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TREASURES OF 

 CHICAMACOMICO: 



Architectural Gem Yields Rich Historical Bounty 



By Katie Mosher • Photos by Michael Halminksi 



jN^ention shipwrecks and treasures along the North Carolina 

 coast, and most folks think of gold coins or ship's cannons. 



But near Rodanthe, one treasure has more to do with the 

 lives saved in shipwrecks off Cape Hatteras than with the bounty 

 lost to the sea. 



Built in 1874, a simple yet elegant wooden building has been 

 considered a storage barn for most of this century. It sits in the 

 shadow of a larger lifesaving station that operated from 191 1 

 until 1954. 



The larger building has drawn thousands of tourists since it 

 opened as a museum in 1982. But as renovations continued on 

 the site, preservationists realized the former boat shed was in fact, 

 the hidden treasure. 



"This is going to be the centerpiece," says Michael 

 Halminksi, former president of the Chicamacomico Historical 

 Association as he walks through the building that stands 43 feet 

 long, 19 feet wide, with a two-story boat area, living space and a 

 third story for storage. 



"It was the first of seven lifesaving stations put on the Outer 

 Banks," he says of the complex of buildings that carries the 

 Native American name for the area. 



Ken Wenberg says the restoration is a one-man project. "I 

 work by myself. There is only one restorer," he says. "But I get a 

 lot of advice — for free," he adds with a chuckle. 



A skilled craftsman, Wenberg stays true to the original 

 construction style, using wooden pegs rather than metal nails in 

 the building's frame. 



But the site's treasures are not limited to the building. 

 Wenberg also is keen to preserve the stories of the architect and 

 the lifesaving crews — including ancestors of his wife, Jackie. 



C o ii t i n u e d 



COASTWATCH 13 



