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Although one might be tempted to explore the dilapidated clubhouse visible by boat from the eroding shoreline, visitors should heed the signs: This club is closed to the public. To ignore the posting, one would have to walk over the foot-deep, dense blanket of vines covering the ground, heavily spotted with bird droppings and littered with broken eggshells – reminders of the snakes who gorge themselves on the abundant supply of egret eggs and then slither away beneath the shade of the lush vines.
The present condition of the Monkey Island Club in the Currituck Sound near Corolla isn’t pretty. It isn’t suitable for a family with a picnic lunch or students on a field trip. There isn’t a sandy beach to stroll upon, and no comfort facilities are available.
This island once had better days. In an 1892 article appearing in Harper’s Weekly, Alexander Hunter wrote, “A more beautiful spot cannot be conceived.”
Pearl Melson Robbins was born on Monkey Island about 100 years ago, during the time her father, Joseph Melson, was employed by the hunt club. In her brief memoir of life on the island, she said, “One might think it would be a lonely place to live, but there was a lot of boat traffic in those days and many stopped at the Island.”
Not everyone wants to let nature take its course at Monkey Island, as people are willing to do at other islands that dot the sounds. This island has attracted much attention because of its rich history and irreplaceable bird habitat.
The Pamunkey Indian tribe, under the leadership of Chief Powhatan, is known to have existed for more than 350 years in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, including on Monkey Island. The sacred burial ground of the Pamunkey tribe that existed on Monkey Island has long since slipped beneath the waters of the encroaching sound, but an archeological investigation has revealed three sites that merit preservation, including prehistoric shell middens, or refuse heaps. It is believed that the island’s name is derived from “Pamunkey.”
By the late 1800s the Pamunkey Indians were no longer in the Currituck area, although they still exist in Virginia. By that time the
vast number of waterfowl at Currituck Sound became a prime target of the gentlemen hunters who traveled to the Currituck area and established almost 20 hunt clubs, and Monkey Island became home to the Monkey Island Club. The Monkey Island Club was not as opulent as the famed Whalehead Club in Corolla, yet it was considered a jewel of the gunning community for its proximity to the prey. The natural beauty of the island drew the likes of well-known wildlife artist, Rollon Clark,
and author of more than 28 books, Bob Davis.
In 1927 American Tobacco Company Executive Vice President Charles Penn, who perfected the Lucky Strike brand of cigarette, joined the privately held Monkey Island Club, and his family purchased the island outright
in 1931. The Penn family retained ownership until 1974, when the island, including
additional acreage on the Currituck Outer Banks, was sold to the Monkey Island Venture Corporation for $3 million.
As it turned out, “Nothing was ventured, and nothing was gained,” and the Penn family resumed ownership, until they sold it to The Nature Conservancy in 1974. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service picked it up in 1980 and developed a plan with Currituck County to use the site as an environmental education facility. A sale to Currituck County in 1988 was
conditioned upon implementation of a program on environmental and wildlife issues. Although school children visited the island regularly, Currituck County did not meet all of the
conditions, including the repair of existing structures within historical guidelines, and
stabilizing the shoreline to protect the bird rookery and the prehistoric shell beds on the north end of the island. When the 10-year contingency was not met, the property reverted back to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in May of 1998.
In 2005 the Whalehead Preservation Trust sponsored a meeting of interested organizations in an attempt to answer the question, “Should we Preserve Monkey Island?” Participants concurred that the importance of the rookery and the island’s historic buildings warrant action. Wheels are in motion to protect the island from further erosion. A report was developed describing solutions and cost estimates.
Past efforts to preserve the island are wrought with missed opportunity and lack
of funding, but Tim Cooper of U.S. Fish & Wildlife wants to keep working at it. Cooper says that they have a good estimate from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the work, and they are increasing the amount of their funding request to $1.9 million. Although it is unlikely that U.S. Fish & Wildlife can handle that amount, they intend to seek partnerships and hope that the combined interest will be
sufficient to save Monkey Island. Maybe one day, if Monkey Island is preserved and restored as many people hope it will be, you’ll be visiting this treasured island in the Currituck Sound. |
