Captain's History

The owners/developers and your hosts George and Betty Chamberlin welcome you to Captains Landing Hotel and the unique shops that share the property.

George is a former commercial airline captain and chief pilot who was born and reared on Long Island NY. Upon retirement from the airlines George and Betty moved to Ocracoke after residing in Virginia for many years. Betty was born on Ocracoke and is a 9th generation direct descendent of William Howard, the last colonial owner of Ocracoke, and she is a great granddaughter of local legend and character Captain Horatio Williams.

The name for Captains was chosen in honor of the multi-family captains of both air and sea. Each suite bears the name of native pilots of the 1800’s who plied the waters that surround Ocracoke. Today most of the same names can be found in the local phone directory.

Captains Landing Hotel is directly on the water and centrally located in the heart of the village. Several small buildings share the property, which encompasses part of highway 12 and historic Howard Street. The property and old buildings maintain a nostalgic and significant attachment to Betty and her daughters as they played on the property and worked in the buildings as small children and teenagers.

In the late 1800’s the property was the location of A. B. Howard’s residence and his general store. In 1910 the property changed hands and Michael Piland’s Ice Cream Parlor became the local gathering place. Isaac Willis O’Neal purchased the property in 1920 and reopened as Big Ike’s General Store. The depression eventually reached Ocracoke and the store closed in the mid 30’s. In the late 30’s Big Ike’s daughter Elizabeth sold furniture for Stanley Wahab from the old store. In 1941 Elizabeth was appointed postmaster for Ocracoke and the old store became the new post office. The post office remained in the old building until the early 50’s when Elizabeth and Wahab Howard contracted with Harry O’Neal to build a new Post Office on the property and closer to the main road. The old store/ ice cream parlor/post office was demolished.

Captain's Cottage
In 1967 the once new building became obsolete as a post office and was moved to the back of the property to make room for a new and more modern brick post office and parking lot. The 50's post office building was leased to Guy and Sally Newell. Sally, an interior designer (Sally Newell Interiors), worked her magic and poof! The obsolete building was converted to a cute and inviting ladies boutique with a postal theme. The boutique was now the Old Post Office Shop complete with mailbags and a classy mail order catalogue of its very own. Several years later an addition to accommodate surfing and sporting equipment was built by Guy and named BW’s Surf Shop. Elizabeth’s granddaughters Beth and Ann Arnold spent their summers with their grandmother and worked for Sally and Guy during their high school and college years.

The building was later leased to Captain Ernie and Darlene Styron Dosier who owned and operated Sweet Tooth, a confectionary store specializing in Fudge, Ice Cream and Candy. The old postal boxes were put into service and used to store Sweet Tooth treats and goodies. In 2005 Darlene and Ernie purchased The Fig Tree and Sweet Tooth has moved to a new location on Highway 12. Now you can stop by their new location for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner topped off with a sweet treat.

The 1950's postal building has been renovated into a charming waterfront cottage and will be ready for guests in June 2005. The old PO Boxes and other memorabilia have moved to the brick building on highway 12, the Ocracoke Post Office for the years 1967-2001. The boxes are back in service storing product for Captains Cargo.

DOWN POINT DECOYS
The building now known as Down Point Decoys is leased to Kathy and David O’Neal (a local carver of note). It was once part of the old Green Island Duck Hunting Club. Wahab Howard purchased the building from the Park Service in 1954. Wahab, Fowler O’Neal, Ben and Wallace Spencer dismantled the building, moved it from the beach to the village and reassembled the building on the spot where it sits today. It was then leased to Ruth and Bill Cochran and simply called The Gift Shop. Myrtle and John Doolittle leased the building in the 60’s and renamed it Captain John’s Junque Shop. Sally and Guy took over in the 70’s and the Merchant Mariner came into being. In 1997 Kathy and David O’Neal moved their Down Point Decoys into the building that was once home to duck hunters of another era.

Captain's Cargo
Opening in 2005! From 1967 to 2001 this brick building was the Ocracoke Island Post Office. Then during the years of 2001 to 2004 the lobby of the once modern brick Post Office was remodeled into The Island Gift Shop, leased and operated by Wayne Bentley. Since Wayne's relocation to Florida, this space has once again been remodeled into Captain's Cargo, an eclectic, whimsical, shop with nautical flair. This new shop, delightfully infused with coastal art and crafts, offers unique gifts, jewelry, home accents, accessories, and bath & body essentials. Vintage 1950's Post Office boxes are on display and back in service storing Captain's "cargo". Adjacent to the gift shop with an entrance on the side, the remainder of the brick building provides the office for Captain's Landing Hotel.

CAPTAINS LANDING HOTEL
The plan and design for Captains began in 1998. With a survey of the undeveloped property complete, a footprint was configured and a floor plan drafted. The exterior evolved from old pictures belonging to Betty’s mother Elizabeth. When it was time to create an exterior look for the new building, Betty remembered the old pictures that had occupied her time on boring rainy days. As a child she was fascinated with the pictures of an old Ocracoke hotel and its’ finely dressed guests, some in resplendent pose and others appearing to promenade on the two story walk around porches. The pictures were located and architect Ben Cahoon and associate Margaret Paul drafted the look for Captains. The pictures of the Old Ponzer Hotel* hang in the office as a reminder of Captains’ beginning and of times past, 100 years ago.

*(Circa 1885, survived the hurricane of 1899 and burned to the ground in 1900)