COROLLA, N.C. — I recently visited Whalehead to learn about the history of this Outer Banks landmark.
Nicknamed the “mansion by the sea,” this 21,000 square-foot home was built in the 1920s by Edward Collings Knight Jr. and his wife Marie Louise.
"One of the main things is house is known for is Art Nouveau," says Jill Landen, the Whalehead site manager and curator. "It's a distinctive style. It's basically European and it's a French term [that] just means new art."
This Art Nouveau style can be seen throughout the house, but especially in the dining room, or the "waterlily room."
"Some of the rare stuff in that room are our shades, our Tiffany signed and numbered shades, which you'll see, very unusual. We only know that we have them, and Chrysler Museum has, I think one or two in their collection that would have probably come from here," says Landen.
Much of the home came from the Knight’s previous home in Rhode Island. And not just the items in the rooms, but the whole rooms.
"The rooms in their entirety were taken apart, barged down here, and then reassembled almost like a puzzle. They laid them out around the building and had to put it all back together," says Landen.
In addition to the Tiffany glass sconces, the home has corduroy walls, cork flooring, an elevator and a basement - a first on the Outer Banks.
"I think the Knights picked this area because it was so beautiful. And then they put up a true testament to Art Nouveau [in] this house. And so it's just a beautiful thing to see," says Landen.
Whalehead is located on Club Road in Corolla (near the Currituck Beach Lighthouse). It is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tours are $7 with discounts for kids, seniors, and military.
