Contents
Story
Decoys
Credits
🟡 LIMITED RESEARCH VOLUME
OWNERS
Mrs. James B. Hunnings
built in 1964
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS
camp # 34 on 1977 NPS structure survey
LOCATION
Shackleford Banks
Story
do you know more? contact me.
Title
34–Mrs. James B. Hunnings–HI
driven well ?depth
drum sewer
shantie-fair condition
wood frame-creosote pilings-white paint
asphalt shingles
2 doors 4 windows
55 Ford out back
pump house out back
34–Gary Yeomans–HI
leased to Mrs. James B. Hunnings by Yeomans in 1974
2 porches
2 rooms-1 bedroom
plywood walls
well/septic-none
pump outside
white
384 sq feet
erected 1964
Interview by phone—
Ivey “Buddy” Lewis—Carteret County
Nov. 8, 2023
re: Mrs. James B. Hunnings camp
(Belva Lewis Hunnings)
associated contacts—Cindy Godelle and Richard Hunnings
“Buddy” remembers Aunt Belva’s camp being straight across from “Yellow Hill” on Harkers Island. He stayed there while in his 20’s (born 1951), and later there with his wife and 3 year old daughter in 1973.
Described as a small cabin, near to the ground (“only about a block off the ground”), it had 2 bedrooms, a small kitchen and sitting area. A gas refrigerator and stove, hand pump needing a prime, and 12 volt battery powered lights were amenities. There was no dock—Ms. Edna’s was the nearest dock. Buddy doesn’t remeber a bathroom or alternate arrangement.
In those times, the “biggest place” were the porches—to gather and catch a breeze—no AC then.
Buddy carried his 3 year old daughter over to the beach pushing her in Aunt Belva’s wheel barrow.
Buddy remembers once finding a sign on the door—“Please don’t eat in the cabin”—so they prepared their meal and went to eat on the back porch—Belva came and finding them thus, asked-“what are y’all doing out here”. They mentioned the sign, to which she responded, “that’s not for you—that’s for people who break in”, who had let racoons and such get in the camp.
Belva had married a Conway, who was in the military. Second husband, James B. Hunnings was from Beaufort. Buddy believes James served as a captain. Belva may have worked at Cherry Point, but he recalls her mostly as a housewife.
Buddy is not aware of a connection to the Moore family, owners of much of that property. The camp was purchased from someone else who had built it but it’s origin story is unknown to him. The camp was in use till the Park Service takeover.
Belva’s parents were Effie Lewis and Thomas Lewis—both parents had their parents born and living earlier on Shackleford Banks.
Buddy remembers an old brown camp lying west of Edna Heslep’s camp—they had stayed at Edna’s camp also.
Credits
- NPS files and archives
- Ivey “Buddy” Lewis, nephew–Carteret County
- Other references within text