Beautiful weather awaited the runners for Marathon Weekend. This little video sums it up!
The race finished in Manteo meandering through Marshes Light – what a great place to call home!
Outer Banks to Roanoke Island, Southern Shores to Marshes Light: exploring life on a barrier island. A guide to fun, family, home, real estate, restaurants, surf, sun and more.
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Beautiful weather awaited the runners for Marathon Weekend. This little video sums it up!
The race finished in Manteo meandering through Marshes Light – what a great place to call home!
Categories: Fall Weather, Fitness, News, outer banks, Running, Sporting Events, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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Yet tucked away from the hustle bustle, is a lovely three bedroom condominium at Marshes Light. Spacious, this lovely top floor home overlooks the Marina to the south and views of Shallowbag Bay and Roanoke Sound to the southeast. Close enough to stroll to restaurants, theater and shopping, the sound-side boardwalk hugs the shoreline while providing a comfortable and picturesque walkway.
Perhaps the thing that speaks volumes, though, is the craftsmanship and quality of materials. You’ll notice the solid construction, the Hardi-Plank siding, the Andersen windows, the 10 1/2 ceiling heights, thoughtful use of space, transom windows above interior doors and in the kitchen, stainless appliances, granite countertops and natural maple cabinetry.
The recent TowneBank Red Nose Wine Festival has put Marshes Light on the map! To arrange for a tour, please contact Lee Whitley at 252-475-9863 or email lee@marsheslight.com. Price: $425,000.
Categories: Land Development, Marshes Light Marina, News, outer banks, Real Estate, Roanoke Island, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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The inaugural TowneBank Red Nose Wine Festival last Thursday launched a new event as part of the Christmas in July fundraising benefit for the Outer Banks Relief Foundation. Thankfully the rain held off, and cloudy conditions kept things cool and comfortable.
As people milled about in a “Charleston” like setting, music played in the background. The performers included Mojo Collins, Laura Martier, Joe Mapp & The Coordinates, Ruth Wyand, and The Jazzmen. North Carolina wines were featured with Biltmore, Cauble Creek Vineyard, Childress Vineyards, Old North State Winery, Sanctuary Vineyards and Vineyards on the Scuppernong. Additional wines from around the world were provided by Mutual Distributing Company and The Wine Specialist of Kitty Hawk.
There was delicious food from Black Pelican, Café Lachine, Ocean Boulevard and Ortegaz. And, making it a full-on and fun afternoon, there were little shops set up along the Boulevard – Jewelry by Gail, The Cottage Shop and Mothervine Nutraceuticals. Wine, music and shopping? Oh my!
The final word isn’t in on how much was raised for the Relief Foundation, but many of the people involved expressed their enthusiasm with the event. Said Luanne Hege (who had the original vision to make the Wine Festival a reality):
“Our event this past Thursday surpassed our wildest dreams; the weather, which had been flukey at best, settled down, the heat wave broke, and the thunderstorms stayed away. The remarkable (thank you, Roland!) Mike Fitzwater and his group (Special Events) did an outstanding job. The attendance, while under the optimistic 2000 that we kept thinking we’d have, was a very respectable 1390, with all cabanas and reserved tables sold out. (Indeed three of our cabana purchasers have already “signed up” for next year!) Our site, the Marshes Light complex in Manteo, right on Shallowbag Bay, was a terrific venue, right on the water, provided a perfect canvas for our layout.”
It could not have been possible without the help of our volunteers!
Categories: Arts, Dining, Food & Wine, Marshes Light Marina, News, outer banks, People of Interest, Shopping, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
Palmetto Cheese Spread, “The Pimento Cheese with Soul” by Pawleys Island Specialty Foods. Delicious, try with thin little Pretzel Crisps (by Snack Factory). Both available at Harris Teeter.
Movie from Red Box: “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” with Jason Segal, Ed Helms and Susan Sarandon. A heartwarming film about a couple of misfit brothers who come to each other’s aid –http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588334/#.
First Annual Red Nose Wine Festival at Marshes Light took place on Thursday afternoon, July 12. The place was transformed into a classy venue for wine tastings, live music, food, shopping and great fellowship all to benefit the Outer Banks Relief Foundation. Had fun helping Christine, The Wine Specialist, at the tastings tent. Stay tuned for more photos.
From the Dare County Library: The Woman Who Wasn’t There: The True Story of an Incredible Deception by Robin Fisher and Angelo J. Guglielmo, Jr. I couldn’t put it down – great summertime read for the beach or the pool.
Categories: Arts, Dining, Food & Wine, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, People of Interest, Shopping, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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2nd Saturdays at RIFP
Storytelling with Elizabeth II Captain Robbie
June 9th from 2-3 p.m. Small Auditorium
Captain Putnam will play video clips of the Elizabeth II under construction and under sail including a clip of its launching on November 22nd, 1983. He will also share stories about working on the ship, for the past 19 years, and sailing her to other ports as an outreach program. Free.
UNC Pembroke- Stuart Little Children’s Show
June 12th, 13th and 14th at 10:30 a.m., Indoor Theatre
Stuart Little is no ordinary mouse. Born to a family of humans, he lives in New York City with his parents, his older brother George, and Snowbell the cat. Though he’s shy and thoughtful, he’s also a true lover of adventure which is reflected in this production.
Tickets are $5 for all 6 years old and older. 5 and under-free.
UNC Pembroke – I Love you, You’re Perfect…Now Change!
June 12th, 13th, and 14th at 7 p.m., Indoor Theatre
This production takes on the comedy and tragedy of relationships with a simplicity and truthfulness that will leave you rolling in the aisles with laughter and quietly wiping tears from your eyes. Filled with the music and style from the 1980’s the audience will be inspired to explore the meaning of love and relationships. Tickets are $10 adults and 6-12 years old – $5. 5 and under are free.
A Soldier’s Life – Summer Kids Program
June 14th from 9-11 a.m., Visitors Center
Learn about the soldiers who came to Roanoke Island by exploring the Settlement Site. Participate in a military drill and make a buckler shield to take home. Ages 7 to 13 $20. Pre-register at (252)475-1500.
75th Anniversary Season – THE LOST COLONY at Waterside Theater
Over 400 years ago, 117 men, women and children sailed from Plymouth, England in an attempt to settle on Roanoke Island; they vanished just two years later. The only clue left behind was the word “CROATOAN” carved into a post. The Lost Colony is their story.
Tickets available at http://thelostcolony.org/tickets/.
Year-long highlights include beautiful winter-time Camellias, spring bulbs, colorful summer landscapes from hydrangeas to crepe myrtles, autumn hues of ornamental grasses and salvia, as well as seasonal events like an Easter Eggstravaganza, Harvest Hayday and WinterLights. The Gardens are founded and supported by The Garden Club of North Carolina.
The Gardens are located at 1411 National Park Drive Manteo, NC 27954 GPS: 35 56.2N 75 42.7w
Categories: Arts, Home & Garden, outer banks, Roanoke Island, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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I hope these photos capture the happiness I feel when the air feels good on your skin and I’m outside and flowers are blooming and gentle breezes are blowing and the birds are chirping. I live in the most beautiful place on earth – the Outer Banks!


Categories: Environment, Home & Garden, Land Development, outer banks, Roanoke Island, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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Stuff I found on the Internet this week (thanks to Google Alerts and Pinterest):
http://www.workingwaterfront.com/articles/The-Will-of-Wanchese/14824/ A little bit of history of the fishing village, Wanchese, NC, from The Working Waterfront, by Susan West, published by The Island Institute.
New findings of The Lost Colony: Evidence Found At Lost Colony Site by Ran Northam at Chapelboro.com http://www.chapelboro.com/Evidence-Found-At-Lost-Colony-Site/13145894.
You’ll never guess what I saw on my OBX vacation At HamptonRoads.com.
Sillyness from Pinterest:
Categories: Arts, Marshes Light Marina, News, outer banks, People of Interest, Roanoke Island, travel, Uncategorized.
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Happy Spring from Marshes Light!
Two new homes have sprouted up at Marshes Light. Traditional Manteo styled, one with a pop of bright blue.
Home site #13 reduced: $150,000.
April is a happening month along the Outer Banks! Check out these great events and click here for more information:
Categories: Arts, Dining, Environment, Food & Wine, Home & Garden, marina, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, Running, Sporting Events, Things to do, travel.
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This little fella is a Killdeer, a type of plover or shore bird. They make their nests in the darndest places, like in the middle of a field or on a gravel rooftop, but wherever it is, the nest blends well into the background.
I have been watching him/her all week. I had originally assumed he was a she, but just a short while ago, another Killdeer showed up and this one followed her, jumped on top and mated. It happened so fast, I didn’t have time to tell them to get a room! He hopped off and came back to the nest. The males and females look a lot alike and take turns sitting on the nest.
I startled him and he jumped up and scurried away from the nest. There are four eggs and they are gray with black specks, blending in with mud and gravel. I’m eagerly looking forward to seeing the baby chicks hatch and will try to get a photo to share. It takes 24 to 28 days of incubating for the chicks to hatch.
According to www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/killdeer/id, the Killdeer is one of the least water-associated of all shorebirds.
You can hear the Killdeer whistle here: http://www.birdjam.com/birdsong.php?id=18.
Categories: Environment, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, Roanoke Island, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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In between work and hosting my niece and her active two year old last week, I volunteered at the Outer Banks Wedding Show on Saturday at the beautiful Sanderling Inn in Duck. It was fun greeting the brides, grooms, friends and family and seeing all the incredible tablescapes and exhibits on display.
There are lots of places to get married on the Outer Banks; here are just a few:
The Wedding Show was sponsored by OBXBrides.com and featured over 60 vendors. From cakes and flowers, to music and photography, everything to make a special day perfect was on display.
A few of my favorite people were there too:
These folks know how to throw a wedding! For more information visit obxbrides.com.
Categories: Food & Wine, Home & Garden, outer banks, Outer Banks Weddings, People of Interest, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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The Area:
Historic downtown Manteo on Roanoke Island is beloved for its small town friendly atmosphere and waterfront location. Discover maritime history, live theater, art and cultural attractions, quaint shops, restaurants, First Friday Festivals and Saturday Farm Markets in Manteo, and, best of all, it’s located just minutes from the beautiful beaches of Nags Head along North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
The Property:
A one-of-a-kind, truly spectacular home in the new Marshes Light community is now available. This 3 bedroom, 3 bath home is located on the top floor of the Azalea condominiums and sits on the most eastern point of the community with panoramic views of Shallowbag Bay to the south, Roanoke Sound and Nags Head to the east, and the Marshes Lighthouse, Manteo waterfront and Roanoke Island Festival Park to the northeast. This home was enjoyed as a weekend get-away by its owners and has been lovingly cared for.
Features:
For more information, contact Lee Whitley at lee@marsheslight.com or call 252-475-9863.
Categories: Home & Garden, Land Development, marina, Marshes Light Marina, News, outer banks, Real Estate, Roanoke Island, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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Renaissance Construction recently broke ground for the construction of a three bedroom home in Marshes Light on home site 7. This marks the fourth home in downtown Manteo’s newest neighborhood. Renaissance Construction is owned by Steve Daniels who is the Marshes Light preferred builder.
“I employ the best local craftsmen and personally oversee to be sure each home is well built in a timely and efficient manner.”
There are only a handful of home sites available at Marshes Light, and one or two will boast panoramic views of the Sound. Marshes Light is a unique location connected by a boardwalk to shops, restaurants, theater and Festival Park in downtown Manteo.
Categories: Home & Garden, Land Development, People of Interest, Real Estate, Roanoke Island, Uncategorized.
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There are many natural and beautiful places to explore along the Outer Banks. Certainly one of the most beautiful is on Roanoke Island, The Elizabethan Gardens.
“ 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.
Categories: Arts, Environment, Historic Architecture, Home & Garden, outer banks, Roanoke Island, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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Categories: Arts, Fitness, Holiday Happenings, Home & Garden, Land Development, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, Real Estate, Roanoke Island, Things to do, Uncategorized.
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This is the architect’s rendering of Marshes Light in Manteo, NC. Retail shops and restaurants along the water, homes and condominiums nearby, and a bustling marina. This new community is located within walking distance on a soundside boardwalk to historic Manteo with a variety of dining, shopping and cultural activities.

Categories: Arts, Historic Architecture, Home & Garden, Land Development, marina, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, Real Estate, Roanoke Island, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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Categories: Environment, Fall Weather, Home & Garden, outer banks, Things to do, Uncategorized.
The Outer Banks Marathon and related events happened this past weekend, November 11-13. The weather was perfect, sunny with temperatures in the upper 60’s. This was the first time I have ever participated in a big race, and I’m happy to say that I finished the Half Marathon in a little over 2 hours and 20 minutes. The course was incredible providing views of the Sound, and winding along Nags Head Golf Links, over the bridge to Manteo. I drive to Manteo every day to my office at Marshes Light, but running part of that route gives me a whole new perspective.
There were 1,215 runners in the Marathon and 2,757 runners in the Half, and the oldest runner was 83 years old! In addition to the Marathon held Sunday, on Saturday there were the Outer Banks 8K starting at the First Flight High School track, the Buccaneer 5K and a Fun Run. It was a great family weekend with something for everyone.
Categories: Fall Weather, Fitness, outer banks, People of Interest, Sporting Events, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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Marathon Fever!
Last day of Marathon Training was held this morning. We ran about 5 miles early this morning and witnessed a beautiful (almost) full moon setting over the Sound at Kitty Hawk Bay. Coaches Matt and Jay gave us a pep talk and reviewed what to expect and several things to avoid on race day (i.e., stick to your plan, avoid trying anything new – no new socks!).
We’ve been enjoying lots of sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high 60’s. Sunday – race day – is expected to be partly cloudy and temperatures in the mid 60’s.
On Sunday, traffic to Manteo from the beach will be diverted over the bridge to Manns Harbor and back to Manteo via the old Manns Harbor bridge.
For important Marathon information, click here: www.obxmarathon.org/Top_Nav/Outer_Banks_Marathon/need2knowinfo.htm.
To view the course map, click here: http://www.obxmarathon.org/Top_Nav/Outer_Banks_Marathon/fpraces_courseinfo.htm.
Wish me luck! This is my first ever Half Marathon!
Categories: Fall Weather, Fitness, outer banks, Roanoke Island, Sporting Events, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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About a month ago, the Town of Manteo provided a dump truck load of fossil/spent oyster shells to Marshes Light. This past Saturday (October 15) a group of volunteers bagged the shells for placement along the marsh to help stabilize an eroding expanse of coastal marsh – one of the last of its kind in Town limits. The bagged shells will be used much like rip rap or wood and vinyl bulkheads; however, this method utilizes natural materials.
The volunteer effort was part of an overall project aimed at creating a “living shoreline” to protect a Juncus marsh that is part of the Marshes Light Development in downtown historic Manteo. The “living shoreline” stabilization will allow the marsh to regenerate along its eroding fringe and return valuable oyster shells to our waters. These shells will also provide a great home to numerous marine creatures.
Thriving coastal marshes are vital to the overall health of our estuary, effectively filtering nutrients, fine sediments and toxins from overland runoff. These critical habitats also support fisheries and protected resources by improving water quality and buffering shorelines.
It was an interesting process and hard, dirty work. We used UV resistant netting material (used and recommended in the aquaculture industry) which was stretched over a piece of PVC pipe that was about 36” long and 8” in diameter. Wearing thick gloves, we placed the shells into the pipe with bag stretched and when full, the pipe was pulled out of the bag and the bag tied. Each bag was estimated to weigh about 30-35 pounds!
Once the necessary permits are in place, the next step will be to load the bags onto a barge and haul them over to the marsh. The Town also plans to install native marsh plants along the landward side of the stabilized shoreline next spring.
This project is an on-going and volunteer collaborative effort between Marshes Light new home community, the Town of Manteo, Quible & Associates, P.C., and our many friends! Check back in early next spring for information about volunteering for more projects along the Manteo waterfront.
I want to give special thanks to Marshes Light owners, Bob & Joan Ciardi (and friends), Jim Lambie and Jeff & Carol Nease for their hard work!
Categories: Environment, Fall Weather, Home & Garden, Land Development, marina, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, Roanoke Island, T Shirts, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
Categories: Arts, Fall Weather, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, Roanoke Island, Sporting Events, T Shirts, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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Categories: Fall Weather, marina, outer banks, Roanoke Island, Sporting Events, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.
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There’s been plenty written and photos posted of the effects and damages caused by Hurricane Irene. Like a bad house guest, Irene came to the beach, was demanding, made of big mess and left in a huff.
Along the Outer Banks, we are busy cleaning up and putting our lives back together. There has been a great outreach by locals and local businesses, the Red Cross and the Outer Banks Community Foundation to help those in need. Here are some links for information and donations:
http://www.obcf.org/home.htm
http://outerbanksvoice.com/
http://www.gaacarc.org/ (local chapter of American Red Cross)
After it was all over, aside from the cleanup efforts, there was much to appreciate, most of all is the beautiful weather we are currently enjoying. There’s always treasure to be found after a storm, such as these intact conch shells and beach glass found on the beach near my house the day after the storm.
Categories: outer banks, Roanoke Island, travel, Uncategorized.
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This article first appeared in My Outer Banks Home in 2007 by Angel Ellis Khoury
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 16th 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.
Categories: Historic Architecture, Land Development, marina, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, Roanoke Island, travel.
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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.
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.)
Categories: Historic Architecture, Home & Garden, Land Development, marina, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, Real Estate, Roanoke Island, travel, Uncategorized.
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Categories: Dining, Holiday Happenings, Marshes Light Marina, outer banks, Roanoke Island, Things to do, travel, Uncategorized.