Six historic structures in Cape Lookout National Seashore that have been damaged by storms and rising sea levels are to be razed.
The park is rich with history and home to many historic structures that represent the lives and times of Eastern Carolina ancestry but now pose a serious threat to visitors and will have to be demolished, the park service said Thursday.
Sponsor Spotlight
Over the last three years, there has been unrecoverable damage to the Casablanca House, also known as the Baker-Holderness House, the Seltzer-Dawsey House and the Jetty Worker 1 House, all at Cape Village, the TT Potter House and the Frank Gaskill House, both in Portsmouth Village, and the Battle Brothers Hunting and Fishing Lodge near Portsmouth Village.
“As many of you know, I have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into trying to get us back on track with the preservation of these buildings,” said Jeff West, superintendent of Cape Lookout National Seashore.
“Deterioration, lack of attention, and our environment have all contributed to the loss,” he said. “I truly regret it and will do everything I can to get the remaining structures repaired. To honor the women and men who made a living out of these buildings, we will put up waysides at each location to commemorate their contribution to the culture and history of the banks.”
The North Core Banks, South Core Banks, and Shackleford Banks, the natural-barrier islands that make up Cape Lookout National Seashore that are only accessible by boat, have long protected the mainland against ocean surges and high-water events associated with hurricanes, nor’easters, and other weather-related events.
