What is that abandoned building at Oregon Inlet?

If you’ve ever stopped in the parking lot on the south side of the Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet, you’ve probably seen a unique looking abandoned wooden building. That building is the old Oregon Inlet Coast Guard Lifesaving Station. It was home to ocean surf rescue crews from the late 1800’s up until 1988 when it was permanently closed. It was closed because it was hard to maintain among the shifting sand dunes adjacent to Oregon Inlet. A new station was opened next to the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center in 1990. (Side note, did you know Oregon Inlet is named after the first ship to pass through the inlet after it was created by a hurricane in 1846?)

Life Saving Station History

The Coast Guard, or the U.S. Lifesaving Service as it was called then, originally built a rescue station here on the northern tip of Pea Island in 1874. The first station on this site was one of the original seven lifesaving stations built on the Outer Banks. The current that rips through Oregon Inlet causes the channel to frequently shift. As a result the original station was replaced by a new station 400 yards back from the point. That second station was destroyed in a hurricane in 1897 which led to the current structure being built in 1898. The Coast Guard renovated the station in 1933 and that was when the structure became shaped as it is today. In 1979 a new extension was added but it was later removed. The shifting channel and sands became too much to fight and the Coast Guard abandoned the station in 1988. They built a new station in 1990 adjacent to the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.

Pea Island Lifesaving Station

Since this station is on Pea Island, some people get it confused with the historic Pea Island Lifesaving Station. It’s actually not the famous Pea Island Lifesaving Station that was commanded by Richard Etheridge. The Pea Island Lifesaving Station was located farther south on the island. The remnants from the stone foundation of that station are near the current Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge parking area.

Current Status of the Oregon Inlet Station

The Coast Guard abandoned the station in 1988. After that the U.S. government transferred ownership of the land back to Dare County. The station fell into disrepair during this time frame. In 2000 Dare County gave the land to the state of North Carolina. The state then designated the North Carolina Aquarium to manage the 10 acres the station sits on. The station has undergone extensive restoration work in recent years. This work cost around $700,000, but the exact future of the station is still unclear. The lookout tower was rebuilt and the structure was raised on top of 10 foot pilings as part of the renovations. The restoration work was completed in 2008.

Tips for visiting the old Oregon Inlet Station

Here’s a few tips if you’d like to visit the abandoned Coast Guard station at Oregon Inlet. Park at the small parking lot on the Pea Island side of the Bonner Bridge. The cove next to the parking lot is a great place to spend the day if you want to get away from some of the more crowded beaches on the Outer Banks. Oregon Inlet is also one of the best places for surf fishing on the Outer Banks. You will rarely find any crowds on the massive beach located behind the station. Two things to note however. A large section of the dune area around the tip of the island is roped off as protected seabird nesting grounds. Second is that the ocean currents around Oregon Inlet are some of the strongest on the Outer Banks. Swimming here can be extremely dangerous and I don’t recommend getting in the water. Another thing to be on the lookout for is scrap metal in the dunes surrounding the station. You should also be on the lookout for buried barbed wire around the station area. Most of it has been removed but I’ve seen some sticking out of the sand in a few places.

Historic Pictures

Here are some historic pictures of the station while it was still in operation. The pictures here are provided by the Library of Congress. I picked out some of what I thought were the most interesting pictures, but you can find the entire album HERE.

Check out our other posts on the Outer Banks Off Season and Jockeys Ridge!

Sources: U.S. Coast Guard History Program
U.S. Lifesaving Service Heritage Association