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| These
restored homes now serve as shops |
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| Corolla
Schoolhouse, 1890 |
Historic
Corolla
In the 1970's little more than a dozen
people lived in the village of Corolla (see Coastal
Guide Map), and the paved road reached only to Duck.
Corolla was still nearly as isolated as it was a century
earlier, in 1875, when the Currituck
Beach Lighthouse was completed near the Jones Hill Life
Saving Station, itself having been completed just one year
earlier. At that time the lighthouse keepers, Life Saving
Station
surfmen and their families numbered greater than a dozen
by themselves. Back then the area was known as Jones Hill,
and did not take on the name Corolla until much later.
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| Corolla
Chapel, 1885 |
Even
in 1975 when a private developer built a private road northward
from Duck, it stopped short of reaching Corolla village and
was open only to residents and local property owners. Then
finally, in 1984, the state took over the private road, making
it part of Highway 12, and extended it through Corolla to
where it now ends at the beach ramp. Since then, the area
has exploded with homes, chain and franchise businesses, and tourism. Despite this mad rush of growth and
construction, the historic heart of Corolla is still a dirt
road with quaint shops, and a 19th century chapel and restored
schoolhouse. A visit to this spot, down a dirt side street off Highway 12, gives a feel for the quietude and simple pace of days gone by. |
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| Whalehead
Club viewed from the southwest |
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| A
panoramic view of the Whalehead Club from the gallery
of Currituck Beach Lighthouse |
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| A
unique view of the Whalehead Club from the Currituck
Beach Lighthouse lantern room |
Another
of the older buildings in Corolla is the Whalehead Club.
Construction was completed on this grand art nouveau building
in 1925. It was originally named Corolla Island, and served
as a private residence. When the original owners died, the
property was sold and was renamed Whalehead Club by its new
owner.
Then in the '70's, when serious
development began north of Duck, parts of the original
property were
sold off. Eventually, the remaining land and structure
was purchased by Currituck County for restoration and
conversion
into a museum. It became part of the current Currituck
Heritage Park, which includes the Currituck Beach Light
Station, and
the new Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education being
constructed between the Whalehead Club and the lighthouse
by the North
Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
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South
side
of the
Whalehead Club |
Whalehead
Club gazebo
on the sound |
Boathouse
view of the arched bridge over the Whalehead Club harbor
entrance |
 Of
course, Corolla's most famous historic site is its
lighthouse, which preceded the Whalehead Club by half
a century. The
photo at left shows Currituck Beach Lighthouse viewed
from the Whalehead Club. The beautifully restored grand
Victorian Keeper's
Quarters at the light station adds greatly to the appeal
of this historic location. One of only two lighthouses
open for climbing on the Outer Banks, it is a "must see" on
any visit to Corolla.
 There is one other historic aspect associated with Corolla which has endured for over four centuries. Wild horses have roamed free around the area of Corolla since the earliest ventures to the new world by Spanish and English explorers and settlers. The explosion of building, tourism and resulting traffic which arose from the newly opened Hwy. 12 through Corolla forced the move of the wild horses farther north to safer areas, away from cars and highways. For more on these enduring wild horses, continue on with your exploration to the "Wild Horses of Corolla". |
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Beautiful
