In 1874, the United States Life-Saving Service established the Chicamacomico station with the construction of an 1874-Type station building. Like many of the life-saving stations established along the Outer Banks, the Chicamacomico station had a head keeper who oversaw a crew of six men who lived at the station.
The station continued in operation until 1911, when a new station was constructed. The new Chicamacomico-Type station building, which was named for this station, was constructed along with a kitchen building, several water cisterns, and other outbuildings. In 1918, the crew of the station conducted the most notable rescue at the station when the surfmen came to the aid of the crew of the Mirlo, an oil tanker torpedoed by a German submarine just off the coast. The surfmen who participated in the rescue were awarded Gold Life-Saving Medals for their brave service.
1874-Type Station
To visit the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station, take Hwy. 12 south from Nags Head to Rodanthe. Once inside the city limits, there will be a sign marking the entrance to the station on the right side of the road. The station is actually located on the beach side of the road, and is easy to miss if you are not looking for the sign.
The station continued operations until the Coast Guard decommissioned it. Today, the 1874-Type and the Chicamacomico-Type station buildings have been restored by the Chicamacomico Historical Association and both are open to visitors as a museum. The museum has a number of photos, keeper and surfmen uniforms, and equipment used at the station. This station is the most complete of the North Carolina stations, and possibly the most complete station in the United States.
To learn more about the station and the men who served there, please visit the official web site at
