In celebration of the beginning 



In July, the tiny town of Manteo will undergo a transfor- 

 mation. In the middle of its already crowded tourist 

 season, it will play host for America's 400th Anniversary. 

 Town officials can't even estimate how many thousands of 

 people will crowd the narrow streets. But, they say, it's go- 

 ing to be a big celebration. 



From now until 1987, North Carolina is celebrating the 

 beginning of English America. The three-year commemora- 

 tion marks the 400 years since the Roanoke voyages spon- 

 sored by Sir Walter Raleigh. The party begins on the 400th 

 anniversary of the first expedition and ends on August 18, 

 1987, with the 400th anniversary of Virginia Dare's birth- 

 day. 



It's a celebration that's been at least ten years in plan- 

 ning. In 1973 the N.C. General Assembly created America's 

 Four Hundredth Anniversary Committee. John Neville, ex- 

 ecutive director of the committee, says the group began 

 preparing for the commemoration in 1978. Now, six years 

 later, the celebration reaches beyond Dare County. 



Across the country, advertisements have touted the up- 

 coming events in Better Homes and Gardens, The 

 Smithsonian, Natural History and Southern Living. 

 Newspapers from as far away as Alaska, California and 

 Great Britain have published articles featuring the 400th. 



A television mini-series is being produced, a com- 

 memorative stamp will be issued, and more historical 

 writings will be published. 



On a smaller scale, plans call for each North Carolina 

 county to hold local events to honor the nation's English 

 roots. 



The scope of the celebration has required coordination be- 

 tween state, county and local 400th committees, as well as 

 coordination of events scheduled in England. The state- 

 sponsored events actually began in April with the dedica- 

 tion of a plaque at Plymouth, England, to commemorate 

 the first expedition's departure. 



The official opening of the commemorative period is July 

 13-15 with the festivities taking place in Manteo. 



Plans for the three-day weekend include the dedication 

 and opening of the Elizabeth II Visitor Center, the 

 commissioning of the ship, an Elizabethan fair, and the 

 largest silent fireworks display in history. (The fireworks 

 will be "silenced" to avoid interfering with "The Lost 

 Colony" outdoor drama.) 



State, national and international dignitaries will be on 

 hand for the festivities. Princess Anne of Great Britain is 

 scheduled to join Governor James B. Hunt Jr. on Friday, 

 July 13, to officially open the celebration. On Saturday, 

 Walter Cronkite will lead a flotilla of boats into the Manteo 

 harbor. 



And will President Reagan make an appearance at the 

 nation's birthplace? Well, we'll know by July 13. 



With that guest list, it's no wonder the town of Manteo 

 wanted to spruce up its look. Five years ago, Manteo's 



Board of Commissioners made a commitment to ready the 

 town for the anniversary celebration, says Mayor John 

 Wilson. Then, the town's waterfront was in a state of dis- 

 repair. By contrast, at the turn of the century more than 

 100 shops and businesses operated in the downtown area. 

 The 400th provided the impetus to return that "healthy 

 mercantile bustle" to the town, says Wilson. 



In 1982, the Manteo commissioners adopted a $10 million 

 plan to redevelop the waterfront. After an 18-month search, 

 the town found a developer willing to take the risk. 



Not all the townspeople supported the redevelopment. 

 "I think the idea that the town would change this 

 dramatically in such a short period of time was a source of 

 fear," says Wilson. 



The plan called for three major redevelopment sites. To 

 date, only one of those is under construction and should be 

 completed sometime this summer. The site mixes residential 

 and retail units, including a restaurant overlooking the 

 water, sandwich shops, a bookstore, a candy store, and an 

 English antique and gift shop. Above the shops will be 36 

 condominium units. 



Wilson says the shops will remain open year-round 

 because Manteo is a year-round residential community. 



Dare County also is doing its part to prepare for the 

 festivities. Herbert "Hubby" Bliven, chairman of the Dare 

 County 400th Advisory Committee, says the three-day 

 event has meant coordinating police, medical, sanitation 

 and traffic crews. But Bliven says that all the "behind-the- 

 scenes" work is going to pay off. "We have a chance to show 

 the rest of the state, the country and the world our heritage 



Photo by Nancy Davis 



Manteo Mayor John Wilson 



