Historic Corolla Village
Outer Banks
Corolla NC
2015

Before cars ruled the road, streets were set up for travel by horseback. And with high fuel prices, they could be again! Now you can be prepared with a quaint horsehead hitching post at your entrance or patio. Millions of these ornate posts were originally manufactured of cast iron in the 1800's and embedded into concrete right next to streets for actual use for tying up horses. After cars took over and horses disappeared from the road, streetside horse hitching posts became a traffic hazard. Those hitches not run over were moved away from the street and back near home and business entrances or to the patio where they became unique decorative ornaments. Hitching posts were still very popular through the 1950's and sold mainly through mail order catalogs alongside lawn jockeys and other ironwork. Almost all horse hitches were originally painted black, but some were painted with different colors or two-tone to match the surrounding decor.

https://www.visitcurrituck.com/places/historic-corolla-village/

Visit Historic Corolla Village, a popular attraction for visitors to Currituck’s Outer Banks. Stroll down sandy streets lined with wooden signs for restored shops hosted by friendly merchants and visit a simpler time. Tour the historic Whalehead mansion while you’re in town, and snap a photo of the view from the top of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.
The village is home to many unique businesses, including the Wild Horse Museum. Although most of the isolated villages that existed on this stretch of coast in the past have disappeared, the Historic Corolla Village remains intact, providing insight into times long past.
The focus of the Village has been on the restoration and re-purposing of the existing historic homes into retail shops and office spaces. Visitors can walk the paths and visit the carefully restored homes: The Parker House, Parker Outbuilding, Gray-Lewark House, Gray-Lewark Outbuilding, The Gard House, and A Village Garden.
Twiddy & Company has been instrumental in efforts to restore the many buildings in the Village and is housed in the historic Kill Devil Hills Lifesaving Station, which they have relocated to the Village. They have also restored the Wash Woods US Coast Guard Station #166, which is situated on the four-wheel-drive beaches of Corolla.
With it’s unpaved roads and historic setting, staying in Corolla Village in Corolla, NC provides a unique way to experience the beauty, history, and scenery that the secluded northern Outer Banks beaches have to offer. Located near the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, the Whalehead mansion, Currituck Maritime Museum and Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, Corolla Village is home to restored residences that are now home to numerous quaint shops, stores, and museums.
Visitors enjoy strolling through Corolla Village because it’s like taking a trip back in times to when life was much simpler…with it’s unpaved sand roads, live oaks, scrub pines, and relaxing pace. From Corolla Village, it’s only a short walk or bike ride to the ocean and several of the most popular things to do in Corolla, NC. It’s difficult to image that this area was home to only two-hundred people at the turn of the century, and most of the residents were families of those working at the Currituck Beach Lifesaving Station.