Some buildings become part of a community's identity, serving generations of residents through changing times and standing as landmarks on the community’s consciousness. When these buildings are old and worn and seemingly at the end of their usefulness, we can’t stand to see them go. They are spaces worth saving.
One such building sits in the heart of Ocracoke village.
Thanks to a wealth of volunteers and the nonprofit Ocracoke Preservation Society, the former Island Inn and the grounds around it are being given new life through the Ocracoke Commons Visitor & Cultural Center project. The ambitious effort is preserving a historic landmark while creating a gathering place for current and future generations.
According to Ocracoke Preservation Society, the site dates to 1900, when James and Zilphia Howard sold a one-acre tract to the trustees of Ocracoke Lodge No. 194 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The following year, island builder Charlie Scarborough constructed the two-story wooden lodge building that still stands today. From the beginning, the building served as a community hub. The Odd Fellows Lodge occupied the second floor, while the first floor became home to Ocracoke's consolidated public school.
Photo: The 1901 building was originally an Odd Fellows Hall and the village school. Photo: Ocracoke Preservation Society
Over the decades, the structure adapted to the island's changing needs. It served as a private residence, housed naval officers during World War II and eventually became one of Ocracoke's first modern hotels. Known first as the Silver Lake Inn and later as the Island Inn, the building became a social center for island life. For generations, visitors stayed there while exploring the island, and locals gathered there for meetings and celebrations of every sort.
By 2015, however, the future of the historic property was uncertain. The Island Inn had experienced financial difficulties, changed hands several times and was falling into disrepair. Concerned about preserving one of Ocracoke's most significant historic structures, Ocracoke Preservation Society (OPS) purchased the property in 2018 with assistance from the Ocracoke Township Tourism Development Authority and the Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board.
Then came the challenges. In September 2019, Hurricane Dorian devastated Ocracoke. The two wings of the inn suffered damage beyond repair and had to be removed. The following year, the COVID-19 pandemic slowed restoration efforts even further.
Despite those setbacks, preservation supporters remained committed to saving the building. A major milestone came in 2021 when the structure was carefully lifted and placed on new pilings. For a building constructed in 1901, the process was painstaking, but once the elevation work was completed, restoration efforts began in earnest.
To enhance the space around the building, in 2023 volunteers formed the Island Inn Commons Landscaping Committee and began transforming the surrounding property. Garden beds, pathways and landscaping has been taking shape while restoration continues inside the building.
In May 2026 a new nonprofit organization, the Ocracoke Commons Visitor & Cultural Center, was established to guide the next chapter of the project. Its mission is “to preserve, educate, promote and enhance island culture while providing an island gathering place.” When completed, the restored building will serve as both a visitor center and cultural center. Visitors will be able to learn about Ocracoke's history, culture and attractions, while local artists and craftspeople will have opportunities to showcase their work. The facility will also host meetings, community events, educational programs and private gatherings.
Photo: Ocracoke Commons Visitor & Cultural Center is at the corner of Lighthouse Road and Irvin Garrish Highway in the heart of the village.
Plans call for the building's restoration to be completed in September 2026, with a public opening targeted for spring 2027.
Watch the whole story of the site, building and restoration here: Island Inn and Commons, Ocracoke NC 2026
OPS Board Member Debbie Wells says this summer's visitors are very curious about the gardens and building restoration.
“We are getting incredibly positive feedback across the board,” she says. “I’m there almost every day, and people want to talk. The gardens are getting a great deal of attention, but the real secret of the whole site is the building. When it’s finished, the building will be the most important part of the site, surrounded by a beautiful garden.”
While OPS will still own the building and grounds, the site will be established and operated by the Ocracoke Commons Visitor and Cultural Center nonprofit. Wells, who will become an employee of the new nonprofit starting July 1, says the building has a job to do: to bring visitors and community members in touch with cultural aspects of Ocracoke – visitor information, music, arts, crafts, lifestyle and art included.
“We don’t want to just hand out maps,” Wells says. ‘We want to be more interactive with a full calendar of events. Our mission from beginning was to be a visitor center, and as board and committee we added the cultural aspects as well. The two things together make sense. We want to try to bring people together. We want to be an active center for anything and everything the community needs. A place like this has been missing in our community for a while.”
As Ocracoke continues to evolve, the Commons project is a reminder that preserving history is also an investment in the future. The building has already served as a lodge, schoolhouse, naval quarters, hotel and community gathering place. Soon, it will begin yet another chapter of welcoming residents and visitors while celebrating the culture, creativity and spirit that make Ocracoke unlike anywhere else in the world.
Photo: Music in the Garden, upcoming on July 8, is a great way to experience the new space firsthand.
How Can You Help?
Attend an Event:
Traditional Annual Fish Fry & Commons Open House
Friday, July 3, 4 p.m.
𖡡 25 Lighthouse Road, Ocracoke
This fundraising event and open house will offer peeks inside the newly restored building as well as raise funds for the restoration project. Locally caught fish and all the fixin’s will go for $20 a plate (and feel free to make extra donations).
On July 4, the judges for the Ocracoke July 4th Parade will watch the parade from the Ocracoke Commons porch.
Music in the Garden
July 8, 7 p.m.
𖡡 25 Lighthouse Road, Ocracoke
Experience a traditional island family music jam in the Ocracoke Commons Garden. This event is free. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on.
Follow Ocracoke Commons Visitor & Cultural Center on Facebook to see more upcoming events.
Photo: For $100 you can have a personalized brick added to the Ocracoke Commons Visitor & Cultural Center pathway.
Buy a Brick
Ocracoke Preservation Society is selling engraved bricks for the Brick Pathway at the Ocracoke Commons Visitor & Cultural Center. Bricks are available for a $100 donation to Ocracoke Preservation Society and will be laid in the fall of 2026. Click here Brick Pathway 2026 | OPS to purchase a brick and select your message.
Adopt a Light Fixture
A contribution of $1,000 will adopt one of 12 antique brass-finish, pipe-mounted Schoolhouse lighting fixtures inside the Ocracoke Commons building. You can make your donation to Ocracoke Preservation Society, Attn. Adopt a Light Island Inn and Commons, P. O. Box 1240, Ocracoke NC 27960 or at ocracokepreservationssociety.org
Make a Donation
General donations are needed for building restoration and continuing garden work, including fences, beds and yard elements. You can donate directly through the Ocracoke Preservation Society website here Donations | OPS.
About the Author Molly Harrison
Molly Harrison is managing editor at OneBoat, publisher of OuterBanksThisWeek.com. She moved to Nags Head in 1994 and since then has made her living writing articles and creating publications about the people, places and culture of the Outer Banks.
