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Black Breard
www.qaronline.org/default.htm
Not every visitor to the Outer Banks has been lured by sun, surf, spectacular beaches and world class fishing! Some were victims of pirates, wreckers, and privateers. Others were washed ashore when Nor'easters and hurricanes broke their vessels on the shoals and still others simply disappeared. For over four hundred years, the waters off the Outer Banks have been among the most treacherous in the world. Over the centuries, so many ships and lives have been lost along these shores, the waters all along the Outer Banks are known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
Black Breard
(252) 986-2995/2996
www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com
This fall will mark the 10th anniversary of the discovery of what scholars believe to be Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge off Beaufort, NC. Artifacts have been raised from the sea floor and cautious eyes have been waiting and watching for something to discount this underwater archaeology site as that of the QAR, but nay-sayers need to take a back seat, because after all this time nothing has been discovered to disprove the theory.
Items recovered include a bronze bell with the date 1709, pewter plates, cannons, navigational instruments, nails, gun hardware, bottles, and smaller personal items such as a button and a tobacco pipe. Even a small amount of gold dust has been recovered. Experts estimate that over 500,000 items will be recovered from the site. These fascinating finds will help future generations understand early ships, armaments and life on board a pirate ship, and will ever keep us aware of the golden age of piracy. For more information visit: http://www.qaronline.org/default.htm.
Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum
252-928-7375
www.ocracokepreservation.org •ops@ocracokepreservation.org
Remnants of a submerged Civil War fort, a fine collection of Ocracoke seashells, and video documentation of the island's distinctive dialect are some of the exhibits you will find at the Ocracoke Preservation Society's museum, the David Williams house. Located near the ferry docks in Ocracoke Village, the OPS Museum displays an interesting array of artifacts of community life of the past 100 years, including a mosquito-proof baby crib, a primitive push lawn mower, and the cap worn by Capt. David Williams, first captain of Ocracoke's U.S. Coast Guard station.
Confederate Fort Ocracoke, constructed on nearby Beacon Island, just offshore of the village, was abandoned and destroyed without a fight in September 1861, shortly after Union victories on nearby Hatteras Island. In 1998, local fishermen directed members of the Surface Interval Diving Company to the underwater locations of the crumbled walls of the fort. SIDCO divers subsequently retrieved numerous artifacts from the site. Those on display at the museum are primarily kitchenware ceramics and glass. Civil War historians say the South's soldiers often brought domestic items from home because the Confederate military was ill-prepared to provide for its troops when the war broke out.
The museum's permanent exhibits include re-creations of an authentic 1930's bedroom and kitchen, a room dedicated to maritime history, various model boats, and an exhibit on the native villagers' famous dialect or "Brogue." This unique form of speech, traced back to Shakespearian English, developed over the community's 200 years in isolation and has drawn the interest of linguists worldwide. In addition to the permanent collections, each year the museum displays a front hall exhibit of artwork that features images of local interest.
A second-floor research room contains genealogical material, local Coast Guard records, and other pertinent papers about the community's history, unique speech, and traditions such as the Ocracoke Square Dance and Old Quawk's Day.
Additional information and highlights of the organization and its facility are available on the Internet at www.ocracokepreservation.org. The museum is open annually from Easter to Thanksgiving.
For more information and current hours, call 252-928-7375 or e-mail us at ops@ocracokepreservation.org.
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