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On August 16, 1918, a patch of the Atlantic Ocean caught fire. A British tanker, the SS Mirlo, was transporting fuel off the coast of ��Ů��ֱ�� Carolina when it was torpedoed by a German submarine. A series of explosions split the tanker in two, setting the ocean ablaze with gasoline and filling the sky with black smoke. Coast Guardsmen on a nearby island saw the flames and set out in the rough seas to rescue the crew. This act of heroism during World War I saved the lives of 42 crew members, and would become known as The Mirlo Rescue.

Throughout history, brave individuals have risked their lives to save others at sea. In the 18th century, groups of volunteers kept watch along the coast for ships in distress. When trouble struck, they sprung into action. In the 19th century, the U.S. government supplied these volunteers with buildings, known as lifesaving stations, to store gear and lifeboats. In 1871, the stations that dotted the coasts became the U.S. Lifesaving Service, and the Lifesavers began earning compensation. This service would become a standalone government agency in 1878, and would evolve into the U.S. Coast Guard in 1915.

Preservation Carpentry graduate David Thompson PC ’91 is in awe of the bravery of “the original Lifesavers”, including those who took part in The Mirlo Rescue. As David describes, “They rowed the lifeboats through the burning sea.” This history matters for David, because he has embarked on a rescue mission of his own: to restore the station where the Coast Guardsmen set off to save the crew of the Mirlo. For David, this restoration project is about “trying not to lose history.”

Searching for the past

The lifesaving station that David has been restoring was built in 1874, and is called the Chicamacomico Station. Located in Rodanthe, ��Ů��ֱ�� Carolina (an island town in the Outer Banks), the station was active for eighty years until 1954.

A significant challenge David faced is that many elements of the station have been damaged, replaced, or removed altogether in the years following its closure. When lifesaving stations could no longer meet the capacity needs of the Coast Guard, they were abandoned or repurposed. Some became restaurants, inns, homes, or museums, while others burned down, were torn down, or washed away due to erosion and rising sea levels. Amidst all of these changes, preservation was rarely a priority.

So how did David begin this daunting restoration project? “Research,” he states matter-of-factly. “Everything in preservation is in the research.” Before picking up a single tool, David meticulously examined the structure for clues about its original design, and pored over documentation, photographs, and plans in the archives. He even sought out wood fragments from other stations of the same period. “The way I look at it, you only have one chance to restore this correctly,” David said.

Like many lifesaving stations of its time, the building itself is fairly small, almost cabin-like, a place to enter and exit as quickly as possible to grab gear, raise the lifeboat, and rush out to sea. Such a building would presumably be austere, yet David’s research uncovered that the original design went well beyond its utilitarian purpose. He found evidence of an intricate and elaborate timbered front with mythical dolphin insets reminiscent of sea monsters shown on antique maps, along with carvings of Poseidon’s Trident and squawking goose heads. If he was to restore the building to its original glory, he had to reproduce and piece together the incredibly elaborate truss assembly.

Remarkably, David is working on the restoration mostly as a one-man band, working tirelessly on each detail for what will be a multi-year project. The station is now a privately-owned museum operated by the , and visitors are able to view the station as it looked in 1874. Inside the building are artifacts from its storied history, including documents and photos of crew members involved in The Mirlo Rescue, as well as an authentic lifeboat on loan from the Smithsonian.

A “matching station” in Nantucket

While restoring the Chicamacomico Station, David came across an about the restoration of the Surfside Lifesaving Station in Nantucket, Massachusetts. David had been aware that there were many lifesaving stations along the east coast, but what caught his eye were the photos in the article. “I was just floored,” David recalled. “It’s nearly identical to what I’m working on!”

Although 750 miles apart, both the Chicamacomico and Surfside stations were built in 1874, and were both designed by Francis W. Chandler, an architect for the U.S. government who later became a professor of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

In a further coincidence, the Surfside station was also being restored by a fellow Preservation Carpentry graduate, Hollis Webb PC ’18. Excited about this matching station and the NBSS connection, David reached out. Over the next several weeks He and Hollis exchanged observations, images, and ideas.

Like David, Hollis was in awe of the history of the Lifesaving Service, and his connection to the Surfside Station was personal too. As an Army veteran and current firefighter, Hollis shares: “I’ve known this building my whole life growing up on Nantucket. It’s such a landmark, so when we got the call to do the job we jumped on it immediately.” After the Surfside station closed in 1921, it was later used as lifeguard housing, and eventually became a youth hostel until 2023. 

Prior to this restoration project, Hollis had actually been inside the station once before. A lifeguard who was living at the hostel had an accident in the kitchen, and first responders arrived at the station, including Hollis and his fellow firefighters. Fortunately the lifeguard was okay, and Hollis was able to have a moment to observe the inside of this historic building and connect with the “rescue lineage.”

Hollis, who owns , employs fellow alum Kevin Green PC ’23. Although they graduated five years apart, Hollis and Kevin had both been awarded a scholarship to attend NBSS from , and are committed to using their skills to give back to their community. 

For Hollis, preservation carpentry is preserving history, and after leaving the Army, “That seemed like a really good mission for me.” 

Before attending NBSS, Kevin had been working on the island as a carpenter, and credits Hollis with inspiring him to pursue preservation. “I was tired of the modern building world, and was burnt out from doing a lot of the same projects over and over again.” During a serendipitous encounter with Hollis at a paint store, Kevin was able to “hear that there’s other folks out here doing exciting, different types of carpentry.” After Hollis shared some photos of his current projects, Kevin was hooked right then and there.

Like the Chicamacomico Station, the restoration of the Surfside Station on Nantucket involved resurrecting the extravagance of the original 1874 structure. Fortunately, some of the ornate features remained partially intact on the station, which allowed Hollis and Kevin to restore certain existing elements. 

Kevin recalls, “We ended up being able to save most of the original arches, while the others are reproductions.” This raises an interesting dilemma at the heart of preservation carpentry–in order to preserve the past, the craftsperson must decide whether to restore or replace each piece. “Every project we do, we try to leave as much original material as possible,” says Hollis.

Original materials allowed Hollis and Kevin to create templates for precise reproductions of ornate gable components. “Some of the most exquisite, over-the-top work on a gable we had ever done,” says Hollis. But due to the building’s age, “we had to repeatedly scribe and make adjustments to fit each piece perfectly.”

After completing the project, Kevin recalls that the community’s reaction was “really satisfying,” and he’s grateful for the “billion really awesome lessons” he learned on the job. For Hollis, much of the pride he feels comes from the fact that so many people on the island care about this building. “This is the history of the Lifesavers,” he shares.

The stories of the Surfside and Chicamacomico Stations demonstrate how structures change over time as they age and take on new purposes. A successful restoration allows visitors to glimpse back through time at the original structures and all they have endured. For David, Hollis, and Kevin, restoring these lifesaving stations is a tangible way to preserve the remarkable history of the Lifesaving Service and the crews who rescued strangers at sea. In time, as the elements once again take their toll on these structures, it may again fall to preservation carpenters to safeguard that legacy.