Old Nags Head

Years ago, while helping a seller clean out the home they inherited to get it ready for sale we came across a box full of books.  Most were old paperbacks that you might read on the beach during your vacation.  One that I found interesting was a book written in the 1950’s about the history of Nags Head. It had no value to the seller so he gave it to me. The book is called Old Nags Head.

Early History

This book is a mostly a first-person account of the Nags Head in the late 1800’s and the early 20th century.  The author, Edward R Outlaw, Jr., was born sometime around 1880 somewhere in northeast North Carolina and spent his entire life on or near the Outer Banks.  He shares numerous stories about Nags Head and the Outer Banks.  Some of his stories include his first trip to Nags Head, cottages over the sound, sailing a log canoe, ocean front home pioneers and steam ships to the Outer Banks.

Still Standing

There’s also a story about the house he built on the ocean front in Nags Head1903. That house still stands today, and it remains in the family. His relatives still rent it out as a vacation rental home.  It’s located in the historical section on the beach road in Nags Head.  If you are driving on the beach road, you can see it at 4317 S Va Dare Trail.

Obtain a Copy

The copyright for this book about Old Nags Head ended in the 1980’s.  It is now in the public domain, so it is legal to make an electronic version of the book available to the public. If you’d like for us to email you a link to a pdf file of this book, then please complete the form below.  We’ll send you a copy immediately.