Autumn Travels and Maritime Connections: Sharing OBF History On and Off the Island

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, as I visited last year to speak about women lighthouse keepers and Rebecca Long. This year featured a brand-new talk in a brand-new building! Last year, their clubhouse was being rebuilt after a tornado destroyed it a couple of years prior, and from what I saw, the new one looks great.

I spoke to a group of about 25 people about Augustin-Jean Fresnel and how events in revolutionary France became intertwined with Bald Head Island. The talk seemed well received—they even invited me back again next year! Once all the questions were answered and the chairs stacked, I hopped back into my car (“Ol’ Blueskin”) and headed to Wilmington before beginning the next leg of my travels to Ocean City, Maryland.

Jake's talk on Augustin-Jean Fresnel and BHI

Around noon on Thursday, I grabbed my fiancé and Ol’ Blueskin and made our way up to the USLSSHA annual meeting in Ocean City. This was my second consecutive year representing OBF at the conference. Last year, I flew up to South Haven, Michigan, for the meeting. Much like that trip, this one was packed with excursions and talks.

We met the group at 7:45 a.m. to board the coach bus with our driver, Mike, who would be taking us around for the day. During the first leg, I caught up with an old co-worker from my previous job in Philadelphia, who now works in Lewes, Delaware, restoring a boathouse there. I also reconnected with the conference organizer and USLSSHA board member—who also happens to be my cousin—Laura Scharle.

Our first stop was the Museum of Chincoteague Island. My highlight there was the First-Order Fresnel lens. The lens had been removed from the Chincoteague Lighthouse and, for years, simply sat on the ground. Miraculously, about 90% of the glass survived until the museum was able to obtain, restore, and display it. There was also a plethora of other fascinating objects I could have spent a week exploring, but before long, we were back on the bus and headed to the Barrier Islands Center.

First-Order Fresnel lens of the Chincoteague Lighthouse

The Barrier Islands Center was perhaps my favorite stop on the trip. The Center is housed in what used to be a 19th-century almshouse. Some of my favorite artifacts included a “witch’s crook,” a breeches buoy, USLSS medals, and even a harp recovered and restored from a hotel that had been washed away. I highly recommend visiting the Barrier Islands Center if you’re ever in the Eastern Shore area.

The Witch's Crook - a chimney with a bend or twist, supposedly to prevent witches from entering - in the Barrier Islands Center

While out that way, we also toured a former Coast Guard Station that had been transformed into a private residence. This was a rare opportunity made possible through connections within the group. After admiring how the historic station had been turned into a beautiful home, we hopped back on the bus to conclude the day and prepare for a busy Saturday.

Cobb Island Coast Guard Station, now a private residence

Saturday started off leisurely, with our first activity being the annual meeting at 9:30 a.m. During the meeting, I proposed hosting the 2026 USLSSHA meeting down here in the Lower Cape Fear—and the idea was very well received! Many of the events will be open to the public, so stay tuned for more information in Fall 2026.

After the meeting, Bunk Mann presented on the Storm of 1933, which opened up the Inlet and drastically shaped the history of Ocean City. Next, we headed out to tour the Ocean City USLSS Museum, which was pristinely preserved and included an original surfboat and life-car. (A life-car was sometimes used instead of a breeches buoy to transport sailors from shipwrecks back to shore.) Before leaving, I picked up an OC LSS Museum beanie as a souvenir, then we traveled to our final stop, Assateague Island, to visit the Popes Island Boathouse.

Ocean City Life Saving Station Museum

I reported back to BHI on Tuesday, where I was scheduled to lead a walking tour of the Old Baldy grounds for Project Longevity. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, and we had to move indoors to the BHI Association building. Wanting to make the best of it, I quickly put together a “Rainy Day Audible” PowerPoint presentation. This talk, which I was told I should take “on the road,” covered the history of BHI from the origin of its name through the end of the Civil War.

Each of these experiences reminded me how rich and far-reaching our maritime history truly is and how many people are eager to keep that history alive. Whether sharing stories of Fresnel’s ingenuity, exploring the legacy of the Life-Saving Service, or bringing Bald Head Island’s past to new audiences, I’m continually reminded why this work matters. I’m already looking forward to the next season of travels, talks, and discoveries ahead.