Island Inn & Commons project breaks ground on new event space in Ocracoke

August 4, 2024 | Island Features | By: Joy Crist

The Island Inn & Commons project reached another milestone this past week when Debbie Wells and the team behind the extensive landscaping project officially broke ground on a new pergola and outdoor area that will serve as a future event space.

Island Inn shortly after it was raised in June 2021. Image from Rory Kelleher.

When the Island Inn & Commons’ landscaping project began just over a year 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.

But the Island Inn & Commons has undergone a massive transformation and is now an Ocracoke Village attraction in its own right.

Over the past year, Wells and a team of other volunteers 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.

Meanwhile, the Ocracoke Civic and Business Association, Ocracoke Preservation Society (OPS), and Tourism Development Authority have replaced the old port-a-potties with brand new restrooms, and restoration work on the 1901 building itself continues to slowly turn the structure into a revitalized visitors center.

The installation of the new pergola marks a new phase in the project, 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.

“This is going to be a perfect spot for community events, or even private events like outdoor weddings,” said Wells. “our goal is to have this [event space] finished by the end of the year, minus the fig trees, because they have to be planted in January or February.”

From left to right: Raul Campos, Harry Clark, and Ray Stotesberry.

Ray Stotesberry and crewmember Harry Clark, alongside longtime Island Inn & Commons contributor Raul Campos and his team, set the first pergola pilings in the ground on Wednesday, July 31.

Eventually, the pergola will have two 10 to 12-foot-tall structures that will connect with the grassy lawn and will border 16 different trees, including 7-8 native varieties.

“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.

Though this next phase of the Island Inn & Commons project has just started, there have already been some obstacles in the form of buried shards of concrete, lead pipes, and other remnants of the Island Inn’s long tenure as the Odd Fellows Lodge, a school, and then a popular hotel and hang-out spot.

“There was so much going on here over the decades, and we’re finding the site’s history under the surface as we dig into the ground,” said Wells.

While there will surely be additional obstacles on the construction side of the project, on the fundraising side, the Island Inn & Commons organizers have been fairly pleased with the support and enthusiasm.

The Ocracoke Preservation Society (OPS) created personalized bricks as a fundraising initiative, which will eventually be added to the commons’ walkway, and as of the end of July, all 357 bricks have been sold.

The 1901 Island Inn renovation project on Ocracoke Island in July 2023. Photo by Joy Crist.

“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, while 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 is clearly paying off. While the gardens that border N.C. Highway 12 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.

“I can envision so many things happening here at [this new space],” said Wells. “Community events, non-profit events or fundraisers, weddings… After looking at these plans on paper for over a year, it is thrilling to see it finally come to life.”

How you can help the OPS and the Island Inn project

Donations are always accepted online and can be made via the OPS website. More information on the OPS, which includes a link to the online gift shop, can be found at https://www.ocracokepreservationsociety.org/shop.

For a background on the years-long Island Inn & Commons project, click here.