The Bigger Picture

Somebody asked me the other day what was so special about this house - he didn't mean it in a critical way, just wondering why this particular house should merit so much attention.  And it's a good question.  George Washington never slept here, it's not the homestead of a famous author...so why does it matter whether or not we preserve it to historic standards?  My answer is that no house in the Ocracoke Historic District qualifies as "special" based on its individual merits as a record of history or even on its unique architectural merits, but what does qualify as special, even historically important, is the Ocracoke Historic District itself.  And every old home and structure, and indeed every old tree and lane in the District contributes to that important value.  As does the living history of Ocracoke - those people whose families have been here and over generations have woven a fabric of knowledge and experience that is unique to Ocracoke. 

When visitors come here and say, as I have often heard, "wow, I just love it here, it's so peacful and easy going," what they're talking about is Ocracoke's historic character and without the old houses and the big ol' live oaks and the commercial fishing community and the "mom and pop"stores and narrow streets, Ocracoke wouldn't be Ocracoke; it would be....well, just like the rest, only further away.