As we look toward 2026, the Old Baldy Foundation is preparing for one of the most ambitious and meaningful years in our organization’s history. With Old Baldy nearing its third century, our focus is firmly set on thoughtful stewardship, expanded scholarship, and a renewed commitment to honoring the stories that shaped Bald Head Island. To achieve this, we’ll be working alongside an incredible group of partners—historians, designers, veterans, and preservation professionals—ea

Being the Educator for the Old Baldy Foundation gives me the opportunity to take part in a wide range of events both on and off the Island. As the temperatures began to drop and the foliage fell, I spent my time presenting to a few groups and enjoying the maritime history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service (USLSS) around the Delmarva region. On Wednesday, October 22, I headed down Highway 17 to speak to the Ocean Ridge History Club. This was my second time representing OBF there

Reviewed and selected by Corinne Gregson, Visitor and Museum Services Coordinator In All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake , author Tiya Miles traces the story of three women, two of whom were enslaved, through a cotton sack. This sack, titled Ashley’s Sack , was a machine-made cotton sack given by Rose, an enslaved woman in Charleston, South Carolina, to her daughter Ashley as she was sold and separated from her mother. Ashley’s granddau

The Original Bald Head Lighthouse ca. 1794 As caretakers of Bald Head Island’s rich maritime history, the Old Baldy Foundation honors the life and legacy of Henry Long each October 16—the anniversary of his untimely death in 1806. Long holds the distinction of being North Carolina’s first lighthouse keeper, stationed at the original 1794 lighthouse on Bald Head Island. Though records of his life are scant, what remains paints a picture of a dedicated public servant, a family