Portsmouth Island Homecoming

It is not too late to make plans for the upcoming biennial Portsmouth Island Homecoming.

This year's Homecoming is scheduled for Saturday, April 30. Not only is this the 50th Anniversary of Cape Lookout National Seashore and the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service, but the Friends of Portsmouth Island, those wonderful people who plan this event, will be celebrating “The Families of Portsmouth." A special Descendant Tent will be set up for Portsmouth families to gather and share their photographs, family trees, scrapbooks, and memories.

Schedule of Events:

9:00 – Buildings/tents open, registration
9:30 – Christening service in church
10:00- Hymn singing in church / children’s activities begin
10:30- Group picture at the church
11:00- Homecoming program under the big tent
12:00- Dinner on the grounds
1:00 – Buildings reopen and children’s activities resume
2:00 – Boats begin returning to Ocracoke

The Post Office will again be open to stamp your mail from Portsmouth.

Portsmouth Island Homecoming has been a tradition since 1992. Portsmouth Village was established in 1753 as a transfer and storage site for goods passing through Ocracoke Inlet. At one time Portsmouth was larger than Ocracoke. However, by the 1950s the population had declined to fewer than 20. The last two remaining residents left the island in 1971.

Reservations for the trip from Ocracoke to Portsmouth should be made by calling Rudy Austin: 252-928-4361. The cost of the ride to Portsmouth is $20 per person round trip.

For more information please visit the Friends of Portsmouth Island web site.

You can read a first-time visitor's story of Portsmouth Island here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042115.htm.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is about the 1977 recording of traditional Outer Banks folk music. You can read the article here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news032116.htm.