The original building was known
simply as the “Pumping Station.” It was built in
1915-1916 by the Mattamuskeet Drainage District and
when completed, was the largest capacity pumping
plant in the world. Morris Machine Works of
Baldwinsville, NY and Charlotte, NC, was the
contractor for the original building and pumps. The
plant had eight cross-compound centrifugal pumps,
each with two 48-inch diameter impellers. The four
850-horsepower engines that drove the huge pumps
were powered by coal-fired steam boilers. When the
plant was operating at full capacity, it consumed
30-40 tons of coal during each 24-hour period.
Between 1916 and 1932, the pumping plant removed the
water from 50,000-acre Lake Mattamuskeet three
times. The last time, the pumps kept the lake
drained for six years.
In 1934, the United States
Government bought Lake Mattamuskeet and created
Mattamuskeet Migratory Bird Refuge. The purchase
included all physical structures and improvements on
the land, including the Pumping Station. The
Mattamuskeet Drainage District ceased to exist and
the lake soon refilled. Between 1935 and 1937, the
government converted the Pumping Station into a
hunting lodge and headquarters building for the new
refuge. Company 424 of the Civilian Conservation
Corps did much of the conversion work, with 17 to 23
year old “CCC boys” working side by side with
civilian contractors. The transformed building
opened to the public in November 1937 and operated
as “Mattamuskeet Lodge” until 1974.
Between 1937 and 1974, sports
writers often described Mattamuskeet Lodge as the
premier hunting lodge in the Atlantic Flyway of
America and dubbed Lake Mattamuskeet the “Canada
Goose Hunting Capital of the World.” Guests who
stayed at Mattamuskeet Lodge and hunted on the
refuge came from the United States, Canada, and
Europe, and included many notable dignitaries.
In 1974, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service closed Mattamuskeet Lodge to public use, and
the building deteriorated with no annual maintenance
until 1991, when a local grassroots group calling
themselves “The Friends of Mattamuskeet Lodge
Committee” organized a community effort to repair
and preserve the historic structure.
In 1995, Mattamuskeet Lodge
re-opened its doors as an environmental education
facility and community center. Following the
re-opening, thousands of national and international
visitors toured the historic structure and it has
been the site of scores of meetings and events. Of
greatest importance, Mattamuskeet Lodge once again
became a proud and vibrant symbol of Hyde County's
heritage and its future.
In November 2000, the U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service closed Mattamuskeet Lodge to the
public due to the continued deterioration of the
structural steel that bears the weight of the
building. Mattamuskeet Lodge must be preserved for
its architectural uniqueness, history of use, the
embodiment of the region’s character, and its
inseparable connection to the history of Lake
Mattamuskeet. However, Mattamuskeet Lodge is not
just a relic of the past for interpreting Lake
Mattamuskeet history. It is the embodiment of
several generations of American dreams, spanning
several distinct periods of history, each with
enough uniqueness to warrant bold efforts to save
this building from destruction:
1916-1934 ~ Served as world’s
largest pumping station
1935-1942 ~ Civilian Conservation Corps Era
1937-1974 ~ Premiere hunting lodge and headquarters
for Mattamuskeet Migratory Bird Refuge
1974-1989 ~ Period of non-use; building deteriorated
1989-1995 ~ Local community groups began grassroots
efforts to save Mattamuskeet Lodge
1995-2000 ~ Mattamuskeet Lodge reopens and thrives
November 2000 ~ Mattamuskeet Lodge closed to public
use and in danger of being lost as an American
treasure
It is an understatement to say that
Mattamuskeet Lodge is an important landmark to
virtually everyone in Hyde County, as well as a
significant percentage of the population of North
Carolina and southeastern Virginia. Mattamuskeet
Lodge holds so many memories and so much promise
that its loss is widespread. Given the thousands of
people who stayed at Mattamuskeet Lodge years ago or
who have visited in more recent times, knowledge of
its permanent loss would be a devastating blow to
the morale of the region, and a major setback for
the emerging heritage tourism industry in
northeastern North Carolina.
In 2006, the Federal
Government passes legislation to deed Mattamuskeet
Lodge and approximately 6 surrounding acres to the
State of North Carolina. The North Carolina Wildlife
Resources Commission will be responsible for
overseeing the repairs and maintaining the building
and grounds. It is anticipated that Mattamuskeet
Lodge will be reopened as a environmental education
and community facility within three years. In the
meantime, brochures detailing its rich history are
available, and the site provides ample photography
opportunities. Nearby Lake Mattamuskeet and
Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge offer glimpses
of Hyde County's natural beauty and wildlife.
The
Mattamuskeet Lodge
Website:
