Like a Beautiful Phoenix Rising From the Ashes

Welcome to the 532nd Metamorphosis Monday!

Several years ago I created a blog post about this beautiful coastal home that was once located on North Carolina’s Inner Banks (River Dunes) in North Carolina. The home was designed by Historical Concepts, an Atlanta Architecture and Design firm, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Coastal Living magazine.

 

Historical Concepts designed the home based on nineteenth-century coastal design, envisioning a home that could have belonged to a sea captain back in the day. They named the home, Captain’s Watch, and it was stunning! I love all the wonderful porches designed to take in the great views. The home even included a crow’s nest up top to take in the great views.

Take a tour of the home in this previous post here: One of My Favorite Homes is No More.

 

Sadly the home burned to the ground in July 2010. The articles I read stated that it appeared the fire was started by a lightning strike.

In that previous post, I wrote, “I wish someone would wave a fist in the face of Mother Nature and rebuild it, if not where it stood, at least in a new place.”

 

I put that wish out into the universe that day and I’m so excited to say, it’s now coming true! Recently I received an email from builder, Eric Friedlander. saying, “The Resurrection of Captains Watch is well underway. I am a builder and this will be my family home.”

Captain's Watch is Being Rebuilt

 

What?! I am so thrilled to hear that Captain’s Watch, like a beautiful Phoenix, is literally rising from the ashes.

Eric said, “After searching the entire eastern seaboard for our permanent residence, the Low Country of SC won. Then the challenge was to find west facing navigable waterfront. Berkeley Hall Plantation in Bluffton fit all the criteria.”

Such beautiful views!

The Views from the new Captain's Watch, rebuilt after terrible fire

 

Eric said, “Then the search for the ultimate low country style home began. I googled favorite low country homes. Captains Watch popped up. So, your site helped make this dream happen.”

Photo of the original Captain’s Watch

 

Wow! This makes me so, so happy to hear: Captain’s Watch is being rebuilt in another beautiful coastal community!

I asked Eric if they would be making any changes to the interior and he said, “We changed the layout a little bit on the second-floor master and a lot on the third floor.”

The Rebuilding of Captain's Watch, Coastal Home

 

“On the second floor, the small bedroom in the front became a closet. And on the third floor, we opened up the bunk room so you could see the water and reorganized it so it’s more of an open-concept by the staircase to take advantage of the rear-view to the Okatee River.”

Rising from the Ashes, Rebuilding of Captain's Watch

 

The carriage house is also underway!

Carriage House Construction, Captain's Watch

 

It looks like the home will be finished in plenty of time to create some wonderful summer memories this year.

Thanks so much to Eric for sharing these photos of the resurrection of Captain’s Watch. This home was too special and too wonderful to be lost forever in the ashes. It truly makes my heart so happy to know this beautiful home will once again grace the shores of another lovely, low country community.

I hope Eric will share some additional photos once his home is completed. I would love to see it in its new setting along the Okatee River in Bluffton, SC. I know it will be absolutely beautiful!

Captain's Watch Coastal Home

 

To see the beautiful interiors of the original Captain’s Watch, you’ll find a tour of the home in this previous post: One of My Favorite Homes is No More.

 

Pssst: You’ll find Between Naps on the Porch on Instagram here: Between Naps On The Porch on Instagram and on Facebook here: Between Naps On The Porch on Facebook.

Metamorphosis Monday

Metamorphosis Monday is a party that’s all about Before and Afters. If you are participating in Met Monday, please link up using the “permalink” to your MM post and not your general blog address. To get your permalink, click on your post name, then just copy and paste the address that shows up in the address bar at the top of your blog, into the “url” box for InLinkz when prompted.

In order to link up, you’ll need to include a link in your MM post back to the party so the other participants will have an opportunity to receive visits from your wonderful blog readers.

Feel free to link up Before and After posts that are home, gardening, decorating, crafting, painting, sewing, cooking, fashion, travel or DIY related. Please do not link up to the party if you’re only doing so to promote/sell a product.

To those linking up, if you notice a shop or online store linking up to sell products (yes, unfortunately, that happens) please let me know so I can remove their link and block them from participating in future parties. No one wants to visit a link expecting a Before and After, only to find a spam link to an online business/store.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

*If a post is sponsored or a product was provided at no charge, it will be stated in post. Some links may be affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. *



 Never miss a Between Naps on the Porch post! 

*Subscribe to have updates delivered to your Inbox. 



Comments

  1. Thank you so much for hosting the party. I love rebuild of that beautiful home especially the garage. Happy spring, Kippi

  2. That is amazing! So cool that he contacted you! Your wish came true! Thanks Susan

  3. The photo of that fire was just tragic. I can’t imagine owning that beautiful home and watching it be engulfed in flames.

  4. That is great news. Eric, yes please share more photos when possible.

  5. What a story. Just beautiful.

  6. It’s a stunning house. That’s for sure. Although I can’t imagine someone making the effort and incurring the expense of building a house like that without factoring in lightening strikes. Aren’t there lightening rods, or something, that people put up for just this reason? I don’t live in a part of the country where this is an issue so I don’t know.

    • I’m not sure what can prevent it. I know my home is “grounded” but not sure it would survive a direct lightning strike.

    • Lisa D, I live in town SE of Atlanta and down the road from me lightening struck a two story home and it burned to the ground. Same night lightening struck a home up the road in the opposite direction and it partially burned. So I guess lightening can strike anywhere.

  7. This is near my mom. Maybe I’ll be able to see it.

  8. What a wonderful story! As a child of the beautiful South Carolina Lowcountry, it is truly a magical place to live and grow up. I hope Eric will give us a photo tour when it is finished.

  9. I just found your Before and After Linky when I was reading about the Captain’s Porch house. I live in Beaufort, about 30 minutes from Bluffton. Thanks for hosting!

  10. I love metamorphosis Monday, but sorry to say all I can see are thumbnails of peoples entries

    • Karen, what browser are you using? IE is no longer being supported/updated, so if you’re using IE, try a different browser. Also, make sure the browser you’re using has been updates. Please let me know if any of this helps so I can let InLinkz know if there’s a problem with some folks seeing the links.

  11. Thanks so much for hosting each week!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

  12. What a lovely story to hear. I have always loved that house and was saddened by the fire also. Actually, that home let me to follow the builder, Historical Concepts. Their galleries have done so much to inspire me in styling my own southern home.

    • I love following them on Instagram, is that where you follow them, Chloe? I love everything they do!

      • Silly me, I hadn’t thought to follow them on Instagram, I just visit their website on a regular basis! Another great spot for beautiful homes is to check out homes for sale in Palmetto Bluff!

  13. Mary from Virginia says

    That is wonderful! I hope he includes a lightening rod! AND I hope you get an invitation to document the inside of this amazing home. =)

    YAY for him! and thrilled he let you know!

  14. Bobbie T says

    I had the opportunity to tour the original Captain’s Watch house on several open house tours. It was really a dream house. So beautiful and a very good floor plan. Happy to know it is being rebuilt even if not in River Dunes. Happy spring to you.

    • Oh, I would have loved that! That’s wonderful that you were able to tour it, Bobbie! Happy spring to you! It’s beautiful here in Ohio where I’m currently visiting with family.

  15. Linda S Page says

    What a wonderful sequel to this amazing house and story! So glad that you, got to play a part in it’s rise from the ashes!!! Hopefully, Eric will allow you to publish some pictures of the inside once it is done. This is really so cool.

  16. Bobbi Duncan says

    It’s wonderful to know something beautiful, that will bring many happy memories, came out of the fire tragedy. I remember when you posted this lovely home and thought it to be the perfect nautical style. So glad your wishes came true! Everything is blooming here and looks so pretty. Yay, spring! Hugs!

  17. I hope he invites you for a tour when it’s complete!

  18. I had just seen this home again on another site just recently. I really like what the SC builder Eric did to his third story better than the original.

  19. Susan, whenever I see someone undertaking a project of this magnitude, I am in awe and admiration of them. This reminds me of a show I am currently watching on PBS entitled “Escape to the Chateau”. It’s about an English couple who sell their home in England and purchase an eighteenth century derelict French chateau. OMG, such bravery! At first I wasn’t sure I could watch it and be able to sleep at night. You see, I’ve inherited a big, old, (from the 1930’s), house in northern California that needs a lot of work. For reasons I won’t go into, my late father’s estate has not yet been settled, even though he passed away over three years ago. AND he was a savvy person about these sort of things, hired a good estate planning attorney, did everything in his power so that this kind of thing wouldn’t happen. Well it’s happened – one of my siblings has thrown a wrench in the gears, preventing things from moving forward. (I’ve said I wouldn’t go into it, now I have.) Needless to say, it’s a DAUNTING project! Anyway, you and your readers may want to check your local PBS channel to see if you can watch it in your area.

    I’m so sorry about the lightening strikes. That’s a horrible thing to have to contend with.

  20. Cyndi Raines says

    What an awesome house, actually both of them! How exciting that he contacted you and how terrific that you helped him find his dream home! Love that! See what a blessing you are Susan! We all love you! Glad you are with family for the Easter season and I hope our northern weather continues to stay as beautiful as today was! So glad Spring has arrived!

  21. Brenda Lawrence says

    Wow, how exciting and how wonderful that you had a hand in this coming to light Susan!!! Hugs, Brenda

  22. Susan,
    if there’s also a bathroom, I could live in the rooms above the garages! lol
    Pic #3 is so heartbreaking, but now it’s a gorgeous place, again! 🙂
    Enjoy your family, Susan!
    ~Hugs to you~

  23. This is wonderful news! I see a road trip in your future, Susan!

  24. Thank you for hosting! You always have very interesting posts!
    I’m posting my Easter decor.
    Katherine

  25. So happy to have found you! So many great posts! Thanks so much for hosting! Happy DIY-ing!!

    ~Kerri

  26. Oh my!…I had no idea that house burnt down…My hubby and I went to see it when it was a Coastal Living Idea House..it was beautiful…so happy that it is being rebuilt…what a tragedy that was!

  27. Does the builder, Eric Friedlander, have a website? Would love to see additional pics of the house and learn about some of the details concerning siding, stone, and windows.

Leave a Reply to Nita cHRISTIAN Cancel reply

*