Friday, April 28, 2017

NPS Visitors Center

I recently located this vintage photo of the NPS Visitors Center. I am wondering how many of our readers remember this building.

If you do, please leave a comment explaining where it was located. You might want to add what the building was originally used for, and tell a little about the boat in the photo. Also, does anyone have a guess about what year the photo was taken?

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is the entertaining story of Calvin Wilkerson and his Condomed Nautilus. You can read it here: https://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042117.htm.  

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:28 AM

    OK, here is what I remember: I believe that building was located parallel and directly in front of the current NPS docks. If I remember from my childhood that building was long and painted a light blue or light green. I believe I was told as a child that it was part of the navy base that used to be in the area. The boat was the mail boat! I am going to venture a guess that this was taken in the early 60's?

    I started coming to Ocracoke, twice yearly for vacations, when I was an infant in 1974. I think I remember those buildings, but perhaps I remember the photos of said buildings.

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  2. Anonymous5:57 PM

    i am pretty sure I saw it close to where the NPS office is now located, the one with the large whale bone on display. I think i saw it sometime in the early 70's..it is not a very attractive building and I am surprised that I even noticed it. believe it was light green with white posts. Was it part of the Navy at one time? the boat was for the mail and passengers.

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  3. Anonymous 9:28 and 5:57 are correct. This former Navy building was located at the NPS docks, and was used as a Visitors Center and maintenance building. The photo was probably taken in the early 1970s. The boat is the Aleta, but at the time it was no longer carrying the US Mail. It had been converted to a shrimp boat.

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  4. Anonymous8:51 AM

    On the topic of mail. If I were to go to the OI post office and drop off a post card would the post mark/ cancellation stamp read Ocracoke island NC or is the mail just sent to the closest General mail facility located in ...... I usually walk directly in to the lobby and wait and request to have my postcard hand cancelled ensuring the mark is of the zip code I posted the item from. An then I purchase a few commemorative stamps as a souvenir of my visit. Occupy the Post office! Buy stamps send a letter order a magazine subscription.

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    Replies
    1. To have your post card or letter postmarked "Ocracoke, NC," take it to the counter clerk. If the counter is closed, drop it in the slot marked "Ocracoke" even if it is going "out of town."

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