Friends of Portsmouth Island
The Friends of Portsmouth Island was formed in 1989 under the sponsorship of the Carteret County Historical Society, and by 1990, its members included Frances Eubanks, Dorothy Dyrum Bedwell, Connie Mason, Bob Simpson, Mary Simpson, Hubert Pulley, Dave Murrell, and Kay Hewitt, with Frances serving as Chairperson. The members included retired schoolteachers, authors, historical researchers, and everyday people who all chose to come together for the preservation of the history of Portsmouth Island. Later on in 1990, Dot Salter Willis, Alton Ballance, Ann Ehringhaus, and Murray Adams would also join the ranks.
Together, they created a Statement of Purpose for the organization to help guide it in the future:
- To promote and encourage the preservation of the historic structures, furnishings, and sites of Portsmouth Island.
- To collect and preserve artifacts, photographs, documents, and manuscripts of Portsmouth Island for deposit in the Carteret County Museum of History and Art.
- To foster and promote public knowledge of and interest in Portsmouth Island´s past, present, and future.
The organization has also worked toward many short-term goals throughout the years: increasing membership, conducting semi-annual meetings, publishing a newsletter, and bi-annual homecomings in Portsmouth, etc.
The Portsmouth Homecomings started in 1992, when seven former residents of Portsmouth were able to revisit their old home. Since then, the organization has hosted several homecomings over the years, inviting former residents, descendants of residents, and those concerned with the history of Portsmouth to join them when they do.
In 1994, the Friends of Portsmouth Island filed its Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws with the Secretary of State of North Carolina, naming Frances A. Eubanks as President, Marjorie C. Spurill as Vice-President, Dorothy B. Bedwell as Treasurer, and J. Sue Ward as Secretary.
In 1996, the organization filed for non-profit status with the government and was granted the status later that year, retroactively effective back to the organization's incorporation date in 1994.
The Friends of Portsmouth Island has been responsible for many proects prioritizing the preservation of the history of Portsmouth, including the clearing of the Straight Road in October 1995, organizing volunteers-in-park in Portsmouth Village in July 1995 and July 1996 and continuing through the present day, working with Cape Lookout National Seashore in the church restoration project by funding replacement of the windows and window frames, and many more! Their dedication has helped to keep the history of this historic island community alive to this day.
