Island Inn – Maritime Heritage at Risk

The Island Inn of Ocracoke Island, NC served as the first public school on the island, a private residence and an officers club in World War II. Quarters for Naval Officers (dubbed the Crows nest) were situated on the upper floor of the Lodge. It was built in 1901 as an Oddfellows Lodge with a second-floor meeting hall. It was later converted to an inn in the 1930’s by Stanley Wahab.

Odd Fellows Lodge 1930(Bill and Ruth Cochran Collection – Courtesy of Ocracoke Preservation Society Collection)

Island Inn as a private residence in 1930s (Bill and Ruth Cochran Collection – Courtesy of Ocracoke Preservation Society Collection)

In 1978, Foy Shaw and Larry Williams (of the Wahab family) procured the Inn, and added an extra wing and swimming pool.Every Saturday night, the Inn was the social center of Ocracoke village when it was used for island square dances.

Island Inn Dance, circa 1940s (Courtesy of Chester Lynn)

Island Inn circa 1940s (Bill and Ruth Cochran Collection – Courtesy of Ocracoke Preservation Society Collection)

Island Inn circa 1950s (Bill and Ruth Cochran Collection – Courtesy of Ocracoke Preservation Society Collection)

Island Inn 1960s (Bill and Ruth Cochran Collection – Courtesy of Ocracoke Preservation Society Collection)

In the 1980s the Inn featured a popular dining room serving locally caught seafood, clam fritters, chicken in Cajun sauce, orange cake, chocolate rum cake and fig cake – a local favorite. An additional attraction was an aviary next to the dining room with displaying parrots, cockatiels and parakeets. The lobby was decorated with hundreds of frogs made from a variety of materials including wood, shells, glass and fabrics.Since the beginning, the Island Inn had been a hub of social activities for the island, acting as a dance hall, restaurant, and meeting place. The inn boasted great atmosphere, three homemade meals daily, and private porches to sit back and relax. The Island Inn was put up for sale in 2017, but as of December 7, the Ocracoke Island Preservation Society has made arrangements to procure and renovate the inn under their Island Inn Preservation Committee.