Contents
Story
Decoys
Credits
🟡 LIMITED RESEARCH VOLUME
OWNERS
Robert Lassiter
Daisy Hanes Lassiter
acquired Dec. 23, 1919
destroyed in 1933 storm
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS
purchased from Jordan Mott
LOCATION
North Core Banks–halfway between Portsmouth Village and the Core Banks Coast Guard Station
Story
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The Pilentary Hunt Club–Lassiter era
Robert Lassiter–textile manufacturer, banker, and industrialist –of Charlotte NC purchased the club from Mott in 1919 for $9,000. Lassiter was Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond for 25 years and large stockholder of the Seaboard Airline Railroad
.On March 21, 1961, this property was conveyed from the Lassiter family to the State of North Carolina for $60,000 as acquisitions were underway for the eventual transfer to the U. S. A. for the Cape Lookout National Seashore. This action also included the 16 acres of Wainwright Island, Chain Shot Islands and 3 acres of Shell Island.
The Mason family history, as told by Jessie Mae Mason Saunders, describes the changeover.
The Lassiter family conveyed at least 3,000 acres as Park acquisitions. Holdings included the Pilentary site, Catherine and Jane Islands, Swash Inlet area and much more–from “the Swash” south to the Wilbur Nelson holdings.
A 1933 deed mentions Julian (Hamilton) selling an interest in lands and house on Core Banks on property adjoining the Lassiter tract. The Lassiter tract at that time came near the site of the Evergreens but also extended far south–to near the “Wib’s Creek” area (named after Wilbur Nelson, one party included on that deed). It seems Julian, Sr. had a Core Banks presence before the Evergreens.
Clarence Robinson relates that the property underwent a change in status to become a game refuge. (However, on March 21, 1961, this property was conveyed from the Lassiter family to the State of North Carolina for $60,000 as acquisitions were underway for eventual establishment of the Cape Lookout National Seashore.)
The final chapter for the Pilentary Club was written by the un-named 1933 storm that destroyed the club and left only the cisterns not washed into the ocean. The Salter family and Polly Mason (caretakers/cook) survived by escaping the structures and digging a trench atop a 30 foot hill from which they watched the destruction.
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Pilentery’s last keepers were John ( “little John Spraddle-butt” , as called by Clay Fulcher) Salter and wife,Ina, and sister in law –Polly (who looked after Clay in his youth).
The Salters had two boys–Rudolph and Johnny (Johnny Lassiter Salter–named to include the Lassiter name—the then current owners)
Roby and Adeline Fulcher were caretakers and did maintenance on the Pilentery after the Lassiters purchased it.
Willlie Mason, Charle’s son, functioned as a private game warden or game-keeper for the Pilentery area under the Lassiters.
Willie may have been a caretaker also (according to Clay Fulcher).
Willie Mason’s son is Charles Perry Styron’s (of Atlantic) GF—who had a cabin at Wib’s later.
Ina and Polly were grandfather Alvin Mason’s sisters —during the ’33 storm, the keeper’s house was ” going to go” so they went to the big house–then the big house was” coming apart”–they went over planks to get to the dunes.
Clay Fulcher served as resource.
Credits
- Clay Fulcher, III–Atlantic NC
- “Core Sounder”–a book by Clarence Robinson, 1970
- NPS files and archives
- Jessie Mse Mason Saunders–“Outer Banks Family”–1985