Whalehead: Historic Corolla – Outer Banks

So far this week, I have reviewed the Hampton Inn in Florence, South Carolina, and Barrier Island Station, the resort where we stayed during our week in the Outer Banks.  I’ve also told you about the Waterfront Boardwalk Shops along the Currituck Sound and the Wright Brothers Museum and National Monument.  Today, I’m going to tell you about an old house we toured in the historic town of Corolla, North Carolina, in the Outer Banks.  The house is beautifully restored, and the estate is called Whalehead.

Image Credit:  Abundant Family Living

My husband was looking at a tourist site and found information about the house.  We love old houses and antiques, so he thought we would like to tour the home.  It was a good decision!  We didn’t recognize the owners as anyone famous or of any historic significance, but the photo of the house and the property was absolutely stunning, so we visited the estate.

Whalehead:  Historic Corolla - Outer Banks, North Carolina

The beautiful yellow house was built in the 1920s and sits along the Currituck Sound.  Edward Collings Knight, Jr., loved hunting waterfowl.  He purchased the property and the Lighthouse Club.  The property sits right next to the Currituck Lighthouse.  They began working on making the property a beautiful home, which was completed in 1925.  The Knights named the property Corolla Island.  A new owner later renamed the property the Whalehead Club.

We were not allowed to take photos inside the house, so I can only tell you how beautiful it is.  The woodwork, the staircase, the front porch . . . I could go on and on about this house.  If you decide to tour the home, you’ll see the main family resident areas and the servants’ quarters, which were upstairs.  In the downstairs kitchen area, you’ll see the bell system the servants used to call the family members.  If you are a Downton Abbey fan, you’ll recognize this as similar to the one frequently used in the television show.

The basement was huge!  I noticed something a little odd down there.  Underneath the staircase was a lone toilet – a toilet – just sitting there under the stairs – without any privacy.  We later learned that at some point, the Coast Guard owned the property, so additional toilets had to be installed around the house to accommodate their needs.  This was the only one I saw that seemed out of place.

The grounds were just as beautiful as the house.  We were allowed to take photos outside the house.

Image Credit:  Abundant Family Living

Image Credit:  Abundant Family Living

Crossing this bridge was quite a treat.

Image Credit:  Abundant Family Living

On Wednesdays, they have a few family events on the grounds.  While we were there, we observed employees teaching kids how to fish and play games popular at the time.

Image Credit:  Abundant Family Living

I could have walked around on this wooden walkway all day long.

Image Credit:  Abundant Family Living

Image Credit:  Abundant Family Living

An employee set up an area for visitors to practice their bow-and-arrow skills.

Image Credit:  Abundant Family Living

Visit Currituck.com here to learn more about the Whalehead Club, their hours, tour schedule, etc., and plan your visit.

Read about other great places to visit in the Outer Banks of North Carolina here.