|
|
The Keeper's Times
The Old Baldy Foundation Community Newsletter
|
|
COVID-19 Operation Details
The lighthouse and museum remain open in complaince with local and state COVID-19 regulations. We have enforced the following regulations to ensure a safe experience at our facilities!
Only one group/family in the lighthouse or shop at one time.
No cash will be accepted- only card transactions.
Face coverings will be required.
The bathroom facilities will remain closed.
Hand sanitizer will be available for all shoppers.
We can't wait to see everyone safely and responsibly!
Gift Shop Hours:
Tuesday- Saturday 10-4 pm
Lighthouse and Museum Hours:
Tuesday- Saturday 10-3 pm
CLOSED THANKSGIVING DAY
|
|
It is time for our annual Holiday tradition!
In conversation with the Bald Head Island Club, it was decided a reception to accompany the auction was not yet safe. That does not mean the festivities need to all be canceled! The beloved tabletop Christmas trees decorated by the island community will still be available to bid on!
Enjoy seeing the festive trees decorated throughout the club the week of Thanksgiving! Place your bid online for your favorite tree. Trees will be added throughout the week so stay tuned to find your favorite!
Bidding will end on Saturday, November 28th, at midnight. Each tree winner will be contacted and can pick their tree up at the Bald Head Island Club on Sunday, November 29th, from 10 am-12 pm or the following week at Old Baldy during operating hours. Special arrangments can be made to pick it up by contacting abby@oldbaldy.org (shipping is not available).
|
|
Are you feeling festive? Support Old Baldy by donating your time and decor to decorate a tabletop Christmas tree for our Light Up The Holidays Christmas Tree Auction! Old Baldy will provide the tree. Please stop by the Lighthouse to pick up a tree and take it home to decorate in any theme you like. Return the decorated tree to Old Baldy by the week of Thanksgiving, and your creation will be included in the auction. All proceeds go directly to Old Baldy and its continued preservation efforts. Enjoy supporting a cause that is important to you while kicking off the Holiday season.
Email abby@oldbaldy.org with any questions or simply stop by Old Baldy to pick up a tree!
|
|
November History Moment
In the last issue of The Keeper’s Times, the history moment discussed the transcript from the trials of Stede Bonnet and his pirate crew. The trials occurred throughout October and November, 1718, after the pirates were captured in the Cape Fear River on September 27, 1718. Although the trial records are rich in detail regarding the final months of Stede Bonnet’s life, much of the public imagination about Bonnet’s life comes not from the trial records, but from a book entitled A General History of the Pyrates. Within the book, sixteen pirates are each given a chapter detailing the pirates’ adventures. Chapter four of the book’s second edition details the life of Stede Bonnet.
Many legends about Stede Bonnet are the result of Bonnet’s chapter within A General History of Pyrates. Arguably the most famous legend is that Bonnet turned to piracy because of martial problems. Bonnet “is said to have been occasioned by some discomforts he found in a married state,” reads A General History of Pyrates. Although no one knows conclusively why Stede Bonnet chose to abandon his family and Barbadian home to become a pirate, no historical evidence suggests that Bonnet’s marriage was the cause, either. Yet, this legend born from A General History of Pyrates is pervasive. Another often-repeated motivation of Stede Bonnet’s piracy is a mental impairment. This claim also originates with A General History of Pyrates, which states that Bonnet’s pirating “proceeded from a disorder in his mind.”
The Bonnet chapter’s climax is the battle in the Cape Fear River between the pirates and Colonel William Rhett’s two pirate-hunter sloops from Charles Town, South Carolina. Clearly, the author of A General History of Pyrates heavily relied upon the published trial records to recreate the battle scene. As discussed in last month’s newsletter, the trial records begin with an account of the Cape Fear River battle entitled “A Prefatory Account of the Taking of Major Stede Bonnet.” This account and subsequent trial transcripts was published in London roughly five years before the first publication of A General History of Pyrates, and both account read almost identically.
A General History of Pyrates is not the most accurate depiction of Stede Bonnet since the publication was a sensationalized, mass-printed book meant to entertain rather than inform. The book was authored by Captain Charles Johnson, which is a pseudonym. Various scholars have provided hypotheses about the true author over the years. John Robert Moore thought the author as Daniel Defore, most famous for authoring Robinson Crusoe. More recent scholarship, notably thanks to Arne Bialuschewski of the University of Kiel, suggests the author is Nathaniel Mist, a contemporary newspaper publisher. Whether influenced by an author of fiction or a tabloid newspaper editor, A General History of Pyrates must be read and interpreted with caution. The Old Baldy Foundation have increasingly shied away from A General History of Pyrates in educational programs.
Join the Old Baldy Foundation as we conclude our educational programing commemorating the 302nd anniversary of Stede Bonnet’s final months on the following dates:
|
|
Thursday, December 10th- 2pm- Facebook Live-
The Old Baldy Foundation will discuss Stede Bonnet’s legacy on the 302nd anniversary of the pirate’s execution in Charles Town, South Carolina.
Sunday, December 27th- 5pm- Candlelight Historic Happy Hour
The Old Baldy Foundation will present their 3rd annual candlelight program. This year, living historians will portray Christmas, 1718, when the Carolinas were reeling from the execution of pirate Stede Bonnet and the death of Blackbeard at the Battle of Ocracoke. Hundreds of luminaries will decorate the Old Baldy grounds. The event is free, but advanced registration is required through the link below. Please bring lawn chairs for social distancing, snacks, and libations, since no food or drink will be served this year. Dress for the weather, as the event will be outdoors, and don't forget your masks! This program will also be live-streamed on Old Baldy's Facebook Page, so please tune in if you cannot join us on Bald Head Island. (In case of inclement weather or COVID-19 closures this event will take place only virtually.)
|
|
Behind the Scenes
This segment of our monthly newsletter gives our supporters an inside look at our efforts to interpret over four centuries of history from the Cape Fear region and the behind the scenes work that accompanies our mission.
This past summer, the Old Baldy Foundation started construction on a long-planned project of installing a new roof on Keeper's Cottage on our campus. Many of our summer visitors may have seen workers milling about to complete this undertaking. We wanted to feature this project to thank those who made it possible and highlight the significant reasons this undertaking took place.
The Keeper's Cottage was constructed in 2000 as a replica of the third Keeper's Cottage that stood on our grounds and served as a home for many Lighthouse Keeper's. This building is an integral part of our interpretation of over four centuries of history on Bald Head Island. Many of our visitors are shocked to see the narrow ship's ladder inside the building as they enter our gift shop. Seeing the unique features of the building allows them to imagine the daily struggles the lighthouse keeper had living in such confined quarters, often with a wife and children!
In 2000 as the Keeper's Cottage was being constructed, a historically accurate cedar shake roof was chosen. Over the past twenty years of weather and wear, a need to replace the rood became evident. 2020 has been a year of struggle, including a forced shut down of museum operations for the majority of the year. However, this project was planned and financed before the realities of COVID-19. While this pandemic has left a significant mark and financial hurdles for the Old Baldy Foundation, our leadership team has not stopped looking towards our organization's long-term goals and mission. Having this new roof installed is a vital step in protecting our building long into the future.
With the consistent threat of weather events in our coastal community, a more durable roofing option was selected with the assistance of local BHI contractor SOS roofing. A manufactured composite shake roof by DaVinci roofscapes was chosen. This product visually represents the historical accuracy we strive for while providing more durable support and a 50-year warranty. This roofing material was strategically picked to provide the necessary protection for our building. SOS roofing helped us keep this project at a manageable price and handled the work in the summer's heat quickly and efficiently!
As a 501c3 organization our mission is to serve the community so everyone can cherish the cultural treasure of Old Baldy. Because of this we focus on making decisions that are an investment in our future so we can continue honoring this beloved monument for years to come. By offering this behind the scenes look into the process of how this project came about, we wanted to share how our future goals and previous fundraising efforts allowed us to complete this in the trying year of 2020.
|
|
Pictures provided by SOS Roofing |
|
Thank you to our 2020 Annual Sponsors! |
|
Fitz-Hugh Family
John & Kim Gottshall
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
