ELIZABETH CITY — Descendants of the Pea Island Lifesavers are set to be on hand at the Museum of the Albemarle to tell the story of the only station in the history of the United States Life-Saving Service manned by an all-Black crew.
The live program, “Freedmen, Surfmen, Heroes,” begins at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 in the museum’s Gaither Auditorium.
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The program highlights Capt. Richard Etheridge, a Union Army veteran who became the first African American to command a life-saving station when he was appointed him as the Pea Island Life-Saving Station keeper in 1880, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The educational program uses imagery, sound effects and historical interpretation of events to share the story of Etheridge and the lifesaving station he commanded.
The program is in collaboration with Elizabeth City State University with sponsorship by State Farm agent Billie Reid.
Call 252-331-4054 or email lori.meads@ncdcr.gov to reserve a seat for this educational program that is for all ages.
The Museum of the Albemarle is at 501 S. Water St., Elizabeth City. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays and state holidays.
Sponsor Spotlight
The museum serves Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington counties and is the northeast regional history museum of the North Carolina Division of State History Museums within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
