1904 Little Kinnakeet Life Saving Station at Cape Hatteras National Seashore
The U. S. Life Saving Service was formed in 1871 to provide trained men for rescue attempts of those whose ships had sunk or were sinking off the coasts of the United States. Prior to this, most coastal towns had volunteer life saving services, much like a volunteer fire department. The Life Saving Service was first a part of the U. S. Treasury’s Revenue Marine Bureau; it became part of the U. S. Coast Guard in 1915.
Seven stations were built along Hatteras Island in 1874, but only two survive today: the Little Kinnakeet Station and the Chicamacomico Station. The original two buildings of the Little Kinnakeet station are located down a dirt road just south of Off Road Access Ramp #32 on the Pamlico Sound-side of the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. There is no road sign directing visitors to the buildings and they are hard to see from the road, so you just have to know where to look. A landmark is a small parking area on the ocean side of the Byway directly opposite the dirt road to the life saving station. These buildings were originally located on the Atlantic coast and were moved here for protection. The station was closed in 1954.
I stumbled upon the Little Kinnakeet Station by accident and didn’t even know what it was until later. Because of this I wasn’t looking very closely, but there are actually two buildings here. I only saw the larger of the two that was built in 1904. It is one of only four of its type ever built, all of which were in North Carolina. To see the original 1874 building, continue down the sandy road around the left side of the 1904 building. Both are under renovation and closed to the public. The National Park Service plans to one day open them as a Life Saving Station museum.
A second Life Saving Station is just south of the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in the town of Rodanthe. I did not have a chance to visit this station, which has been completely renovated and is now a museum. It consists of five restored buildings and is the most complete life saving station in North Carolina. It is privately run by the non-profit Chicamacomico Historical Association and is not part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore. For details, visit the Chicamacomico Life Saving Station website.
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Last updated on March 10, 2024
