Midgett, Mattie, Store and House
Also known as: Nellie Myrtle Pridgen's Beachcomber Museum
Why it's listed
Built around 1914 in Nags Head's original soundside resort area, this two-story shingled frame store was moved by the Midgett family to the beach road in 1932. Mattie Twiford Midgett ran it while her husband Jethro fished. It sold groceries, fresh fish, crabs, gasoline and cold drinks, and also held the post office and the island's only telephone. A hurricane in 1944 tore off the roof, and a one-story south addition and enclosed rear porches were added afterward. Behind the store stands the Midgetts' 1933 two-story, T-shaped frame house, later run as a boarding house by their daughter Nell. Nell also gathered a large beachcombing collection, and the store is being turned into a museum for it. The buildings were recognized for their role in local commerce from about 1914 to 1954 and for a simple Shingle Style design that matched the nearby seaside cottages. The house is currently vacant and deteriorated.
Significance in brief: The store served as the central commercial establishment for Nags Head's cottage families and visitors for over half a century, and also acted as a post office, telephone point and gathering place. It is also considered architecturally significant as a commercial building with Shingle Style details that became a prototype for later island businesses. The house was the Midgett family's principal residence and later a boarding house.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 04001389, listed December 23, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 4008 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head |
|---|---|
| County | Dare County |
| Listed | December 23, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04001389 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1914-1954 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: Commercial Building: Gas Station/Store (with Shingle Style details) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The store is being converted into a small museum; the house has been vacant for a number of years and is in deteriorated condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.95664, -75.62393 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 04001389.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18217000
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.