Mary Ann's Pond

At one time there were three "ponds" in Ocracoke village. The largest, Silver Lake, is not a lake, and neither is it a pond, although some early maps list it simply as the "Pond." It is actually a wide, naturally shallow tidal creek. Old time islanders still call it by one of its early names, Cockle Creek.

1837 Map of Ocracoke Village

Northern Pond is not a pond either. It is a cove located just north of the village. This Google image shows it clearly.

Finally, there is Mary Ann's Pond...or more accurately, there was Mary Ann's Pond. It was located just west of Northern Pond (and is still listed on the Google Map above), but Mary Ann's Pond is gone. It was filled in by the Navy during WWII. This "pond" was named after Mary Ann Styron (born ca. 1795) who lived on the shore of the pond with her husband Francis Williams.

You can read more about Mary Ann's Pond here: https://ocracokeobserver.com/2016/08/31/where-did-mary-anns-pond-go/.


This month's Ocracoke Newsletter highlights several noteworthy staircases in historic island homes. To read the newsletter, and see photos, click here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092117.html.