by Think Currituck, on 7/1/21 10:33 AM
Long before tourism became a feature as we know it today in Currituck County, the residents chiefly made their lives and living on the sound and the sea.
Come July 16, the aquatic heritage of the region will be fully represented in the Currituck Maritime Museum.
Chandler Sawyer, the museum manager, states on www.visitcurrituck.com , “Our way of life in Currituck County has been molded by the waterways that surround us — from our mode of transportation and travel to the recreation activities we enjoy to our livelihoods. It’s always been an important part of our heritage and we’re excited to share those stories.”
To show and tell those narratives, many displays will highlight subjects such as boat-building, decoy carving, lifesaving stations and lighthouses, to name a few. Naturally, on view there will be actual fishing boats, artifacts, photographs and videos. In addition, there will be educational programs, demonstrations and hands-on exhibits; carving decoys and learning knot-tying are a couple of examples.
According to an article written this past spring by Paul Nielsen, a staff writer for The Daily Advance, work on the project began in October 2019, and the museum's building will cost $4.3 million; the money has come from revenue generated by the county’s 6% occupancy tax. The facility measurements are within the range of 9,000 to 10,000 square feet.
Agencies involved in the design and construction are: Beacon Architecture and Design, PLLC; Currituck County; Pace Collaborative; Quible and Associates, PC; Sinclair Pratt Cameron, PC; and Sussex Development Corp.
Very close by the museum and lighthouse are the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education and Whalehead, built in the Art Nouveau manner during the 1920s by Edward and Marie Louise Knight. The former is dedicated to teaching about nature and natural resources, and the latter features when the well-to-do came to the region for fishing and hunting.
Currituck Public Information Coordinator Randall Edwards is quoted as saying, “Many of Corolla’s visitors have been coming back for more than 20 years and they have formed intense bonds with Currituck, its residents and its history. The museum will give a new perspective to those already familiar with Currituck’s history and be educational for those who are just starting to learn.’’
He added that the museum will “... also draw day visitors from other areas who are interested in boats, boat building, hunting and fishing.”
The Currituck Maritime Museum is located in Corolla at 1140 Village Lane, which is across from the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, both within the Historic Corolla Park.
To learn more before your visit, go to www.visitcurrituck.com/places/currituck-maritime-museum.
Visit the Currituck Maritime Museum on Facebook.
