{"nrhp_refnum":"92001835","name":"First Colony Inn","other_names":["LeRoy's Seaside Inn","First Colony Motor Inn","First Colony Apar"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"6720 S. Virginia Dare Trail","address_restricted":false,"city":"Nags Head","county":"Dare County","state":"NC","lat":35.91851829600006,"lon":-75.60323083599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1993-01-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Entertainment/Recreation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two and one-half story, balloon-frame vernacular Shingle Style hotel at Mile Post 16 in Nags Head, Dare County, North Carolina, built in 1932 on the oceanfront.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the inn is the last original example of the traditional beach-style hotel once common on the Nags Head oceanfront and that it was a social and entertainment centre during the 1930s tourism boom. It also argues the building is an exemplary Shingle Style design with symmetrical, climate-responsive features such as encircling verandahs and Nags Head benches.","narrative":"Built in 1932 at Nags Head, this two and one-half story hotel is sheathed entirely in unpainted red cedar shingles and set on an H-shaped plan with encircling two-level verandahs. Constructed by Elizabeth City carpenter Frank Benton, it opened in June 1932 after about four months of work, at a cost of $16,000. Its name was LeRoy's Seaside Inn until it was renamed First Colony Inn in 1937. The inn hosted dining, dancing and organized social events for summer visitors during the 1930s oceanfront boom, and it is regarded as the last original example of the traditional beach-style hotel that once lined the Nags Head oceanfront. Its symmetrical design, deep overhanging roof and breeze-catching benches on the verandah railings reflect the local response to climate and economy. The building was moved a short distance in 1988 and rehabilitated in 1991 while retaining its original form.","period_of_significance":"1932-1942","architect_builder":"Frank Benton (builder); Willis Leigh (designer)","architectural_style":"Vernacular Shingle Style","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Rehabilitated in 1991 with a Historic Preservation Certification; operating as a hotel with twenty-six guest rooms; relocated a short distance south in August 1988.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:42.348599-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/97/7198/47719897/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NC/92001835.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92001835/5777e609dc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92001835/5777e609dc-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Herbie03","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Colony_Inn_4770.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Herbie03</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Colony_Inn_4770.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/47719897","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Colony_Inn","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452757"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/north-carolina/dare-county/first-colony-inn-92001835/"}