Thanks to all those who came by and visited with us at the FPI exhibit this past weekend! It was good to talk with so many about Portsmouth and hear their Portsmouth stories as well. Special thanks to Kathy McNeilly, Rudy and Pat Austin, Chester Lynn, Frances Eubanks and Rosanne Penley for tending the booth. We gave out a lot of membership forms and Portsmouth Homecoming information.
Come See Us This Weekend!
If you’re planning to go to the Core Sound Waterfowl Weekend event December 5-6, come by and visit us at the Portsmouth community exhibit booth upstairs at the museum. There are lots of Portsmouth items on display and we will have some Homecoming 2016 information for you. We look forward to seeing you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to all! Wishing you a safe and happy day with friends and family!
Henry’s House
This past weekend was a fun one at Henry’s for 6 FPI members who volunteered their time to do repair work on the outbuildings around the house. We would like to thank Jim and Evelyn Mink, Phelps and Sharon Forrest, Gregory Gilgo, and Rudy Austin for all their hard work. They replaced the roof on
Henry’s shed and repainted the shed, made new steps for the summer kitchen, fixed the door on the outhouse, and did some work on the dock. We appreciate the Park providing large containers to haul off the old lumber, roofing, etc. We look forward to our next work project in the spring. If you would like to be involved, please contact Rosanne Penley at Rosanne.Penley@gmail.com or 828-439-5424.
Portsmouth is Open!
We’re happy to report that Portsmouth Village is open after last week’s flooding. You won’t be able to get across the tidal flats from the beach, but the village is open via ferry and/or boats. No damage reported!
No Portsmouth Update Yet
We have had no update on Portsmouth after the heavy rains and high tides that affected the area due to Hurricane Joaquin that remained offshore. All of Cape Lookout National Seashore remains closed, and we are waiting for them to reopen and assess any damage at Portsmouth. Ocracoke remains flooded with no ferry access. We will update you as soon as we know something.
Heads Up – Homecoming Room Reservations!
We have learned that motel rooms at Ocracoke are booking up fast Homecoming weekend due in part to the Ocracoke Invitational Fishing Tournament being held April 28-29. Homecoming is April 30. If you plan to stay the Thursday/Friday night before Homecoming or Saturday night, we encourage you to call and make reservations right away. For first-timers, google “Ocracoke NC Lodging” and you will be able to find listings of motels, bed and breakfasts, condo units, and cottage rental agencies. The Sand Dollar Motel has graciously agreed to extend a discount to FPI members for homecoming reservations, but it is first come-first served. We are making our reservations now and hope you will do the same!
Fall Meeting Report
Thanks to all who came out to our meeting at the Train Depot on September 19! We had 52 people in attendance, along with special guests Connie Mason and Patrick Kenney and his staff members BG Horvat and Steve Neshkoff. Superintendent Kenney gave us a great update on the Park and Portsmouth Village, the church in particular. Connie Mason gave us her history with FPI and Portsmouth and told us some wonderful stories about the people there. We finished up with lunch and lots of visiting and talking. Thanks to all who attended!
Homecoming 2016
“The Families of Portsmouth” – April 30, 2016
All FPI members will be receiving a letter from the Homecoming 2016 committee this week. The committee is hard at work to make this a very special homecoming, and we need your help – especially if you are a descendant! The Homecoming Committee will also be updating us at the fall meeting on September 19.
More details to follow, so please check back!
Fall Meeting -September 19 – Morehead City
Join us on Saturday, September 19, at the Train Depot in Morehead City! The Train Depot is located at 1001 Arendell Street. We will begin at 10:00 AM. Connie Mason, our speaker, will be familiar to many FPI members. She is a Down East historian/folklorist/entertainer who is also a charter member and past president of FPI. Connie has conducted many oral interviews of Portsmouth natives and is well versed in Portsmouth’s history and its people. We also welcome Pat Kenney, Superintendent of Cape Lookout National Seashore, and his staff, and look forward to an update from the Park. We will have a new batch of Portsmouth t-shirts at the meeting as well. These will not be available again until Homecoming, so get yours now! Please come out and visit with us and consider joining if you have not already. We look forward to seeing you!