Gibbs Building, Inc. - Outer Banks, NC Contractor

Project Galleries - Historic Restoration Project Details

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Little Keeper's House - Corolla Lighthouse grounds, Corolla, NC

Since 1875, the Currituck Beach Light Station has been aiding ships navigate the waters off the coastline of North Carolina’s Outer Banks northern beaches. By the late 1970’s, the grounds and buildings were badly in need of repair. The Lighthouse Keepers houses were open to the elements with no windows or doors, exhibited extensive structural decay with invading vines.

In 1980 the non-profit organization, Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc., began a phased restoration of the property, signing a lease with the state of North Carolina.

The dilapidated Little Keeper's House was "discovered" when dense growth was removed during the restoration of the larger duplex Keepers' House. Some local officials thought the condition of the building was to far beyond repair.

Little Keepers' house prior to restoration

Gibbs Building was contracted to perform a complete restoration of the Little Keepers’ House. Timbers, framing lumber and exterior planks were painstakingly disassembled, identified and used to reconstruct the house to its current condition. The floorboards were meticulously removed one-by-one; each plank was carefully numbered; so the wooden floorboard-puzzle could be put back together again.

Keepers' houses circa 1921 - 1930 in snow

The houses’ construction apparently dates back to the early 1870s when it was located near Coinjock on the opposite side of Currituck Sound. There it served as a residence at the Long Point Lighthouse Depot--a federal government installation from which lighthouse materials were shipped to regional lighthouse facilities.

The building was moved to the lighthouse site around 1920 to serve as the principal Keepers’ house, while the assistant Keeper's families lived in the duplex.

The house is in the Victorian style, like the other buildings on the site. It now serves as the gift shop and offers certain historical displays.