In the late 1800s a fierce storm brought tide into the village from the ocean side. A schoolhouse located "Down Point" was badly damaged. Accounts indicate that the sea tide swirled around the building and undermined the foundation piers. As the tide rose higher the schoolhouse was lifted up and washed across the road onto a lot owned by James and Laurette Bragg (today Leroy O'Neal has a home on this lot, not far from Albert Styron's Store).
In 1894 James and Laurette Bragg sold their property to the Schoolhouse Committee since the schoolhouse was already on the land. The schoolhouse was "moved by the hand of God" according to 19th century islanders.
Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is about islanders who worked on the
water, and lost their lives at sea. You can read the Newsletter here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news012116.htm.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Molasses Creek has a song about that story. I think it even has the words "moved by the hand of God" in it. I'spect you know whom to ask about that.
ReplyDeleteActually that song is about a story that happened on the mainland... a church that was washed down the road in a hurricane.
DeleteI love the story of that church over on the mainland. Here's a good read:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.snopes.com/religion/floatingchurch.asp