Village Craftsmen Logo

For more than four decades Village Craftsmen has used a windswept tree as our logo.

Recently a reader asked about the logo. Although there are a number of such island trees, sculpted by wind and salt spray, a particular tree was the inspiration for our logo. The tree is located just a short distance north of the National Park Service campground, on the sound side of NC12. In the 1950s and 1960s it stood in a small clearing a few feet from the new highway, and was often photographed. Some people called it the "dancing lady" because of its graceful curves.

This photo of the tree was taken in 1969:

In 1986 I made this pen & ink/watercolor drawing of the tree:

Unfortunately, the tree died a number of years ago, but it still stands, a ghost of its former beauty. Today it is surrounded by much other vegetation, and difficult to locate.

Village Craftsmen's logo is modeled on this tree and other similar trees. It is a symbol of Ocracoke Island and how it has been shaped by the forces of nature.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a transcription of a letter describing the September, 1944, hurricane, its aftermath and cleanup. You can read the letter, with vintage photographs added, here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news102117.htm.