The History of the Island Inn

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​1897-1901

The history of the building begins when Michael Lawrence Piland (1861-1920) established Ocracoke Lodge No. 194, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, an international fraternal order.  In 1900, James and Zilphia Howard sold a one-acre tract of land to the Lodge trustees; the parcel lay between two tidal steams or “guts” that flowed from Silver Lake harbor (originally known as Cockle Creek).  In 1901 islander Charlie Scarborough built the two-story, wood frame 'Greek Revival" building.  The Odd Fellows Lodge was housed on the second floor and soon thereafter the two island schools consolidated to create one public school, held on the first floor. 

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1917-1920

A new school was built in 1917 (on the site of the present day schoolhouse).  The Lodge became dormant after Piland's death in 1920, and eventually dissolved.  Benjamin O’Neal bought the building to use as a private residence and contracted with Charlie Scarborough to move it 600 feet to its present location. 

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1940’s and 50's

Island native and businessman Stanley Wahab (1888-1967), bought the building for $700 and opened the first commercial business in the building, the Wahab Coffee Shop, with soda fountain and ice cream bar. It became a popular island gathering place. Rooms upstairs became a boarding house.  During WWII, the US Navy appropriated land near the Coast Guard Station for the naval base, and dredged the harbor to accommodate their large draft vessels. Quarters for Naval Officers, called “The Crow’s Nest” were situated on the upper floor of the Lodge. 

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After World War II, Stanley Wahab moved former Navy barracks to his property, and attached them to the building, creating one of the island’s first modern hotels, the Silver Lake Inn. It had indoor plumbing, electricity, and a modern kitchen and dining room. Every Saturday night, the Inn was the social center of Ocracoke Village, when it was used for island square dances often accompanied by the fiddle, banjo, guitar, and triangle. 

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In 1957, Ruth and Bill Cochran moved to Ocracoke to manage the Silver Lake Inn.  Wilber Gaskill worked in the kitchen, Gaynelle Tillet and Geneva Odom waitressed in the dining room and Lizzie Scarborough worked as the housekeeper. The price schedule was advertised as Harbor Front, Daily rates; Single $2.50, Double $4.00, Weekly Single $15.00, Double $21.50. Meals in Coffee Shop, Furnished Suites with Kitchenette, Gas, Electricity, and Refrigerator, Daily $6.00 & up, Weekly $30 & up.​

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1960s-90s

By 1960, entrepreneur Doward Brugh purchased the property and renamed it the Island Inn.  From 1965–1970, George and Emilie Wilkes owned and operated the Inn, then they sold it to Bill and Helen Styron.  In 1978, native islander Larry Williams (whose mother was a Wahab) and his partner, Foy Shaw, purchased the Inn. Chester Lynn managed the restaurant.

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Local legend holds that a benign ghost, Mrs. Godfrey, still haunts the older section of the Inn, supposedly what was Room 23.​  The story goes, as per Philip Howard, that a guest had collected a number of shells on the sound side of the island. She lined them up on a shelf in her room, then went out sightseeing with her husband. On their return, one of the shells had mysteriously been moved.  This happened several times. The guest had heard stories of Mrs. Godfrey's impish behavior, and was spooked. When she found the shell moved again she accused her husband of playing tricks on her. He denied it. Finally convinced that her husband was not the culprit, she slept uneasily that night. When she awoke at 2 a.m. and saw the shell on the floor, she immediately called the front desk, and demanded to be moved to another room, one that was not haunted. Of course, the inn was full, and there were no spare rooms. The guest stayed awake the rest of the night.

In the morning light she noticed the shell moving across the floor. Spindly legs extended from under the shell. The hermit crab was marching around searching for salt water.  Embarrassed, the inn's guest reported the solution of the mystery to the front desk...and returned the hermit crab to its home in the sound.

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In the late 1980s, luxury suites and a swimming pool were built across the road.  The suites were later converted to condos.  ​In 1990, Bob & Cee Touhey partner with Anne Shaab and Buffy Warner to purchase the property.  The Touheys became sole owners in 1992.  In 1998, the third-floor attic of the suites was converted to four villas, and the remaining two floors of the suites were converted to villas in 2003.  In 2007, Cee Touhey and her extended family became sole owners of the Island Inn.

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2000's

Personal, financial, and banking issues threatened foreclosure, as family members operated the business for several years.  In 2015, the Inn went on the market, with major repairs needed. 

In 2018, an ad hoc committee approached the Ocracoke Preservation Society with an urgent request that OPS purchase the Inn and save it from destruction.  The OPS Board voted to proceed with support from the Ocracoke Township Tourism Development Authority and the Ocracoke Occupancy Tax Board.

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In 2019, Hurricane Dorian floods the property and inflicted major damage to the building.  OPS demolished the two damaged sub-standard wings, elevated the historic 1901 building, and began restoration.   For more on that, see "Restoration in Process."​​

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More Information About Odd Fellows Lodges: 

Odd Fellows Lodges were first documented in 1730 in England. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows organization "aims to provide a framework that promotes personal and social development" (Independent Order of Odd Fellows 2021). Some notable members are: William Jennings Bryan, Charlie Chaplin, Wyatt Earp, Charles Lindbergh, Presidents Grant, Harding, Hayes, McKinley, and FDR. If you are interested in learning more about the Odd Fellows and their mission, please visit their website.

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