Oregon Inlet Station
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Why it's listed
Oregon Inlet Station is a Coast Guard station on the northern end of Pea Island, near Rodanthe on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Built in 1897 and remodeled in 1933 and 1970, it is a story-and-a-half frame building sided with white-painted wood shingles and roofed with shakes. Eight dormer windows pierce the roof, a porch wraps the south, east and west sides, and an observation tower rises on the east side, though it has lost its original pyramidal roof and catwalk. Three wooden water tanks stand just to the north. The building continues the Oregon Inlet Lifeboat Station, one of the first seven sites the Lifesaving Service chose on the Outer Banks in 1874. The original station sites, along with the Bodie Island Lighthouse and a Confederate fort, were lost to the shifting inlet. The station is listed as the oldest active Coast Guard station in North Carolina and as a representative example of the Shingle style.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is the oldest active Coast Guard station in North Carolina. It continues the Oregon Inlet Lifeboat Station, one of the first seven Lifesaving Service sites on the Outer Banks, established in 1874. It is also described as a well-preserved example of the functional Shingle style used by the federal government on coastal buildings.
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 75001253, listed December 23, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 12 mi. N of Rodanthe on Pea Island, Rodanthe |
|---|---|
| County | Dare County |
| Listed | December 23, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001253 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1897/1933 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Shingle style |
| Areas of significance | Transportation |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as an active Coast Guard station; remodeled in 1933 and 1970, with the form marking its condition as good and altered, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 10 |
| Coordinates | 35.76842, -75.52399 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 75001253.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18209373
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.