
DATE: Tuesday, June 3, 1997                 TAG: 9706030273

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   76 lines

VANDALS LEAVE MARK ON HISTORIC LIFESAVING STATION ``P-TOWN'' AND OTHER TERMS SUGGEST THAT VANDALS MAY BE FROM PORTSMOUTH.

Vandals armed with cans of red, green and orange paint have sprayed graffiti on a white wooden water cistern and two outbuildings at the historic Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station.

Damage to lifesaving station buildings is estimated at $1,000, officials said.

Also marred were an abandoned ice cream shop and one side of a boat used to decorate a Rodanthe commercial fishing business.

A $500 reward has been offered by the Chicamacomico Historical Association for information leading to the arrest of the person or people involved. The Dare County sheriff's office is investigating.

A white wooden water tower near the 1874 structure was sprayed with the words ``P-Town,'' ``Dope,'' ``Razor,'' ``Haze'' and ``Portsmouth, Virginia.'' ``P-Town'' is believed to be slang for Portsmouth, leading investigators to wonder if the vandals came from that area.

``I guess it happened early Sunday morning,'' said Michael Halminski, president of the Chicamacomico Historical Association. ``I don't know why someone would do this. It may be kids camping nearby who don't think what they're doing is destructive. It's kind of sickening to see something like this happen. With all the work that's been done here, something like this is a slap in the face.

``I don't believe locals would do this,'' Halminski added.

Much of the graffiti is readable, but some words painted on a garage on the grounds are illegible, Halminski said.

``It was artistic,'' Halminski said. ``But it was difficult to read. It looked like the kind of block lettering you'd see on the walls of a subway in New York.''

Damage to the water tower can be easily repaired. However, since the outbuildings have shingle siding, removing the paint may be more difficult, Halminski said.

Some of the buildings on the lifesaving station's property are owned by the National Park Service, but none belongs to the federal agency.

Dare County Chief Deputy Rodney Midgett said the incident is still under investigation. But aside from the graffiti, authorities have few leads.

``Deputies have checked the area for Portsmouth registration stickers and also talked to the local real estate people,'' Midgett said. ``But unless somebody comes forward, I'm not real optimistic.''

Paul Stevens, law enforcement specialist for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, said park police have joined the investigation.

``It could have easily been one of our buildings,'' Stevens said. ``They are historic buildings and are listed on the National Register (of Historic Places). We will be working with the sheriff's office on this.''

As for repairs at the site, Stevens said historic preservation personnel from the park service will be working with the Chicamacomico Historical Association to remove the graffiti.

The damaged buildings were constructed in 1911. The main building at the historic site was unscathed.

The lifesaving station was built by the U.S. Lifesaving Service in 1874 as part of a revolutionary concept in ocean rescue. The Chicamacomico station, known as Station 179, was part of a chain of seven lifesaving stations built along the Outer Banks. Personnel at Chicamacomico guarded the waters off northern Hatteras Island for 70 years.

The station fell into disrepair with rotting boards and broken windows until the non-profit Chicamacomico Historical Association began restoration efforts. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]

GRAFFITI VANDALS MAKE THEIR MARK ON CHICAMACOMICO

DREW C. WILSON photos/The Virginian-Pilot

Michael Halminski, president of the Chicamacomico Historical

Association, examines graffiti on a cistern, above, at the historic

Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station. Vandals struck over the weekend.

Some markings, above and right, indicate the vandals are from

Portsmouth, Va.

The Dare County Sheriff's Department is accepting tips. Call:

(919) 473-3111 or (800) 745-3746. KEYWORDS: VANDALISM GRAFFITI