Original 1945 Cottage on 6 Very Private Acres

Summary:
Experience a home of enduring warmth and beauty. Built in 1945, on the highest hill for miles around, knotty pine walls and oak floors glow with eight decades of family fun. Screened porch facing the ocean awaits you; private boardwalk carries you to the beach; lookout tower boasts 360-degree views; stairs descend through virgin maritime forest to your private dock. An exquisite property we are lucky to share with you. Small wonder guests return and return!

The Space:
'Folly Hills' is the second house built on Oak Island. Designed by my grandfather, A Leon Capel, it was built in 1945 by a team from the Capel Rug Mill in Troy NC. Those days the island was accessible only by barge, then tractor or Jeep. Now it's a convenient 2.5 hours from Raleigh. The house has 4 comfortable bedrooms and lots of common living space to accommodate the activities of everyone in your family.
Your rental helps to preserve arguably the most special property on Oak Island, featuring a beautiful private walkway to the ocean, commanding 360-degree views, a large bowl of virgin maritime forest often filled with wildlife, and a wonderful private dock from which to fish, crab, or just watch the sun set.

Guest Access:
You'll have full run of the house, front beach, undisturbed maritime forest and dock, 68 stairs down behind the house. The parcel is just short of 5 acres. Bring mud boots if you're interested to explore the wilder parts of the property... and do remember the insects, chameleons, songbirds, raptors, deer, raccoons, and other animals you'll see have made their home there long before you.

Note: a $1000 security deposit will be held at the time of booking and released 5 days after departure. We reserve the right to withhold any amount of the deposit after evaluating the condition of the home upon departure.

The Neighborhood:
It's said my grandfather bought this property (and built the second house on the island) when he learned it was the highest point directly on the water from Maine to Florida. We don't know if that's a fact (and it could be, depending on your criteria), but it is true that from Folly Hills's lookout you have an unimpeded 360 degree view, from horizon to horizon, Bald Head Island to the South Carolina border. Behind the house runs Davis Creek, and behind it, the Intracoastal Waterway. Sixty-eight stairs lead down the back of the hill to our dock where you can catch fish, big blue claw crabs, or just watch the wildlife.

Getting Around:
A reasonable grocery selection is 10 minutes away by car at Food Lion in Yaupon Beach; a new Lowe's Foods is better, across the new Middleton Island bridge. Haag Seafood, also in Yaupon, is considered one of the region's very best. Many fresh vegetable stands pop up during summer. Driving to Southport (with its many restaurants and retailers, Walmart among others, and ferry to Bald Head) takes about 25 minutes. In summer we use our boat to fetch fresh seafood from the many shrimping boat depots.

Other Things to Note:
'Folly Hills' is fully air-conditioned. But if you're looking for wall-to-wall carpeting and giant marble bathrooms, this is not that house. Here you can open the windows to let the warm ocean breeze blow through, nap while ceiling fans turn lazily in every room, enjoy sunset cocktails on the lookout tower, luxuriate in your private access to an expanse of white sand beach, rinse off in the world’s most wonderful outdoor shower — this is an enchanting experience of original North Carolina beach living like you’ll find nowhere else.

Our Renter's Agreement must be signed and $1000 security deposit and $250 pet fee must be paid prior to rental. If no issues are encountered, deposit will be refunded within 7 days of evacuation. Thanks for leaving no trace!

Interaction with Guests:
The property is managed with the help of local cleaning and repair staff. We'll be available to help as much as we can given other obligations. Please keep in mind that, no matter how hard we work to make your stay issue-free, spending time in a 80 year-old beach house is a participatory sport! House features internet, Nest thermostats and Sonos sound (please understand everyone must do his/her own tech support nowadays — try ChatGPT, it's amazing!).

As a guest of this cottage, you'll find barbecue grills, a garden, and laundry facilities. The front desk is open around the clock.

This Oak Island cottage is smoke free.