In October 1855, construction began on one of the most important artificial waterways, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal. Today, the Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal is maintained and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is part of the well-traveled Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. It consists of a sea level water connection between Chesapeake Bay and the Albemarle Sound.

The Canal has the distinction of having been one of the earliest of all American canals, suggested and actually surveyed and mapped in 1772. Construction of the canal could not begin until technology had advanced to allow steam power to operate mechanical dredges. In 1856, nine “Iron Titans” were obtained and went to work chopping out living and petrified trunks.

The “line of navigation” of the canal measures some 70 miles, with only 14 miles of land excavation. The North Carolina cut is five miles long and slices across the Currituck Peninsula at the village of Coinjock to enter the North River, flowing south into the Albemarle Sound.

Norfolk, Virginia merchant and ship owner, Marshall Parks, was the person responsible for reviving the 18th century canal-building plan. Parks worked to get bills passed through both the Virginia and North Carolina legislatures simultaneously.

The New York engineering firm Courtright, Barton and Company contracted to dig the canal. The dredging of the two land cuts at a depth of six feet was finally accomplished in 1858. On January 9, 1859, the company’s little dispatch boat, the Calypso – a “pony” side wheel steamer 50 feet long by 9 feet wide – made the first transit of the canal, towing the 110-foot barge Enterprise of Roanoke.

In 1912, the canal company, now in financial straits and unable to meet mortgage payments, was purchased by the United States government. During World War II, enormous quantities of military cargo used the Intracoastal Waterway, safe from the submarine active off the Atlantic.

Today, virtually all commercial traffic, plus sail and motor cruisers, make their annual seasonal trek from north to South by way of the quicker Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal route.

This beautiful Carolina canal has served the nation well for 150 years and is a monument to the ingenuity of American’s civil engineers.

Source: Alehttp://things-to-do/beaches/xander Brown. Juniper Waterway. Mariners Museum, 1981.

You might also be interested in:  Beaches | Knotts Island | History

Currituck County’s original courthouse was constructed in the early 1700s. The building was replaced in 1840 and remodeled in 1898. Today, the Historic Courthouse houses the County’s governmental administrative offices. Next to the Courthouse sits the original Currituck Jail. This jail was built after receiving legislative permission in 1767, burned down in 1808, then was rebuilt in 1857 and is one of the four oldest jails in North Carolina.

UPDATED March 1st, 2024:  We are currently closed while undergoing restorations.  The Historic Jarvisburg Colored School will be closed starting March 1, 2024, to continue renovations.  We will keep the public updated on any future openings. Thank you for your patience. 

The Historic Jarvisburg Colored School is listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its black ethnic heritage, architectural features and a rare example of a pre-Rosenwald African American school in North Carolina.

The HJCS Museum, is a historical and cultural link to all of Currituck’s schools for African American children, beginning in 1868 through the 1950’s. The phone number at the Museum is 252-435-2947.

 2023 Hours:  (See note above for current closure)

Wednesday – 10am to 3pm

Thursday – 10am to 3pm

Saturday – 10am to 3pm

Admission is FREE 

Click here to learn more about the school

Built in 1895, this restored house is now a shop that displays a timeless array of style and elegance. Curtis and Blanche Gray built this house before 1918, possibly as early as 1896. Some say that Mrs. Gray, who, for a while was the Corolla schoolteacher, designed the house herself. Historians believe it is more likely that the plans for the house were purchased from a catalog of house designs, which was done quite often in the early 20th century.

This charming structure is the only example of an early Colonial Revival frame bungalow in the village, with Neoclassical Revival and Craftsman style exterior details. The main structure’s original molded weatherboarding is in tact, and the one-story rear ell wears its original German siding. In 1925, the kitchen and dining room were added, and the original exterior siding still covers the walls. The unusual front dormer balcony still wears its original hexagonal gable shingles, plain rail balustrade and weather-boarded “cheeks”, which lent protection against harsh winds. Curiously, there is no door leading to the balcony, leaving residents to crawl out a window should they want to access the space. The home still enjoys some of its original interior structural features, as well. Bead board ceilings and walls and simple door and window surrounds add to its interest and charm. A mix of interior wood and trim exemplifies the villagers’ knack for creatively using salvaged materials in their constructions.

This home was restored in 1998 by the Twiddys and is now Lovie’s Kitchen Table, a specialty foods shop. Lovie’s is a sweet place to find refreshment. Come in for coffee or tea, homemade baked goods, fine cheeses, chocolates, beer, wine & other tasty morsels. Relax on their screened porch with a cold beer or glass of wine, or let them help you make a selection to enjoy at your home. Their table is always full of good things, and you are always welcome!

The Parker House is a restored village house in the Historic Corolla Village, which was built in 1900 and relocated to this site in 1920.