Corolla Things to Do

The Corolla Chapel was build in 1885. It is located two and a half blocks from the lighthouse. It was originally built as an Interdenominational chapel but was used primarily by Missionary Baptists in its early years. Catholic masses were said at the church starting in 1917 and continued on from time to time throught the world war years for Coast Guard personnel. The church closed in the 1960's when most of the population had left Corolla. It remained closed for over twenty five until the rebirth of Corolla in the 1980's. You can attend services at this historical chapel during the summer months from Memorial Day through October.

There are a few historical buildings that have been restored and you can get a feel for how the village looked around the late 1800's. A walking tour map can be obtained from the realtors office at Twiddy & Company which is located at the opening of the historical area.

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Built 1874 and first lit December 1 1875, this closed the last dark 40 mile gap between Bobie Island lighthouse to Cape Henry Virginia with a first order fresnel lens. This beautiful all brick ( Close to 1 Million bricks ) stands 163 Ft. tall lighthouse is visable for 19 miles. All of the lighthouses along this stretch of coast from cape Henry to Cape Lookout were all painted with different patterens for navigation purposes except this one was left unpainted as it own distinguishing mark. You can climb this lighthouse for about $6.00, it's a little over 200 steps up for some great views! The walls are 5ft 8 inches thick at the base and 3 ft thick at the top. For lighthouse lovers this is a must see!
Check the website below for more details of dates, times and prices.

When you visit the Currituck Lighthouse and Whalehead Club you can also walk on some nature trails that go through the wetlands surrounding the area. There is a boardwalk that winds its way through the marshes and wetlands. Although we had no problems you might want to consider using some insect spray to protect yourself from misquitoes. We were here in early September and did not encounter any.

For those of you who love to surf fish, I wouls suggest going all the way up 12 to Corolla to the end. 4 wheel drive only with beach tag and all required gear. Once you get on the beach the only way is to go left and head up the beach north, to the right is for people only and the new Club house they just put in. So grab your fishin' tackle and head to Corolla for some good surf fishing.

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The lighthouse grounds provide many opportunities for photos, even if you do not want to climb the tower. The lighthouse itself (photo 5) which was finished on December 1, 1875 was left unpainted to distinguish it from the other lighthouses along this coast. You can see how many bricks it must have taken. The 158 foot lighthouse was automated in 1939 and still flashes at 20-second intervals.

The Lighthouse Keepers' House, a Victorian "stick style" dwelling, was pre-cut and labeled, shipped by barge and then assembled on site. In 1876, when the Keepers' House was completed, two keepers and their families shared the duplex. About 1920 another building was moved to the site for a third keeper and his family (photo 4). The house was abandoned in 1939 when the lighthouse was automated, and served for a time as storage for hay. In 1995 the restored little keeper's house was returned to service as a Museum Shop offering visitors models of lighthouses, books and other lighthouse and wild horse-related items.

Other historic structures located within the lighthouse compound include an outhouse and a storage building. The two-hole privy has been repaired and the storage building with its four sharp finials has been restored and now serves as the lighthouse staff office. The two louvered structures flanking the Keepers' House are cisterns which store rain water.

After the Lighthouse was automated the attendants were no longer needed to clean the lenses, trim the wicks, fuel the lamp, and wind the clockwork mechanism which rotated the beacon, so by the late 1970s, the Lighthouse Keepers' House stood open to the elements with no windows or doors; porches had decayed and vines invaded the north side. Much of the interior millwork had been vandalized. Restoration of the Keeper's house is an on-going project

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The historic light station at Corolla village (36 22 36 N, 75 49 51 W) is known as the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Technically it is NOT the Corolla Lighthouse.

It is one of eight lighthouses positioned along the Outer Banks and was built after the Civil War to fill in the remaining darkness between Bodie Island and Cape Henry, Virginia. Construction was begun in 1873, at the Whaleshead settlement adjacent to Currituck Sound and was completed in 1875.

It stands 163 feet high and is constructed of more than one million bricks. The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was left unpainted in order to distinguish it from the other lighthouses along the Outer Banks.

According to the NPS, "The lighthouse remains today an active aid to navigation and for a number of years was the only lighthouse along the Outer Banks open to the public. It is the only lighthouse in North Carolina still housed in its original structure. It is one of only a dozen lighthouses nationwide with an original Fresnel lens still in use. In 1973, the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places."

The non-profit Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc. had a 20 year lease on the lighthouse, and has now been awarded ownership of the historic structure.for education, park, recreation, cultural, or historic preservation purposes om 2003.

When I returned to the Outer Banks during the summer I took some time to walk around the Whalehead Club and wetlands surrounding it. It was much too cold here when I visited in the winter to walk around the wetlands. The Whalehead Club was originally built in the 1920's by a millionaire industrialist as a base for waterfowl hunting expeditions. The club has been restored to its original beauty and now serves as a waterfowl museum.