Portsmouth Island – Maritime Heritage at Risk

Portsmouth Village, established in 1753 by the North Carolina Colonial legislature, is situated on the northern end of Portsmouth Island on the Outer Banks. Portsmouth Village was a thriving pre-Civil War port with the vast majority of the population involved in sea-related employment.

By 1760, Portsmouth had both a tavern and a church. By 1770, there were eight known structures in the village, interconnected by narrow, grassy roads and lanes. Portsmouth remained relatively unscathed during the Revolutionary War, as the British took only livestock for food from the villagers. The most prominent early villager of Portsmouth Village was David Wallace, who owned 16 slaves and two houses, one of which was two stories. Wallace was related to a large family important to the Outer Banks shipping industry.

During the Civil War, Confederate troops were stationed at Portsmouth Village during the first year. However, when Union soldiers moved against the forts located near Hatteras Inlet, the Portsmouth troops were moved to Fort Hatteras. When the Union took the Outer Banks, the villagers of Portsmouth fled. The military stores were burned, and then the village was abandoned. Some villagers did return to their homes later, but attempts to revitalize were mostly futile. The village continued to slowly decline until the Post Office and school were closed in the 1950s. By the 1960s, there were only three permanent residents.

Today, Portsmouth Village is under the auspices of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. It consists of 25 complexes of one or more buildings. The village is accessible to visitors by ferry only. Exhibits on “lightering,” community life, and survival are available, as well as a Visitors’ Center, the School, Post Office, General Store, and Life-Saving Station.

Portsmouth Village NRHP Nomination PDF

Portsmouth Map