Ocracoke ’s charm is accented by a ‘host of ghosts’

Ocracoke Islanders invite visitors to walk about the village and enjoy the natural beauty of Springer’s Point Preserve, a 132-acre maritime forest held by the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust.

Local historian and storyteller Philip Howard (shown below) says Springer’s Point is historic, wild, lovely and – of course – haunted by the ghost of Blackbeard the Pirate.

The property “is thickly covered with ancient, gnarled live oak trees, English ivy and plants indigenous to Ocracoke,” Howard said. It’s the perfect, secluded place for pirates to gather and party, which they did in October of 1718…as Edward Teach (Blackbeard) hosted one of the largest gatherings of pirates ever held.” They partied for several days, and rum flowed freely.

“Just offshore is ‘Teach’s Hole,’ Blackbeard’s favorite anchorage,” Howard said.

“It was also at Teach’s Hole, only a month later, on Nov. 22, 1718, that Blackbeard met his fate in a fierce battle with Lt. Robert Maynard (shown below) of the British Royal Navy.”

The battle raged. “Decks were running with blood; the air was thick with gunpowder smoke. Blackbeard was wounded 25 times,” Howard said.

“Toward the end of the battle, Blackbeard nearly dispatched his adversary,” Howard said. “A mighty blow from Teach’s cutlass severed Maynard’s sword at the hilt. Blackbeard moved in for the kill.”

“At that fateful moment, one of Maynard’s sailors approached Blackbeard from behind and, with a mighty slice of his sword, separated the buccaneer’s fearsome head from his powerful body.”

Blackbeard’s disembodied head was tied to the bowsprit of Maynard’s sloop; Blackbeard’s body was tossed overboard. Howard said: “Legend has it that a headless Teach swam around the vessel seven times as an eerie reminder that he was bigger than life itself.”

“Even today, the spirit of Edward Teach lives on in the consciousness of those brave enough to visit the area near his watery grave, especially after dark. It is not uncommon for visitors to Springer’s Point to report seeing unusual lights on the water, or among the trees and bushes nearby,” Howard said.

“More than one person has reported feeling the presence of the ghost of Blackbeard, still searching in vain for his head.”

Lots of homes in Ocracoke are haunted, and the “village castle” is occupied by five ghosts. Philip Howard and his daughter, Amy Howard, are the primary is the ghost walk tour guides. You can find them at the Village Craftsmen on Howard Street in the village.

The Howard family has been on Ocracoke Island for 10 generations now, dating back to William Howard Sr., the first owner of the island to actually live in Ocracoke, once known as Pilot Town.

Philip and Amy will show you Ocracoke’s historic Island Inn, which experiences regular “paranormal activity,” especially in the guest rooms on the second floor, where the ghost of a former innkeeper, Fannie Hardison Godfrey, makes her nightly rounds.

One summer morning, Fannie boarded the mailboat for a trip across the Pamlico Sound to the village of Atlantic in Carteret County, N.C., to embark on a journey to visit family in the Wilmington area. She never returned.

“A week later, to everyone’s horror, her dead body was found near Morehead City,” Philip Howard said. The murder remains unsolved.

Howard said he believes that Fannie returned to Ocracoke in a supernatural state to purely aggravate her widowed husband, Lexie Cion Godfrey. She succeeded. He quit his job at the inn and moved away to parts unknown.

Nowadays, Fannie floats about assisting hotel guests who lose things, such as spectacles, guitar pegs, keys and jewelry. She can be playful, too, by tickling toes, opening water spigots and playing hide-and-seek with personal items in guests’ rooms.