One of the last landmark fishing piers in North Carolina’s Atlantic coast is the Frisco Pier located at the tip of the Outer Banks. I photographed the pier, and the other 3 piers along the same coastline in 2017. This pier is officially known as the Cape Hatteras Fishing Pier. It was built in 1962 and the original construction had the pier extend 500 feet into the ocean.
This landmark was constructed in 1962 and served as a popular fishing spot for years and years. In 2010, Hurricane Earl caused extensive damage to the pier. I had picked up this little piece of history on this pier before I drove for 7 hours from Charlotte, NC to photograph the pier for the first time.
Hurricane Earl ripped away portions of the pier and buckled others. At the time, the pier was under private ownership of two natives, Angie and Tom Gaskill. They had owned the pier since Hurricane Isable’s destruction in 2003.
Gaskill told Shooting the Breeze, a free press, that during that time alone he spent $400,000 to buy and rebuild the pier. Subsequently in 2008 the pier was closed down for public use while the Gaskills remained hopeful. After Hurricane Earl, estimates to rebuild the pier reached over $500,000. When Tom Gaskill reached out to the Park Service for support in funding the pier, he got more than he bargained for.
While initially supportive, Gaskill had issues getting the public to rally around saving the pier and since it was a privately owned it was not eligible for grants and public money. By 2012, Gaskill was willing to relinquish ownership to anyone who wanted to save and rebuild the pier.
As the Gaskill’s concession contract ran out in 2013, things almost reached a legal battle with the Park Service. Since the pier had been diminished to just pieces, there was no way it could feasibly re-open. In 2013, the National Park Service bought the pier. Throughout the years pieces from the pier have washed onshore sometimes even reaching past the dunes and onto HWY 12.
Shooting the Breeze, In Your State
Numerous sunrise, sunset & panoramic black & white images of the Frisco pier is available on the Shop page.