On Halloween in the early 90s my Mom would fix my brother and I a quick supper and then we would hurriedly put on our costumes, grab our buckets, and wait excitedly for my aunt and cousins to meet up to go trick-or-treating together. Once they arrived at our house, we would pile into one car and make a plan for the best route to take on our quest for candy.
Should we stop by Grandma and Granddaddy Carter’s house before or after Aunt Kitty’s house, or were we going to see if Uncle Tim was home before heading to the Brierwood neighborhood? Trying to breathe through our plastic Care Bear and Ninja Turtles masks, we would ask Aunt Sheila, “Which house are we going to first?” And year after year her answer would always be the same, “You know we have to go by Odell’s house first and get your dollar and we better hurry because they’ll be lined up!”
As we pulled up to the Williamson house, “lined up” is exactly what we saw. Cars were lining the driveway and down the road, kids jumping out of station wagons and out of the beds of trucks, all running to the sidewalk to wait for their special treat bags. The lady at the front door was Mrs. Virginia Williamson and her husband, Mr. Odell, would be sitting nearby watching as she and occasionally one or two of her grandchildren would greet each trick-or-treater and give them a Ziploc bag filled with candy and $1 bill in each bag.
Anywhere from 300 to 400 kids would stop by that night. I remember asking my Mom how they were able to just give away money like that, and she told me that they worked hard, saved, and liked to share. Everyone in town was always fascinated by the house on the hill, but this autumn holiday tradition left us feeling like we had just visited the home of someone famous. Indeed, we had visited the home of the Founder of Ocean Isle Beach.
The home of Odell and Virginia Williamson, or the “Hill House” as the family sometimes refers to it, is the only brick home, the only home not on pilings and the only home on the island with a basement. Their home also sits atop the highest elevation on Ocean Isle Beach. The Williamson property is located on what is known as Gause’s Hill. The historical plantation home of William Gause, Jr. sat just across what is now the Intracoastal Waterway. The Gause Plantation was also a stop for President George Washington on his Southern Tour in 1791.
Hurricane Hazel, a devastating Category 4 storm, made landfall along the coastline of North Carolina near Calabash on October 15, 1954. According to NOAA data, winds up to 150 mph and a storm surge of more than 18 feet took the lives of 19 North Carolinians, leaving several hundred injured. Odell survived but sadly other members of his family, including his beloved sister Madeline, did not survive, and his first island home was destroyed by Hazel’s wrath.
While living on the east end of the island in his second beach home, he decided to move that home to a canal lot. This lot is where he would plan his next and final move to the house on the hill. Odell knew when building the Hill House, his third home on the island, that it would need to be strong, solid and safe. High ground and a basement were of utmost priority during the construction process. Many said Mr. Williamson was foolish to try and dig a basement out of a sand dune but he went out there every day on his bulldozer and dug and sculpted until it was complete.
With the memory of Hazel’s devastation unforgettable through every hurricane season since, this new home of refuge is where Mrs. Virginia would pray away all other storms, asking the Lord to spare the island and all families who lived on it and nearby. Many storms were ridden out and monitored from Odell’s TV room downstairs, the same room in which he would sit and make phone calls, close deals and shape Ocean Isle into the beach town it is today. When not conducting business, NASCAR racing was likely on TV as Mr. Williamson loved watching the sport in his leisure. Odell shared in the excitement among other local fans when Racing Legend and North Carolina Native, Richard Petty, came to Ocean Isle for the 3rd Annual NC Oyster Festival held at the Ocean Isle Airport in 1980.
The Williamson’s granddaughter, Marnie Williamson, who was raised in the family home, says it was always important for Odell to give, build and grow. Not only around Ocean Isle as the founder, but numerous places around Brunswick County you can find the Williamson name displaying the family’s generosity to our community with Odell Williamson Auditorium, Virginia Williamson Elementary School, Odell Williamson Municipal Airport, Odell Williamson Memorial Bridge to Ocean Isle and the Ocean Isle Beach Chapel, to name a few.
From selling crackers and drinks in a small store at Hickman’s Crossroads to selling Plymouth and Dodge cars, this self-made millionaire would eventually sell beach property and would even trade an oceanfront lot for a diamond ring but would remain humble and always a giver. The Williamsons were mostly known for their substantial donations and contributions, but Marnie witnessed and remembers the smaller deeds that they also did, kindly helping other families along the way. “Whenever a bag of fresh clams or a bushel of oysters showed up on the door step, I knew it was a thank you for a good deed or a favor, and we ate a lot of seafood,” says Marnie. She recalls her Grandfather as a frugal man but the three things she remembers him splurging on were new Cadillacs, nice hats, and good shoes. Odell could be spotted on any given day wearing a suit while working on his bulldozer! “He absolutely loved to move dirt,” says Marnie.
All throughout her childhood years in the home, Marnie says she always felt love. She describes her Grandmother as a woman of faith and a nurturer. Mrs. Virginia was often found in the kitchen cooking ham biscuits, brewing sweet tea or making Japanese Fruit Pie, never letting a visitor leave hungry. She describes her Grandfather as a penny saver but says her Grandmother was a different kind of saver. While cleaning out the home, she found Mrs. Virginia had saved every card and note that she had been given during her lifetime, adding that Mrs. Virginia cherished all of the birthday, Christmas and special occasion cards, appreciating that someone took the time and money to buy and send them to her.
In her own act of love, Marnie has now opened the family home to visitors. “Founder’s Manor” is available for hosting weddings and receiving guests to stay for the night. You are welcome to experience the historic hilltop home with panoramic ocean and sound views while enjoying your special event or vacation. Slight renovations and cosmetic touch-ups have been made to the interior and exterior of the home to better accommodate guests but the integrity and charm of the home has been preserved. Founder’s Manor has always been and will remain a special home in which a foundation of Faith, family and hard work was laid just as meticulous and purposeful as the brick.
To view and book Founder’s Manor visit vrbo.com/3921125. Founder’s Manor, LLC is also on Facebook and you can message Marnie at foundersmanoroib@gmail.com for questions and more information.
