Garysburg, North Carolina: Q. J. Stephenson's Occoneechee Trapper's Lodge

It's in front of someones house, which would require you to park in their driveway. Odd.

As of last June, there are new owners at Q.J. Stephenson's place! And if no one's out in the yard to let you into the lodge (as there was when I went by), there's a buzzer on the front that you can press to let them know you're there. A lot of the art that used to be inside, maybe half of it, is gone. New owner Mike told me that some of it went to the Smithsonian and some of it went to family members, but there's still plenty to see. I'm just glad that someone is going to maintain this place.

Still for sale and still empty. It's totally random and there are families surrounding the stop. Totally worth the 5 minute detour!

This wonderful gem is worth the time and effort to find it. It's a shame that the town of Garysburg isn't doing something to conserve the lodge (hint, hint) and cash in on the tourist traffic on the way to the Outer Banks. The "For Sale by Owner" sign is still posted, so we better enjoy it while we can. Awesome place to let the kids stretch their legs. Take time to enjoy this treasure.

I visited Q.J. Stephenson's Occoneechee Trapper's Lodge a few years ago, not too long after his wife died, and wound up running into their daughter and her husband. They were cleaning up the house and grounds, trying decide just what to do with the place. She said there had been some talks with town officials about possible options to save the lodge, but no decisions had been made.

I visited again just about a year ago, and right after I got there a van pulled up with four people who turned out to be conservators from the Smithsonian. They were there to see what, if anything, could be done with the property. Frankly, they didn't seem too optimistic.

Then, just last month, I was in the area again and saw a "For Sale By Owner" sign in front of the house. Apparently nothing's happened and the place is for sale. The lodge looks to be in great shape, by the way, and you can look through the windows and see Stephenson's works just as he left them.