By Scott Bradley
The Ocracoke Foundation in November celebrated 10 years of stewardship of the Community Square, located along the shore of Silver Lake in downtown Ocracoke.
It has served as a hub for commerce and social activity for decades. Many early island photographs depict daily life centered around the Square’s iconic Community Store, the Will Willis Fish House, the Ice Plant and the island’s first generator plant.
In 1918, Amasa “Mace” Fulcher’s grocery faced the harbor, appropriate for a business whose freight arrived by boat. Island men gathered on the porch to share stories, whittle birds and ponder the ways of fish. In winter months, the congregation moved inside near the pot-bellied stove. The daily arrival of the mail boat Aleta drew many islanders from their homes.
The Community Square is an irreplaceable community asset that can model how rural communities can put their assets to work: save historic properties, provide space for locally owned small businesses, maintain waterfront access and public open space, be a focal point for tourism and use the lease income as a permanent endowment to benefit our island.
The Community Square was listed for public sale in 2009.Working with the seller, David Senseney, in November 2013 the Ocracoke Foundation (OF) was able to purchase the square for $1.6 million. This was made possible by two interim loans: with The Conservation Fund and the McDermott Family each making loans of $800,000.
OF’s primary concern was losing the square, the heart of the island’s maritime heritage and businesses, to private development. OF’s intent was to take this valuable island asset, restore and preserve it, and direct a significant portion of rental income into a Community Fund and Grants Program to benefit the community.
In December 2017 the $800,000 loan from The Conservation Fund was repaid with a new loan of $600,000 from TowneBank, and $200,000 from 200+ individual donations and other sources. In May 2020 the Ocracoke Foundation received a gift of $800,000 from Keith and Isabelle McDermott of London, England, and Ocracoke.
This donation transformed their loan, made in November 2013, to help purchase the Community Square, to a gift to benefit our community.
This iconic maritime heritage site would not be in community ownership without the vision, generosity and commitment of the McDermotts, The Conservation Fund, TowneBank and individual donors, and significant support for improvements from Golden LEAF and the Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board.
Major improvement projects 2018–2021: $1,009,000
The impact of Tropical Storm Hermine in September 2016, followed by the then record-setting flood waters of Hurricane Matthew one month later, made it clear that the five National Register historic structures and two docks required repairs, flood mitigation and restoration. A century of storms has taken its toll on structures 80 to 120 years old.
In Spring 2018 storm water and septic/wastewater improvements were completed, including repaving the parking lot with water-absorbing pervious pavers. Old cistern septic tanks for bathroom and food service waste were replaced with a modern system. These costly, environmentally significant investments reduce runoff into Silver Lake and were made possible by Golden LEAF Foundation and Community Square Lease Income (Project: $319,000).
In August 2019 the support structure for the Willis Store & Fish House (ca. 1930) and surrounding dock and platform areas were raised and rebuilt and 200+ feet of shoreline bulkhead installed. This $387,000 project was supported by Golden LEAF, Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Funds and Community Square lease income.
On September 6, 2019, Hurricane Dorianinundated the island with an unprecedented 7.5-foot storm surge that damaged hundreds of structures. At the square, the new Willis Dock held strong, but the Willis Store, having just been raised 20 inches, was flooded with 18 inches of water, causing significant interior damage to the Ocracoke Working Watermen’s Association (OWWA) Exhibit spaces and artifacts. Refurbishing the Willis Store and OWWA Exhibit was completed in late 2023.
The main dock by the Community Store was totally destroyed. TJ’s Marine Construction completed rebuilding it in June 2021. The $303,000 project was funded by Golden-LEAF and Community Square lease income.
The five buildings on the National Register of Historic Places:
Community Store building (ca. 1918): Significant repairs and restoration including new roofing, interior/exterior painting, siding, and upgrades completed including new HVAC, bathroom, full commercial kitchen. Two tenants: Stockroom Street Food, and Village Thrift Shop (whose profits benefit Ocracoke Youth Center and Community Park).
William Williams House (ca. 1900): ongoing repairs, significant restoration scheduled for 2024; Tenants: Ragged Sailor Trading Company and the Ocracoke Foundation office.
Electric/Water Office (ca. 1936) – Interior/exterior paint and siding, new roofing, new HVAC. Tenant: Sea Break Gifts.
Generator/Ice Plant (ca. 1936) – Roof repairs, exterior painting, new HVAC. Tenants: Kitty Hawk Kites, Fudge & Ice Cream Shop.
Willis Store & Fish House (ca.1930): Restoration and repairs include new roof, new siding, interior and exterior painting, electrical improvements. The OWWA and Duck Decoy Carvers Exhibits are now open, after extensive repair from damage from Hurricane Dorian. Funding support from FEMA and Ocracoke Foundation.
Dockage: The main dock and Willis Dock now total 18 slips for local commercial and recreational boats.
Protective Easements to protect the historic preservation are in process, completion anticipated in early 2024.
Community Grants Fund: Income over the last 10 years has primarily been used for repairs and improvements, as well as operating costs such as flood, property and liability insurance; septic and utilities; and principal and interest payments to TowneBank for the purchase loan. The remaining debt is $350,000.
In 2023, OF made its first significant payment from the Community Fund, with a $50,000 loan to the OPS Island Inn Project (Interest and principal payments will go back into the Community Fund), and $5,000 donations each to the “Food for Folks” program of the United Methodist Church, and to the Island Inn Commons Landscaping Project.
Clarification: This story was corrected as to one of the tenants in the William Williams House, which is the Ragged Sailor Trading Company. Mermaid’s Folly is across the street.
