MANTEO, N.C. — The town of Manteo is hoping to get a historic designation to raise its prestige and boost tourism.
Incorporated in 1899, the town of about 1,500 hopes to get federal tax breaks that could encourage entrepreneurs to renovate buildings such as the old Fort Raleigh Hotel, built in 1930 with moonshine money.
To lose the three-story building would be disappointing, said town planner Erin Burke.
“It’s an icon in downtown Manteo,” she said of the structure that stands near prime commercial waterfront.
Large front porches and picket fences with American flags on display dot the narrow downtown streets. Some of the architecture replicates features from the lifesaving stations built along the Outer Banks in the late 1800s.
Waterfront shops and restaurants cater to visitors who come from the beaches to see an outdoor drama about The Lost Colony, the Elizabethan Gardens and other Roanoke Island sites. A historic district with signs would attract people passing through on U.S. 64 Business, said Bebe Woody, who owns the White Doe Inn with her husband, Bob.
“They love areas where people preserve their architectural history,” said Woody, a member of the Manteo planning board. “We’re a lot more laid back over here. It’s a different pace.”
The Woodys converted an old home on Sir Walter Raleigh Street into a bed and breakfast.
The old Fort Raleigh Hotel is one of 84 structures that the town is hoping will be recognized as a National Historic District.
The designation is honorary except for possible tax credits, said Scott Power, regional supervisor for the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office.
A majority of the buildings in the area should be at least 50 years old and not significantly altered. State tax credits for similar districts ended last year.
A consultant would need about a year to research deeds and structures, costing about $12,000, before the town can apply for the designation, Burke said. Manteo is considering offers, she said.
Edenton, Wilmington and New Bern are among many North Carolina towns with national and local historic districts with commissions that oversee significant architectural changes, Power said. The owner of an older house may not be allowed to apply vinyl siding, he said. Manteo is not considering a local historic district, Burke said. Property owners are doing well on their own so far, she said.
Paul Creef is restoring the home of his ancestor, George Washington Creef, a boat builder in the 1800s. Creef’s house and the White Doe Inn are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Kelly Bray and his partners restored a 1946 department store and turned it into Outer Banks Distilling. Builders saved pine and cypress lumber from the structure to make cabinets and doors.
“That to me is one of our stars of reuse in Manteo,” Burke said. “Those guys could not have done a better job.”
She hopes a buyer will see a similar value in the old Fort Raleigh Hotel. Preservation North Carolina, a nonprofit established to protect historic architecture, has posted the building for sale at $662,200.
In 1930, Carson Creef and partners built the hotel for $50,000 from profits of moonshine made in stills in the Dare County mainland woods, according to the nonprofit’s website. Another businessman bought it after Creef was arrested for bootlegging. Later, it served as the Dare County administration building for many years. Manteo is ready for it to return to its origins, Burke said.
“A hotel in town makes sense,” she said.
Leave a Reply