PORTSMOUTH

NAME: Portsmouth
COUNTY: Carteret
ROADS: 4WD
GRID: 3
CLIMATE: Fine during Spring & Summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring or Summer
COMMENTS: Portsmouth can only be reached by ferry from Ocracoke or by a small car carrying ferry from the town of Atlantic. There are no roads on the island so you must have a four wheel drive to travel over the sand to the site.
REMAINS: 20 old buildings including a schoolhouse, a Methodist Church, and a life saving complex.
This is a real adventure. This is a 250 acre historic preserve administered by the National Park Service. In the 1850's and 1860's the village prospered as a port where cargo was transferred from seagoing ships to smaller boats for the journey inland. Shoaling of the inlet ended the ability to get cargo in. By the 1890's most of the inhabitants had moved away. The buildings have not been restored but there are identifying signs to help you understand the village sites. Submitted by: Mike Woodfin


Portsmouth Methodist Church
Courtesy NC National Park Service


Portsmouth Life Saving Station
Courtesy NC National Park Service

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