Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Laurie and I like riding our Gold Wing motorcycle. But it is easy to get into a rut and just ride the same roads. So to force ourselves to ride to places we would not normally visit we made a goal to visit and photograph all 100 North Carolina courthouses within 1 year.
As usual, we got a little behind. We started in July 2015 and finished 99 out of 100 by June 2018. The last courthouse was in our home county of Wake and it took us until Feb 2021 to get that final one. But we made it! This blog is about one of those visits.
Many NC courthouses were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The nomination form has some interesting facts about the various courthouse styles over the years.
Courthouse Information
Wikipedia says the following about the courthouse:
Currituck County Courthouse and Jail is a historic courthouse and jail located at Currituck, Currituck County, North Carolina. The original two-story section of the courthouse was built about 1842, enlarged in 1897, and a rear wing was added in 1952. The 1897 remodeling added a second floor to the original one-story wings and Classical Revival style design elements. The jail was built about 1857, and is a two-story, rectangular building with 32 inch thick brick walls. It is one of the oldest extant jails in North Carolina.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
County Information
The North Carolina History Project lists the following information for this county:
A coastal county, Currituck was established in 1668 as one of the first colonial ports to North Carolina. Resting at the northern tip of the Outer Banks, Currituck County is surrounded by the Currituck Sound, Albermarle Sound, and the Atlantic Ocean. "Currituck" is an Indian term which means, "land of the wild geese", and the term serves its purpose because several wildlife refuges exist throughout the county, including the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge.
The native Yeopim and Pasquotank were the first Native Americans to live in this Outer Banks region. The natives moved to the east as European settlers, the English and French Huguenots, started to immigrate to present-day Currituck County. Settlers established several fishing communities in Currituck, and by the year of the Revolution, the county had both a courthouse and a jail. Currituck's greatest landmarks remain these original structures.
During the late nineteenth century, sportsmen and other outdoor enthusiasts toured Currituck, and it soon became a hunting and fishing oasis to the wealthy families in the Eastern United States. Several hunt clubs remain from this era including the Pine Island Club, the Currituck Shooting Club, and the Whalehead Club. The "Crown Jewel of the Outer Banks," the Whalehead Club, an exquisite residence constructed in 1925, remains an important tourist attraction in the county.
Some important landmarks and historical sites in Currituck include the Currituck Beach Lighthouse and the Haywood Bell House. At 163 feet tall, the Currituck Lighthouse started shining its light in the mid-nineteenth century. The lighthouse served as a warning light to incoming ships that sailed on the mythic "Graveyard of the Atlantic." An important cultural venue in Currituck is the Currituck County Library. In addition, the Currituck Heritage Park located in Corolla encompasses the Whalehead Club and the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education.
Currituck's seat of government is the town of Currituck, and although it has never been officially incorporated, town records reveal that the town formed in the mid-eighteenth century. Coinjock, Corolla, Sligo, Tulls Creek, and Knotts Island are other communities and towns within Currituck County. These communities host several festivals and events annually, and they include the Currituck County Resource Fair, the Corolla Seafood Festival, and the Currituck Wildlife Festival.
An interesting trait of Currituck County includes its distinction as home to the largest population of "Banker" ponies. The Banker Ponies are descendants of Spanish mustangs, which are believed by some historians to have come from a Spanish expedition in the 1500s. However, others estimate that the original Banker breed can be traced back to the Lost Colony or Ponce de Leon. Yet, it is unclear where exactly the horses stem from because they have existed on the Outer Banks for several centuries.
Our Experience
Beautiful location near the sound with little traffic.
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Currituck County Courthouse in Currituck, North Carolina
Laurie
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