Following a short business meeting, including the election of board members, will be presentations of the Cultural Heritage Award and the Historic Home Award. This year's Cultural Heritage award will go to Della Gaskill (please read more about Della here); the William Charles Thomas House also known as the Barksdale Cottage will receive the Historic Home Award.
The Barksdale cottage is a step back in time. Built after the hurricane of 1899 for Captain William Charles Thomas, the house has stood almost untouched as Ocracoke has grown and changed around it. Although modern amenities include electricity and cold running water (but not heat or air conditioning), most of the home's architectural features appear to be original. (An original screened porch was destroyed in the '44 storm and never rebuilt.) Capt. Williams died in 1930, and his widow, Eliza Thomas, lived in the house until her death in 1946.
In 1947, Susan Barksdale, an art professor at Women's College in Greensboro (now UNC-Greensboro), bought the house and started spending summers there, welcoming her extended family. She died in 2014, and left her property to her nieces and nephews, who still visit every summer. According to neighbor and on-island caretaker Dave Frum, Susan never wanted to change anything about the house and appreciated its the rustic charm, and her family feels the same.
Last December, the Barksdale Cottage was one of two island homes featured in the Holiday Historic Homes Tour. I was lucky enough to be on the decorating committee with Ann Borland as we prepared the house for visitors. I used my abundant collection of vintage quilts around the cottage, and took lots of photos. Enjoy!
