Kitty Hawk may have rose to national fame with the arrival of the Wright Brothers, but the region was home to salty locals for centuries before the Wrights took flight. From the long lost soundside communities in Kitty Hawk Woods to the historic lifesaving station that guarded the coastline, Kitty Hawk has plenty of stories to share.

Facts

Modern archeologists estimate that Kitty Hawk was occupied for centuries before European explorers first discovered the region in the late 1500s.

Evidence of Algonquin speaking tribes exist in modern day Southern Shores and near the western edge of the Wright Memorial Bridge. Other tell-tale signs have been spotted in Kitty Hawk Woods, close to Shallbank Point. In fact, even the name "Kitty Hawk" seems to have ties to these first natives, as the original name, Chickenhauk, was noted on a New World map as early as 1738 - well before the region was fully explored.

Kitty Hawk would never receive the mass migration of settlers like nearby Roanoke Island and the North Carolina mainland, but a handful of New World residents were brave enough to set up a home in the region. Maps from the 1700s and 1800s note handfuls of privately owned plantations and residences, as well as a schoolhouse and other small businesses that's served the community.

This under-the-radar reputation would change when the Wright Brothers arrived in the region in 1900, and stayed for three years to perfect their powered flight experiments. While the historic December 17th First Flight actually launched via the sand dunes of neighboring Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk nevertheless became famous as the birthplace of flight.

After the Wright Brothers passed through the area and made national headlines, Kitty Hawk somewhat retreated back to its quiet existence. The 1910s and 1920s were marked by the arrival of lumber businesses who harvested the Kitty Hawk Woods area.

Once the first Wright Memorial Bridge was constructed in the 1930s, linking the off-shore beach town to the mainland, tourism began to steadily develop. This would continue in the following decades, (and coincide with multiple Wright Memorial Bridge renovations), until eventually Kitty Hawk would be in the national spotlight once again - this time as one of the premier vacation destinations along the Outer Banks.

Events

Kitty Hawk's history dates back hundreds if not thousands of years, and the following timeline provides a brief overview of this small town's national claims to fame, or landscape-changing events.

  • Pre-1600s - Small communities of Native Americans live on the soundside of Kitty Hawk. These communities are located in the Kitty Hawk Woods and close to the Currituck Sound waters adjacent to the Wright Memorial Bridge
  • July 1584 - Captain Phillip Armadas find an entry to the New World through the North Banks, passing within miles of modern day Kitty Hawk.
  • 1580s - More vessels would pass by the area, en route to proposed settlements on Roanoke Island.
  • 1665 - A minor plantation is established on Colington Island, which is found on the southside of Kitty Hawk Bay .
  • 1738 - Kitty Hawk is referenced on the James Wimble map as its original Native American moniker, "Chickenhauk."
  • 1750s and beyond - Notations suggest that Kitty Hawk is home to a very small handful of minor plantations, like the home of local Richard Etheridge.
  • 1800s - A small number of residents live in Kitty Hawk, participating in maritime trade and sustenance farming and fishing. An 1840s map notes a distribution of homes and structures throughout Kitty Hawk Woods, which includes a small schoolhouse.
  • 1874 - The original Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station is constructed along the oceanfront. The station is part of a number of "new" lifesaving stations along the Outer Banks to assist shipwrecked mariners.
  • 1878 - The original Kitty Hawk Post Office is constructed near Kitty Hawk Bay .
  • September 1900 - Wilbur Wright, an Ohio bicycle mechanic, arrives in Kitty Hawk to begin experiments with powered flight.
  • 1900 - The town of Kitty Hawk, when the Wrights first arrive, is a small community of roughly 60 families that are concentrated along the soundside.
  • December 17th, 1903 - The Wright Brothers triumphantly telegraph their successful First Flight to the world via the Kitty Hawk Weather Station.
  • 1910s - Industrialists target Kitty Hawk as a good locale to procure lumber for the timber industry. Acres of trees are subsequently cut down in Kitty Hawk Woods. This trade would carry on for several subsequent decades.
  • Late 1920s - A toll bridge is constructed to link Roanoke Island with Nags Head, and a longer toll bridge is built across the Currituck Sound, connecting Point Harbor with Kitty Hawk. A paved road is built as well, laying the foundation for the ensuing tourism boom.
  • 1930s - The first Wright Memorial Bridge is commissioned, linking the northern Outer Banks with the Currituck County mainland. The wooden structure allowed hundreds of visitors to slowly access the OBX shorelines.
  • 1966 - The "new" Wright Memorial Bridge is opened, which is built out of concrete and can withstand winds of up to 55 mph.
  • 1960s and 1970s - Kitty Hawk's growth is at its highest as cottages are built along the oceanfront Beach Road. Many of these beach homes are still standing, and are still popular with tourists.
  • 1981 - The Town of Kitty Hawk is incorporated. This new "Town of Kitty Hawk" would later be responsible for preserving 461 scenic acres of the natural Kitty Hawk Woods.
  • 1984 - The Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station is added to the National Register of Historic Places.
  • 1995 - The third and final Wright Memorial Bridge is opened, which is a 4-lane structure that can accommodate thousands of vehicles daily.
  • 2000s and Beyond - Kitty Hawk becomes home to one of the newest premier hotels on the Outer Banks. Rental home communities are constructed along the soundside region of Kitty Hawk Woods, but much of the region - which was the original home for Kitty Hawk natives - is quietly and carefully preserved.

Sites

Kitty Hawk history buffs will want to discover these historic sites that are prominent attractions, little known, or even hidden in plain sight.

  • Wright Brothers National Memorial - Located in adjacent Kill Devil Hills, the Wright Brothers National Memorial celebrates the two towns' distinction as the birthplace of powered, modern aviation.
  • Kitty Hawk Woods - The dense Kitty Hawk Woods has become a popular destination for archeologists, thanks to the region's centuries of history that chronicle the lives of the Outer Banks' earliest settlers. Native Americans, early European settlers, and visiting employees of the 20th century timber trade all once called Kitty Hawk Woods home, and modern visitors can re-trace the paths that ancient OBX residents once explored hundreds of years ago
  • Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station - The original 1874 Kitty Hawk Lifesaving Station has been moved and remodeled since it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The original station can be spotted at Milepost 4, and now doubles as a vacation rental home. Meanwhile, parts of the original boathouse have been repurposed as integral parts of the acclaimed Black Pelican restaurant in Kitty Hawk.

 

Black Pelican

Black Pelican

Black Pelican oceanfront restaurant is one of the Outer Banks’ premier restaurants serving lunch and dinner daily. Black Pelican is where you can enjoy fresh seafood, steaks, vegetarian dishes, sandwiches and some of the barrier island’s best wood-fired pizzas complete with a beautiful ocean view from the dining rooms and outdoor deck. The restaurant is big enough to handle large parties, but the setting is intimate enough for a cozy date.

Big Buck's Homemade Ice Cream

Big Buck's Homemade Ice Cream

Serving our customers on the Outer Banks since 1994, Big Buck's ice Cream is dedicated serving you “The Best.” We offer a full line of super-premium ice cream products, smoothies, chocolates, and custom-made ice cream cakes! 2 locations are open all year: Duck  and Manteo, at The Waterfront Shops.

 

We offer a full line of Espresso Drinks from Hot Vanilla Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolate to Iced Caramel Lattes & Frozen Mochas, all made to order. Big Buck’s fresh fruit smoothies are lactose-free and made to order. Also offering lactose-free sorbets made from the best fruits available. Old time favorites are sure to please! Choose from a delicious collection of milkshakes, sundaes and banana splits.

 

Savor the moment with our Homemade Chocolate! Chocolates are made daily in each location. We offer a large selection from Dark to Milk to White. Milk Chocolate Oreos & Almond Toffee, Dark Chocolate Berries and Cherries Clusters & Hand-dipped Peppermint Patties with a Drizzle of White Chocolate, Extra-Dark Sea Salt Caramels & our famous homemade caramel chocolate pretzels oh & don’t forget the ever-popular caramel pecan turtle, just to name a few treats!

 

Belinda Pleva grew up serving ice cream out of her parent’s shop. She loved being part of what she calls “a happy business.” “I love it when people come into the shop and you hand them something, and it makes them smile,” Pleva says. “That moment when you hand an ice cream cone over to a little kid and their eyes just light up. That’s what I love about the ice cream business.”

 

In 1994, Pleva opened up her own ice cream and chocolate shop, Big Buck’s Ice Cream, in the brand-new Timbuk II Shopping Center in Corolla. Business was good, but something was missing.

 

“I was never satisfied with the ingredients in the ice creams and chocolates you could purchase back then. I wanted to serve my customers delicious flavors with ingredients they could actually pronounce,” Pleva says.

 

Pleva took a trip to Italy to study the gelaterias. She fell in love with the incredible flavors, and when she returned home to the Outer Banks, she began working tirelessly to perfect the flavors in her own ice cream.

 

Big Buck’s homemade ice cream combined the flavors of the Italian gelaterias and the richness of American ice cream. It quickly became a tourist favorite. After having the same unsatisfactory experience with the readymade chocolates she was selling, she also took a trip to Brussels to learn more about making handmade chocolates. Pleva brought the chocolate-making experience right back with her, and the result was the finest quality of chocolates on the Outer Banks.

 

After her huge success in the Corolla shop, Pleva was able to open up three more shops—one in Kitty Hawk, one in Manteo and one in Duck.

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TRiO Restaurant & Market

TRiO Restaurant & Market

Wine, beer and cheese lovers will love TRiO, an exciting retail and tasting destination in Kitty Hawk. Both a gourmet retail wine, beer and cheese shop as well as a bistro with a wine bar and tap house, TRiO offers the best of the worlds of wine, beer and cheese for your enjoyment on premise or in the comfort of your home. TRiO's bistro is elegant and comfortable, with a large bar and two-story dining and bar area. The gourmet bistro menu of appetizers, and light fare such as cheese and charcuterie, paninis and salads make TRiO a wonderful lunch and dinner restaurant. Unique and high-tech self service WineStations are available in the downstairs bar area, where you can sample full, half and tastes of wines of all regions at varying price ranges. If you prefer beer, you can select from 24 beers on tap or try a TRiO Flight and sample a taste of four beers. In the upstairs mezzanine, which is part of the bistro, you'll find comfortable lounge seating and a free pool table. 

Brew Thru

Brew Thru

No trip to the Outer Banks is complete without cruising through Brew Thru, the Outer Banks’ original drive thru convenience store. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing cold beverage of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks on the go, stocking up your cooler with refreshments to enjoy at the beach or piling up on beer and wine for a party, Brew Thru is a fun and unique experience all vacationers need to see for themselves.

Drive-Through Beer & Gear

Brew Thru is Your One-Stop Shop at the Beach

The year was 1977, and Dana and Becky Lawrentz were chatting with friends over brews in their hometown of Akron, Ohio. They got to talking about a gas station convenience store in the area that had built a makeshift drive-through. Everyone agreed it would be pretty great if you could actually drive through a convenience store and pick up everything you needed without getting out of the car. But what would you call a place like that?

Well, you’d call it a Brew Thru.

It was an idea they couldn’t shake, so the Lawrentzes moved to the Outer Banks and built the first Brew Thru with the help of a partner. The idea was that people could come buy everything they would need for their trip to the beach—beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks, ice—without getting out of the car. That same year, a t-shirt salesman visiting the store and talked them into adding t-shirts to their product line—and 44 years later there are now more than five million Brew Thru t-shirts out in the wild.

The Lawrentzes’ daughter Brandy and her husband Philip Foreman purchased the business from them in 2002, and they now operate five locations across the Outer Banks.“We love being the one-stop shop for folks on the way to their beach house,” Foreman says. “Our car tenders are the friendliest people at the beach. We’re here to greet you, get you everything you need for your trip, load it up in the trunk for you, and have you leaving with a smile on your face.”

The store is quite expansive, featuring more than 100 brands of beer, dozens of wines and even a vast selection of cigars—not to mention all the snacks, t-shirts and other gear. To make ordering a little easier, customers in line get a menu—fondly known as the Summer-y—that outlines everything available at the store. These Summer-ies are also available in many of the beach rentals, which allows vacationers to decide what they want before driving through.

For customers who would like to get out and stretch their legs, there’s the Brew Thru Shop in Kill Devil Hills, where you can find their world famous t-shirts and other gifts. New t-shirt designs are created each year, making a yearly Brew Thru t-shirt a favorite of locals and annual visitors to the Outer Banks.

The Foremans both grew up in the Outer Banks, and they love that Brandy’s parents’ vision for a friendly and convenient place for people to grab their brews and other beach stay essentials is continuing to flourish.

“Our family has been welcoming people to the Outer Banks since 1977,” Foreman says. “We love this beautiful place, and we want everybody to get to enjoy it.”

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