The WYE - Property in Historic Beaufort, North Carolina

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"Bungalow Living" in Beaufort, North Carolina

The Beaufort WYE offers a unique opportunity to live in a small historic coastal town - in a two-block downtown neighborhood of superbly crafted new homes that are in keeping with Beaufort, North Carolina's craftsman-style cottages and bungalows.

The WYE embraces the history of Beaufort—from the architecture of the bungalow-style homes, to its namesake, the train junction that was situated on the site in the early 20th century.

Whether you are looking for a place to retire or a second-home getaway, as a homeowner at The WYE, you will have what Beaufortites like to call their “place in paradise".

This site offers an overview of THE WYE - the name and the plan as well as a snapshot of Beaufort and its history. Please scroll down and take a look around...

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Where New Cottage Charm Meets Old Beaufort History

The WYE embraces the history of Beaufort—from the architecture of neighboring coastal cottages and bungalow-style homes, to its namesake—the train junction that was situated on the site in the early 20^th century.

The WYE development, situated on two Beaufort blocks, offers a rare opportunity to live in a new neighborhood of superbly crafted homes built on the last remaining undeveloped site in downtown Beaufort. When complete, The WYE will feel no different than living on any other street in downtown Beaufort - where folks relax on porches, chat with neighbors and stroll through town.

The homes will feature the same characteristics everyone loves about existing Beaufort homes - generous porches, operable shutters, a mix of metal and shingle roofs - and most importantly - character in home designs and quality of workmanship as well as materials.

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COTTAGE PLANS

The Shackleford, The Atlantic, The Portmouth, The Barden and Middle Marsh

The first homes have been built to set the standard of superior quality expected for all WYE homes and to show examples of the kinds of features the architectural review board will look for in home plans.

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The SHACKLEFORD
from the drawing board to reality...

The Shackleford plan brings the outdoors in. Designed for optimal cross breezes, the Shackleford is loaded with windows and has eight exterior doors!

A side screened porch adjoins the breakfast room, the great room and the front porch! All rooms flow beautifully to the central areas.

Special features include a curved landing at the top of the stairs, interior windows overlooking the great room, a fireplace, exposed rafter tails, operable shutters, 10ft ceilings, and, like all WYE cottage plans, the Shackleford includes an outdoor shower!

To view the attention to detail, please step inside The Shackleford

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The PORTSMOUTH
from the drawing board to reality...

A classic Beaufort front porch spans the front of the Portsmouth cottage, commanding rockers and cool beverages.

Covered parking in back joins a sunny deck with an outdoor shower (tucked just outside the master suite). A screened porch with optional fireplace makes outdoor living and dining a year ‘round treat.

The second floor can be configured in a variety of ways, with lots of options for baths and closet spaces. An extra front room between the two upstairs bedrooms serves well as a sitting room, office or guest room.

The central upstairs bath has large sunny windows and space for a clawfoot tub and separate tile shower.

Other features include 10’ ceilings, standing seam metal roof, exposed rafter tails, operable shutters, fireplace in living and/or dining room, and a fabulous open kitchen.

Step inside The Portsmouth

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OTHER PLANS

If you choose to buy a lot and build, you can select one of five initial home plans designed exclusively for the WYE, or you can submit a home plan of your own to the architectural review board for approval.

Not wanting the contrived look of a planned community, developers encourage buyers to bring their own plans for approval—to create the desirable variety and a more natural old-fashioned style neighborhood. There is no minimum square footage required. In fact, the developers would like to see smaller cottages in the mix. Below is a recently submitted and approved plan.

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COOSAW RIVER COTTAGE

Below is the house to be built on lot #23 by local custom builder Gerry Sadler.

Allison Ramsey Architects.
Click to Enlarge Images

COOSAW RIVER COTTAGE

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The Place -Near Historic Waterfront, Beaches and Barrier Islands

Historic Front Street Houses
Image from the cover of Mary Warshaw's upcoming book
Porchscapes, The Colors of Beaufort
Three Centuries of History Woven Through Art & Words

The WYE is a two-block stroll to Fisherman’s Park water access and day dock on the Beaufort waterfront at Taylor’s Creek.

Whether you are looking for a place to retire or a second-home getaway, as a homeowner at The WYE, you will have what Beaufortites like to call their “place in paradise.”

The seasonable climate, an environment surrounded by water and step-back-in-history views—all cause most residents and visitors to park their cars and walk or ride their bikes around town.

The WYE is a short stroll away from the downtown area – an area that includes basic to fine-dining eateries and unique shops as well as the Beaufort Boardwalk with its picturesque view of Taylor’s Creek, the barrier islands and the inlet beyond.

Beaufort also boasts the North Carolina Maritime Museum and Watercraft Center with exhibits, boatbuilding and activities for people of all ages.

The Beaufort Historic Site, grounds surrounded by preserved buildings, serves almost as town square—a place for many events, reenactments and even wedding receptions.

The Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve, unspoiled Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout Lighthouse are minutes away by boat or ferry.

Those who live in Beaufort enjoy the wonderful sense of community and the protection that the barrier islands and two rivers give from coastal storms.

But if one wants to spend the day at the beach, Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores and Salter Path are just over the Morehead City bridge.

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The Name - "The WYE"

Coming into Beaufort - Second block of Broad Street

Train images scanned from Jack Dudley's book, Beaufort - An Album of Memories

In railroad terminology, a “wye” is a triangular shaped arrangement of tracks with a switch at each corner.

Pronounced like the letter “Y”, the new WYE community in Beaufort was formerly the turnaround location for the Norfolk & Southern Railway.

Prior to 1906, visitors were met at the railroad terminus in Morehead City and brought to town by boat. After the railroad bridge was built across the channel, tracks were laid down the middle of Broad Street - bringing the outside world to Beaufort. For a short period, before the N & S Railway wye was completed, the first trains had to back into Beaufort.

From 1906 to 1993, the wye was located at Gordon and Broad Streets. By performing a three-point turn, the direction of a train was reversed - so that it could head back toward Morehead City.

In those early years, as the train lumbered into town on Broad Street, passengers would have seen sundries shops – like Noe’s, Dave Williams’ Grocery, and Richard Rice’s Fabric Shop - that sold everything from penny candy to 5-cent pickles. Until the 1920s, when the first automobiles came to town, passengers were met at the Beaufort Depot, at Broad and Pollock, and transported by horse-and-buggy to inns or family cottages.

More about the train...

The History - A Town Rich in Maritime Heritage

Even though there had been whaling off the North Carolina coast and barrier islands since the late 1600’s, in 1707 one of the first land patents was obtained from the eight Lords Proprietors. Part of this land, in the vicinity of Cape Lookout and present-day Beaufort, was a Coree Indian village—Wareiock, the name the Indians designated as their "fish town.”

The town grew at a snails pace for centuries, mainly due to lack of access to the interior of the state. Many settlers built fisherman’s cottages and lived off the land and the sea. Plantation owners built town houses as bases for their sea trading businesses.

After the Civil War, it was discovered that the waters surrounding Beaufort were teeming with menhaden. This perpetuated an important industry for processing these fish for oils and fertilizers. The now extinct processing plants became Beaufort trademarks and a big source of income for the town.

Boat building was also a natural for a small village by the sea. In old deeds and censuses, many early citizens noted their occupations as shipwrights.

Beaufort was only accessible by boat until 1908 when a railroad connection between Morehead City and Beaufort was completed. It wasn’t until 1926 that the first highway bridge was completed connecting the two towns.

Although Beaufort was affected directly by and took part in our country’s major events over the centuries, the town remained very isolated for the most of its history.

Today residents and visitors are thankful that Beaufort has not only maintained its historic appearance, but also remains small, quaint, and unspoiled.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Beaufort is unique in that it boasts approximately 266 houses over 100 years old – many are over 200 years old.

Architectural styles vary from Greek and Gothic Revival, Queen Anne and Craftman’s bungalows to traditional fisherman’s cottages. They all have one thing in common—they all have porches.

In 1970 architectural historian Tony Wrenn put it best when he wrote,

“Of all of North Carolina’s coastal port towns, only in Beaufort is nearly every streetscape a porchscape.”

Scroll to the bottom of this site for more Beaufort images...