evans, to come to Manteo in 1873 to help build up a town around the new county seat established three years earlier.

            Mirroring the old part of town, the new neighborhood will include shops and restaurants, with residences above.  Along Fernando Street, the dividing line between past and present, new single-family homes are a reflection of the vernacular style found just across the street.  The master plan calls for higher density residences to be sited around the marina basin, providing a gradual increase in scale.  The condominiums, townhouses, and flats provide expansive views across Roanoke Sound to Outer Banks beaches, just 10 minutes away.

Perhaps the most beautiful location within the 14-acre site is the point that overlooks the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse and the Elizabeth II.  There, the Inn at Marshes Light will bring overnight guests to patronize the town’s shops and restaurants.

Today, the town’s motto is “Preserve.  Prosper.”  Even as brand-new homes stand up against the skyline, the simple, fine lines of the old Brinkley house are being slowly revealed.  The Elizabeth II recalls the audacious determination of those who crossed an ocean in search of a new life on Roanoke Island nearly 425 years ago.  The beam of the lighthouse reassures, even as the storm-tower lights warn of a change in the weather.  Children jump off the docks, as they always have.  There are no gates to divide townspeople from one another—only a few more porches, overlooking a few new streets, where people can sit, and tell of the dreams they keep.

Marshes Light Marina & Community

The Town of Manteo is known for its exceptional downtown waterfront, Victorian-inspired architecture and the large selection of bed and breakfasts in the Outer Banks. Situated on the eastern side of Roanoke Island, Manteo lies between the North Carolina mainland and the barrier islands of the Outer Banks along the Shallowbag Bay.

The town’s theme is decidedly nautical, with the daily weather reports coming in the form of flags flying from the Manteo Weather Tower. Beacons of light from the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse still guide boats in safely, and charming shops and cafes line the city’s waterfront.

While the residents of Manteo embrace the modern charms of the seaside village, they are also keenly aware of the island’s historical importance. Over 420 years ago, a group of 117 men, women and children, with the blessing of Queen Elizabeth I, settled on the island. An ideal location for an English settlement because of its lush vegetation and mild climate, they established a colony only to subsequently disappear. “The Lost Colony,” as it has come to be known, today remains one of history’s biggest mysteries.

Three hundred years later, Union forces took control of the waters of northeastern North Carolina, and the groundwork of modern Manteo was laid when freed slaves lived and worked on the island. Nearly 4,000 freed slaves had become part of this ‘Freedman’s Colony’ until its official closing in 1867.

Today, the town’s tree-lined streets, shops, restaurants, fishing charters and bed and breakfasts reflect its history while keeping one foot firmly planted in the present as well.

Marshes Light

Close to history and close to the water, Marshes Light is a one-of-a-kind waterfront community located within walking distance of the shops and restaurants of historic downtown Manteo. The last opportunity for new construction within the historic district, Marshes Light includes homesites, single-family homes and marina villa homes in addition to a host of amenities including a 60-slip marina, all while reflecting Manteo’s unique character and charm.

Mayo Boddie, chairman of developer Boddie-Noell, pointed out, “I have always loved Manteo, and it’s why we decided to develop Marshes Light there. I own a condo there, I dock my boat there, and I love to spend time there, which is why I’ve been so passionate about Marshes Light and about connecting the community to historic downtown Manteo.”

(This article originally appeared in Ideal Living Magazine.)

Check out these adorable dishes that Mrs. C found in Hilton Head. They’ll work well with the white dishes and mugs I found at a local store.

The Coors Cottage will bring a new dimension to a visit at Marshes Light. A 2009 Parade of Homes winner, the Coors Cottage blends historical detail and craftsmanship of the past with an upscale, gourmet kitchen and an open and inviting floor plan.

How about a soak in the tub after a full day?

Located on stately Fernando Street, the Coors Cottage is just a short walk to downtown Manteo and quaint shops, restaurants, and Festival Park.

Could you imagine yourself boating here and mooring up for a week? Staying in a destination marina and exploring a charming historic town on foot. There’s a history center, mariner’s museum, outdoor theater, summer farmer’s market and “First Friday” street festivals. There are plenty of locally owned restaurants serving fresh food and fresh caught seafood daily. Maybe rent bicycles or don your running shoes and hit the miles-long bike and jogging path that run the length of the island.

Imagine.

Visit www.marsheslight.com for more information. For information on the Outer Banks and things to do, visit www.outerbanks.org.

October 23
 7:30 p.m. Red Clay Ramblers. The Tony® Award-winning Red Clay Ramblers, a North Carolina string band whose repertoire encompasses old-time mountain music, bluegrass country, rock, and the American musical. Performances at First Flight High School, Kill Devil Hills. For more information call 252-255-2274. Saturday evening tickets will be available at the door: $25 per adult; $12 per student.

October 24
The Conner Miller Duo.  Indoor Theatre at Roanoke Island Festival Park. 4 p.m. The duo performs traditional renditions of Old-Time, Brother Duets, bluegrass, acoustic and American Roots, as well as original songs. Admission is included in the general admission ticket to the Park. (252) 475-1500. roanokeisland.com.

October 28
Trick or Treat Under the Sea. NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island. 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Ghosts and strange aquatic creatures will greet children as they enjoy this “spooktacular” event. Crazy costume contests, creepy crafts, spine-tingling scream contests and yummy munchies are just a few of the things to howl about. Tickets are limited. All children must be accompanied by an adult. (800) 832-3474, (252) 473-3494 or ncaquariums.com.

October 28 – 30
The Haunted House at The Lost Colony: QUARANTINE ISLAND. Blood curdling scares from 7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Box Office opens at 6:00 p.m. Youth under 14 must be accompanied by an adult; not recommended for those under 10. Tickets are $10 per person; $8 per person if purchased before Oct. 28; no refunds. Rain or shine at Waterside Theatre, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Manteo, NC. Proceeds benefit the Roanoke Island Historical Association and Dare Coalition Against Substance Abuse. For advance tickets or information call 252-473-2127 x223 or visit thelostcolony.org.

October 29 – 31, November 5 – 7
Theatre of Dare presents “Sylvia”. Directed by Don Bridge.   This show is a “howlingly funny” modern romantic comedy about marriage… and a talking dog.  Shows are Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, at the COA Roanoke Island Campus.  Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 at the door, and $8 for students with valid school/college identification.  For more information, visit theatreofdare.org or call 252-261-4064.

October 29 – 31
Marshes Light Marina 1st Annual King Mackerel Tournament. Guaranteed first place prize of $10,000.  Proceeds benefit Outer Banks Relief Foundation and the Town of Manteo Fisherman’s Landing Project. For more information, please call 252-305-4737 or visit marsheslightmarina.com.

October 30
Halloween Parade and Party. Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Building, 23186 Myrna Peters Dr., Rodanthe. 2 to 3:30 p.m. A Halloween parade and party marks the spooky season on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Parade starts at North Beach Campground in Rodanthe and processes along N.C. 12 to the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Building. Call (252) 987-1303 for information. Visit rwscivic.org. The event is sponsored by the villages’ civic association.

October 30
RIFP Performance Series A& T Presents Dancing & Drumming of Africa & the Caribbean. 2 and 7 p.m. Indoor Theatre at Roanoke Island Festival Park. Dance to the Beat of Africa and the Caribbean: The E. Gwynn Dancers of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will transport you to the exciting world of African and Caribbean dance. The performances are free and open to the public. (252) 475-1500 roanokeisland.com.

November 3 – 6
53rd Invitational Surf Fishing Tournament. Cape Hatteras Anglers Club, Buxton. Registration – Wednesday, November 3, Team Fishing – Thursday, November 4, Team Fishing – Friday, November 5, Bob Bernard Individual Tournament Saturday, November 6, Tackle Show – Thursday, November 4. capehatterasanglersclub.org.

November 5
First Friday. Downtown Manteo Waterfront. 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. First Friday is a fun-filled, family-oriented street festival. The sidewalks pulse with live music, magic, artisans, period-dressed actors, a rock climbing wall and much more. firstfriday-roanokeisland.com.

November 6
RIFP Performance Series A&T presents a Musical program. Indoor Theatre at Roanoke Island Festival Park. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Musical Moods and Melodies: Join the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Music Programs exciting Jazz Ensemble under the direction of renowned trumpeter Mondre Moffett. The performances are free and open to the public. (252) 475-1500 or roanokeisland.com.

November 8
4th Annual Paul Shaver Memorial Charity Golf Tournament. Sea Scape Golf Links. Registration begins at 11:00 a.m. Shotgun start at noon. Tournament Proceeds will be donated to The Outer Banks Relief Foundation. Entry fee is $100 per person or $400 per team. Fees include: cart and green fees, t-shirt, box lunch and refreshments. Post tournament dinner and raffle follow at The Black Pelican.  Dinner Tickets are also available for $20 per person. For more information, contact Michelle Robertson at 252-261-3171. Tournament entry forms are available at The Black Pelican and Sea Scape Golf Links.

November 9 – 14
Wings Over Water Wildlife Festival. Offering over 85 programs in themes ranging from paddling and wildlife photography to birding, natural history and more! (252) 216-9464 or wingsoverwater.org.

November 12
Lecture with Duane River and Charles S. Manooch. Art Gallery at Roanoke Island Festival Park. 7 – 9 p.m. Charles Manooch, author of Fisherman’s Guide: Fishes of the Southeastern United States, and Duane Raver, the book’s illustrator, will discuss their book project and share anecdotes. (252) 475-1500 or roanokeisland.com.

November 13
Outer Banks 8K. Kill Devil Hills, near the First Flight Schools Campus. An out-and-back course which will start in Kill Devil Hills, continue through Nags Head Woods Maritime Forest and finish at the First Flight High School track. obxmarathon.org.

November 13
Outer Banks Fun Run. 10 a.m. A family friendly event where kids and adults can run and walk for the fun of it! Walker-friendly and strollers allowed. obxmarathon.org.

November 13
Outer Banks Jewelry Expo 2010. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Local and regional jewelry designers will gather at Roanoke Island Festival Park Saturday, November 13th for the 2nd annual Outer Banks Jewelry Expo. (252) 475-1500, roanokeisland.com.

November 14
Outer Banks Marathon and Half Marathon. The marathon starts in Kitty Hawk, the half marathon starts at Jockeys Ridge and both cross the beautiful Washington-Baum Bridge and finish on Roanoke Island. obxmarathon.org.

November 19, 20
13th Annual Manteo Rotary Rockfish Rodeo. Outdoor Pavilion at Roanoke Island Festival Park. A fishing tournament sponsored by the Manteo Rotary. (252) 473-6644 or rockfishrodeo.com.

November 20
RIFP Performance Series UNC Chapel Hill presents Opera. Indoor Theatre at Roanoke Island Festival Park. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. UNC Chapel Hill, with Director Terry Ellen Rhodes, will present a program entitled “Scenes from Verdi Operas.” The performances are free and open to the public. (252) 475-1500 or roanokeisland.com.

November 20
7:30 p.m. Greg Gelb Jazz Quartet –  Savor the sizzling sounds of this widely popular quartet which encompasses great jazz and swing standards, bebop, early jazz, post bop and originals lead by Gregg Gelb, recipient of the 1997 Jazz Fellowship Award from the NC Arts Council.  Performances at First Flight High School, Kill Devil Hills. For more information call 252-255-2274. Saturday evening tickets will be available at the door: $25 per adult; $12 per student.

November 25
15th Annual Advice 5K Turkey Trot. Duck. A great warm up for your Thanksgiving Feast! Starting on Scarborough Lane in Duck with a finish line full of post race festivities! Runners and walkers of all abilities and ages are welcome. active.com.

November 26 – 27
Hangin’ with Santa & Kites with Lights. Kitty Hawk Kites, Nags Head. Children can have their free photo taken with Santa in a demonstration Hang Glider on Friday and Saturday. November 27, watch the night sky magically transform as skilled flyers maneuver their lit stunt kites to the sounds of your favorite holiday songs atop Jockey’s Ridge State Park. (877) FLY-THIS, (252) 441-4124 or kittyhawkkites.com.

November 26 – 27
Hatteras Island Arts and Craft Guild Holiday Show. Cape Hatteras Secondary School, Buxton. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Free admission, food and a scholarship raffle. Local artists. (252) 441-1850.

This home is located on lot #1 in Marshes Light, and is owned by Bob & Norma of  Lorton, Virginia. The street’s been abuzz with interest and lot #3 recently went under contract.

The Marshes Light Marina Ship’s Store is in the works with construction to start in the next few days.

Construction on both projects is provided by local builder, Steve Daniels and Renaissance Construction.

Brinkley House, yard with adirondack chairs, whitewashed elm, grape arbor, circa 1940's.

Imagine a sunny day 70 years ago. Fish are biting, crabs are plentiful. Fresh tomatoes and corn from the garden. Nice cool breeze off the water.

Over the years, the Brinkley house is forgotten… fallen into disrepair.

There’s potential buried under that lonely exterior.

Old siding is removed, and the Brinkley House is readied for its new location in the new Marshes Light Subdivision, 2007.