13
E LEAD with the upcoming
Beaufort Wooden Boat Show
where the history, craftsman-ship
and beauty of wooden
boats is celebrated, including
Bryan Humphrey’s 24-foot spritsail skiff, Kommradeship,
seen under sail on the cover. We told you back in 2008
how Bryan and friends raised the damaged hull off
the bottom and restored her. Bryan has been entering
Kommradeship in the Beaufort show for 10 years. I had
the privilege of sailing on her in April for my under sail
photo and I promise she is everything you’d imagine
plus a bag of chips. It was a special afternoon.
At another favorite boat, the Battleship North
Carolina, there’s a new treasure trove of donated
artifacts that once belonged to the second captain
of the first ship to bear the name of the Old North
State, including two antique ceremonial swords.
Moving to historical places, we have a story I have
wanted to tell for years, the Block Shirt Factory and
Mark Maynard’s visionary rebirth of two incredible
properties opposite each other across Greenfield
Street between Third and Front, almost within sight
of Greenfield Lake. Maynard created rental apart-ments
from the city’s derelict Nesbitt Courts housing
upfront
project and then a second wave of apartments mixed
with commercial use from the once-thriving shirt
factory built in 1932 by Nathan Block, father of
Fred Block, father-in-law to Susan Taylor Block and
brother-in-law to Hannah Block. Maynard is to be
applauded for his genius in what certainly many had
deemed folly. The city is richer for it and him.
For those who love to look at houses, we have a special redo of a Gray Gables house for the CFO of cloud-banking startup
nCino and his wife, who relocated from Manhattan. The couple was drawn to the open-flow concept, attractive outdoor spaces, and
proximity to the water.
Wrap that in the art of Sheila Keefe Ortiz, plus the beautiful blossoms of the inspiring flower clubs in our community. I for one
am going to try my hand at orchids. Sweeten all this with vintage cast iron cooking, including the recipe for a strawberry buttermilk
almond cake baked in an iron skillet. I can attest to its delicious goodness, and it will be a welcome addition to my table.
May is a time to honor and celebrate our mothers, and await the big Memorial Day weekend that kicks summer into high gear.
Enjoy the peace and beauty of this season.
Editor/Publisher
Pat’s hair by Frank Potter, Bangz Hair Salon, styled by Rob Asp and EL Morea, Bangz. Makeup by EL Morea.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
W
ALLISON POTTER
What could be better
than wooden boats
and saving historic
structures all in one issue?