THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606210237
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY JOHN HARPER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: NAGS HEAD LENGTH: 144 lines
ON A COLD December night in 1946, a tired man decided to rest his eyes in one of the rooms of an under-construction hotel on the oceanfront in Nags Head.
When the road-weary Rip Van Winkle woke up eight hours later, he had unofficially christened the Carolinian Hotel - soon to be the largest, most modern hotel on the Outer Banks.
Almost a half-century later, the Carolinian is still a vital part of the Outer Banks economy and stands as the oldest continuously operating hotel in Dare County.
Owners Lucille Purser Winslow, Wayland Sermons and Julian and Lima Oneto opened officially to a full house June 7, 1947. The white stucco three-story building contained 64 rooms, each with a telephone and a private bath. Also, 24 Colonial-style cottages featuring spacious rooms and suites were built within the hotel complex.
Private sundecks and two swimming pools also were part of the Carolinian compound.
Inside the magnificent creation, guests could gather and mingle in the Pine and Cypress rooms. Yaupon Tea, drunk by Sir Walter Raleigh's 16th century colonists and brewed from leaves of a native shrub, was served.
``All you had to do was gather it and brew it,'' says Lucille Winslow, who served as the first manager almost a half-century ago and now lives in Hertford. ``Our guests seemed to love it.''
The Carolinian's air-conditioned Driftwood and Dogwood dining rooms accommodated 200 diners and offered panoramic views of the rolling surf.
Chef Lindberg White prepared lobster Newburgh, deviled crabs, broiled bluefish and presided over a bountiful buffet. Among the Carolinian's specialties were two desserts made from family recipes: pecan pie and tipsy cake.
A 1947 Carolinian brochure stated: ``Relaxation is the keynote of the Carolinian. Whether you want yours in vigorous action or luxurious loafing, or a combination of both, you'll find it here. You'll enjoy the atmosphere of a lodge, the comforts of the most modern hotel, plus old-fashioned hospitality. The Carolinian features fish frys, beach barbecues, (with singing by the campfire) and jeep junkets to the roadless areas.''
The hotel operated on the American Plan: Waiter-served meals were included in the cost of the room - $12 a day.
Air around the Carolinian was both salty and aristocratic. On Valentine's Day from 1947 to the mid 1950s, morning tea was followed by the Nags Head Fox Hunt. About 150 hunters in jeeps, led by dogs, chased foxes over the sand and through the dunes.
``Life Magazine used to try to cover outstanding parties,'' says well-known Outer Banks photographer Jim Lee, who participated in the 1954 foxhunt. ``Twice they came. But it never made it in the magazine.''
There was plenty of other frivolity in the '50s that centered on the Carolinian.
Locals and guests dressed as pirates for high jinks in the annual spring ``Pirates Jamboree.'' The three-day festival featured a ``buccaneer boat landing'' in Manteo, the world's largest saltwater fishing tournament and the coronation of the ``King and Queen'' at the event's Saturday night ball.
On June 27 and 28 of 1957, the Carolinian hosted ``Visit of the Governors'' to Dare County. Governors from eight states, including North Carolina, enjoyed the hotel's hospitality at no cost to taxpayers.
In the 1960s and '70s, families were the focal point for the hotel. For two weeks in late August, the management pitched a Festival of Family Fun, complete with fireworks, barbecues, beach parties, square dancing and hunts for Blackbeard's lost loot.
The complex also provided employment for hundreds of Outer Banks teenagers.
``Just about everybody I know worked there at one time or another,'' says Manteo resident Gail Midgett, who was a Carolinian waitress in the summer of '67.
The Anchor Room, which accommodates 500 people, was a hot spot in the late '70s and early '80s. Bands like the Drifters, the Platters, Bill Deal and the Rhondells, the Tams and the Classics IV brought beach music to the basement lounge.
Since 1984, the Comedy Club has occupied the Carolinian's cellar nightclub.
Outside, the hotel's oceanfront deck has been the stage for the annual ``Best Body on the Beach'' contest since 1982. And acoustic players continue to entertain guests daily at the late-afternoon deck parties throughout the summer.
Today, the Outer Banks landmark is managed by Bob Martin and his sister, Leslynn Twiddy, who bought the old building as an investment in 1982.
The upstairs lobby retains the old Nags Head charm. Rattan furniture sits on polished pine floors. Overhead fans spin slowly, keeping the room cool.
``People still like to sit in here,'' Martin, 36, says. ``They come down from their rooms to read or socialize or just look at the ocean.''
The Carolinian still employs about 60 people during tourist season. Betty Crane, a housekeeper since 1962, and Robert Ward, maintenance supervisor since 1982, are two of the hotel's longtime employees.
Martin and another manager, Nicole Gregory, are supervising constant renovations and repairs to the 50-year-old building.
``A person turns 50, he has aches and pains,'' Martin says. ``It's the same way with a building. You have to stay on top of it. It would be a lot cheaper to level the place. But remodeling it would take away its charm.''
Martin says many of the hotel rooms, small by today's standards, are being improved. A gift shop is going into the former solarium. Chef Don Ware prepares food for the 60-seat restaurant.
``I hear people say they were looking for something bigger,'' Martin says. ``Other people say they got something here that was bigger than what they were looking for. But most everybody says it's a welcome change from the chain motels.'' MEMO: THE COMEDY CLUB:
FOR THE PAST 13 summers, the Comedy Club at the Carolinian has
provided laughs for Outer Banks visitors.< As a showcase for
up-and-coming as well as established comedians, the Comedy Club is part
of a mini-circuit that includes clubs in Williamsburg and Richmond. <
Among the comedians who have played the club are Sinbad, Brett Butler,
Brett Leake and hypnotist Ricky Kalmon.
``I get calls from comedians all the time,'' says Anita Fletcher, who
manages the Nags Head, Williamsburg and Richmond clubs. ``But they think
this is going to be a vacation. I have one rule. They have to make me
laugh within a minute of watching their audition tape.''
Comedians slated to appear this summer include Dan French, Mac
McClellan, Beatty Barnes, John Marks, Johnny Biscuit, Spins Nitely and
Tommy Sledge.
Catch the stars of tomorrow tonight at the Comedy Club at the
Carolinian. Shows are held Monday through Saturday nights at 10.
-John Harper ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover by DREW C. WILSON
Photo courtesy of THE OUTER BANKS HISTORY CENTER
The Carolinian has survived many storms and hurricanes. After the
Ash Wednesday storm of 1962, overwash flooded Nags Head streets in
front of The Carolinian.
Photo courtesy of THE OUTER BANKS HISTORY CENTER
A banner is raised on the facade of The Carolinian for a Glenn
Miller Orchestra concert. The Anchor Room can accommodate 500
people.
Photo courtesy of THE CAROLINIAN
Miss North Carolina and her court were on hand for the official
opening of The Carolinian's swimming pool.
Photo by AYCOCK BROWN, courtesy of THE OUTER BANKS HISTORY CENTER
A local minister blesses the hounds before a fox hunt held on
Valentine's Day in 1968. Twice, Life magazine photograhed the annual
event.
Photo courtesy of THE CAROLINIAN
Former Dare County Tourist Bureau director and photographer Aycock
Brown stepped in front of the camera with some friends. by CNB