Ocracoke community invited to “An Evening at the Commons” to celebrate waves of progress at the Island Inn site
When the Island Inn & Commons’ landscaping project began roughly 18 months ago, the grounds surrounding the former 1901 Island Inn (or Odd Fellows Lodge) were effectively a blank slate.
There were port-a-potties, some raw patches of sand and grass, and not much else. The building itself was also in minor disarray, after a years-long effort to revitalize the inn had to be paused following 2019’s Hurricane Dorian.
Over the past year and a half, however, multiple organizations and volunteers have come together to transform the Island Inn and the surrounding grounds into an unmissable and unmistakable Ocracoke Village landmark.
The Ocracoke Civic and Business Association, Ocracoke Preservation Society (OPS), and Tourism Development Authority added brand new public restrooms in the summer of 2024.
Restoration work on the 1901 building continues to slowly turn the structure into a revitalized visitors center. Recent 2024 milestones include the addition of 24 window sashes and fresh paint that’s identical to the building’s turn-of-the-century color scheme.
“Our contractor has done a lot of restoration work and knows a lot of tricks, and one of his tricks was to sand some old boards very gently until they showed the original layers of paint,” said Ken DeBarth, President of OPS. “From there, he was able to match the original colors exactly.”
A new storage building has also been added to the back of the building to benefit all the stakeholders involved, and stairs and a revitalized front porch are being added to the structure to make it more accessible. “I’d say we have the outside [of the building] about 70% done,” said DeBarth.
But for folks cruising through Ocracoke Village along N.C. Highway 12, it’s the expansive new landscaping that makes onlookers pause and notice the waves of progress at the Island Inn.
Debbie Wells and a team of volunteers have been steadily tackling the landscaping portion of the multi-pronged project, which is where the Island Inn & Commons has had its most visible transformation.
Over the past year and a half, Wells and her team have planted hundreds of new plants and trees, (including more than 20 types of native Ocracoke species), added benches and paths, and created a community park and gathering space.
A new pergola and event space has also been added to the site after a long summer of hard work, and the pergola will be buffered by lines of fig trees, as well as an open green space that will be able to host public and private events.
“The design for this pergola by Garick Kalna has been on paper for over a year, so it’s exciting to see it come to life,” said Wells in an earlier interview.
While the gardens have already become one of the most popular outdoor spaces in Ocracoke Village, thanks to a constant flood of blooming flowers and trees, this next phase of the landscaping project promises to make the Island Inn & Commons even more of a community asset.
“It’s a good start, but we’ll definitely need more funds going forward,” said Wells.
It’s understandable that fundraising is a constant and unending goal for the Island Inn & Commons project. The 1901 Inn itself is restored piece by piece and as funds allow, and this latest phase of the landscaping project required thousands of dollars in material, as well as fill to create a higher topography for the event space.
But the constant fundraising and community support so far is clearly paying off, and this is why project stakeholders are hosting a community-wide “Evening at the Commons” event on Wednesday, October 23, at 5:00 p.m.
During this celebration, Ocracoke Islanders and visitors are invited to explore the progress for themselves, and see, first-hand, how their support has blossomed in the past few years.
“Curious about what we’ve been up to this year? Here’s your chance to see,” stated organizers in an announcement about the event. “Please join us for a bit of socializing and take a walk around to see what progress got made this year!”
Folks who can’t make Wednesday’s event can always swing by the outdoor community space at any time to explore the butterfly trail, use the much-needed public restrooms, or just stop and smell the literal roses.
There’s still plenty more work to come in the months and years ahead, but for now, the massive transformation of the Island Inn & Commons in less than two years is worth a pause and a little celebration.
Details for the Wednesday, Oct. 23 event
“An Evening at the Commons” starts at 5:00 p.m. and is open and free to the public. Parking is limited, and the event is weather-dependent with a rain date scheduled for Oct. 30.
How you can help the OPS and the Island Inn project
Donations are always accepted online and can be made via the OPS website, which also features an online gift shop and more.
About the OPS
The Ocracoke Preservation Society is a non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to the preservation of Ocracoke Island’s rich historical and cultural heritage. Founded in March 1983, OPS has maintained a free admission museum at the century-old David Williams House since 1992, and has assisted with other landmark projects and events in the Ocracoke community over the past four decades, including the 300th-anniversary event of the death of Edward “Blackbeard” Teach in 2018, and the 2018 purchase and restoration of the Island Inn property.
