Captain Fred Millikin House in Marshallberg, North Carolina

A Piece of Living History

My wife had stumbled across this house while poring over real estate listings in 2005. Marshallberg lies in the northeast section of Carteret County, North Carolina, which to the locals is referred to as "down East". As she felt the irresistible pull this house appeared to have, my wife discovered not only a piece of living history, but also historical information about a prominent Marshallberg community member and rugged coastal life.

The house was listed for 140,000 dollars at the time. The agent stated that it needed some "TLC"- which was obviously a euphemism for "extensive renovation". I was against the idea of purchasing it from the start, but I couldn't resist learning about the place, given that it was an old dwelling with an extensive history. My wife continued to speak of it as time went on, and on a trip to the coast with her mother that same year they found it. It sat alone and empty, as its original owner and family were no longer living.

The sign on the door read Captain Fred Millikin House, 1904. What made it unique was the fact that the house in its entirety was purchased from Sears and Roebuck around the turn of the century, and transported by water to the area. Captain Millikin proceeded to reconstruct it where it now sits, and started a family there.

Alas, tragedy struck early on for the captain. Children's graves at the corner of the yard attest to the hardship that was redolent of many coastal families in that era. Captain Millikin was no exception, with four children lost in a span of two years. Two of these children were twins, who perished before reaching six months of age. Gazing at the lugubrious epitaphs, one can only but imagine the heartache this family endured. A strong faith in God was omnipresent, which probably consoled many during that time. One can only speculate why these children died. It was before the advent of modern medicine, after all. Things such as flu and pneumonia claimed many during this time period.