1883 – 1996

The U.S. Life Saving Service was established on the island in 1883 to respond to ships wrecked or stranded in the Graveyard of the Atlantic. The first station was located at the north end of the island, at Hatteras Inlet. In 1903, a second station was built in the village. In 1915, the USLSS was combined with the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service to create the U.S. Coast Guard. The local station was decommissioned in 1996 and the building now serves as a facility for the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching.