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Corolla (/kəˈrɑːlə/ kuh-RAHL-uh)[1] is an unincorporated community located in Poplar Branch township, Currituck County, North Carolina, United States, along the northern Outer Banks. It has a permanent population of approximately 500 people; during the summer vacation season, the population surges into the thousands. Corolla is home to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, one of the seven North Carolina coastal lighthouses.[2]
Previously a quiet and little-known location, a development boom in the 1980s sparked growth in the area, and since then, Corolla has become a popular vacation destination. Resting between the Currituck Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, Corolla attracts mainly beach-goers, especially in the summer months. Corolla is home to numerous attractions such as the historic Whalehead Club, Currituck Beach Light, Center for Wildlife Education, and is known for its numerous locations for shopping, dining, and participating in water sports.[3][4]
Corolla is home to a herd of feral Banker horses. They are located on a 12,000-acre (49 km2) animal sanctuary situated north of the populated areas of Corolla.[5] Over fifty thousand people come to see these wild horses every week in the summer months.[6][7][8]
Pronunciation
editNamed for the collection of petals of a flower, the correct pronunciation has an emphasis on the second syllable, rah (kuh-RAH-luh, /kəˈrɑːlə/); however, many visitors incorrectly pronounce Corolla the same way they pronounce the name of the Toyota Corolla, with the second syllable sounding like row (kuh-ROW-luh, /kəˈroʊlə/).
Corolla Demographics
editCorolla is a diverse place, with its native residents describing themselves as belonging to various ethnic groups. The greatest number among them are white, followed by African Americans. Significant ancestries of people in Corolla include English, German, Italian, and Polish. The principal language spoken is English, but Spanish and Italian are other popular languages. Per capita income in Corolla is $48,670. 52.80% of the adult population has a four-year degree or equivalent, while in other parts of the United States the average is 21.84%.[9]
Parks and nature preserves
editCorolla is home to the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, located in Currituck Heritage Park.[10] The park has a boardwalk through wetlands. It is listed as an eBird hotspot, with at least 219 species recorded in the park since 2000.[11] Less than a mile north of Corolla is the Currituck Banks North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve.[12]
History
edit
The community of Corolla began as a European development on American Indian hunting grounds. Tribes including the Chowanoke and Poteskeet hunted along the barrier island.[citation needed]
The town of Corolla was first called Jones Hill, after an early settler. It was also known as Whalehead or Currituck Beach. Early settlers made a living from fishing and hunting, as well as from salvage from shipwrecks and serving as guides to hunters.[citation needed]
Currituck was derived from an American Indian term, Carotank, meaning land of the wild geese. On the Atlantic migratory flyway, the area at the time had a large wild geese population. Over hunting in the late 19th century caused numbers to severely drop.
The town officially took the name Corolla in 1895 when a post office opened in the community. The name was chosen to refer to the botanic term for the petals of a flower. It wasn't until 1905 however, that a teacher and curriculum were provided to the local school.[citation needed]
Development of Currituck's Northern Outer Banks began in 1967 when investors from Sandbridge, Virginia, put together an investment group to purchase undeveloped land. The first subdivision plotted was Carova with 1,993 lots. The lots were originally priced in the early 1970s at $8,000; as of 2006, some of these lots are worth up to $500,000.[citation needed]
The investors planned for a road to come through from Virginia Beach, Virginia, to allow access to the lots; however, these plans were abandoned in 1973 when the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge south of Sandbridge was closed to all vehicular traffic, except by permit. Development pushed south through the 1970s, creating well over 1,000 additional lots in several subdivisions. In 1984 the residents of Corolla succeeded in their attempts to gain a public access road from the south. The state began paving the extension of NC-12 toward the north.
In addition to the Currituck Beach Light, the Currituck Shooting Club and Whalehead Club are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[13]
Beaches of Corolla
editThere are 15 beaches with public access, of which six have lifeguards and public parking and two include showers:[14]
- Corolla Village Road (shower, bathhouse)
- Shad Street
- Sturgeon Walkway
- Bonito Street
- Sailfish Walkway
- Yaupon Lane (shower, bathhouse)
Climate
editAccording to the Köppen climate classification, Corolla has a Humid subtropical climate (Cfa).
| Climate data for Corolla, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1981–2022 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 75.1 (23.9) |
75.5 (24.2) |
84.9 (29.4) |
87.4 (30.8) |
93.1 (33.9) |
95.4 (35.2) |
94.4 (34.7) |
95.6 (35.3) |
95.1 (35.1) |
89.3 (31.8) |
81.6 (27.6) |
77.4 (25.2) |
95.6 (35.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 50.2 (10.1) |
51.5 (10.8) |
57.2 (14.0) |
66.0 (18.9) |
73.4 (23.0) |
80.9 (27.2) |
84.6 (29.2) |
83.2 (28.4) |
78.4 (25.8) |
70.2 (21.2) |
60.9 (16.1) |
54.1 (12.3) |
67.6 (19.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.3 (2.4) |
37.4 (3.0) |
42.8 (6.0) |
51.8 (11.0) |
60.6 (15.9) |
69.7 (20.9) |
74.2 (23.4) |
73.2 (22.9) |
68.9 (20.5) |
58.4 (14.7) |
47.4 (8.6) |
40.5 (4.7) |
55.2 (12.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −0.2 (−17.9) |
10.5 (−11.9) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
43.2 (6.2) |
52.9 (11.6) |
60.9 (16.1) |
57.6 (14.2) |
52.3 (11.3) |
39.4 (4.1) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
10.2 (−12.1) |
−0.2 (−17.9) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.76 (96) |
3.13 (80) |
3.77 (96) |
3.50 (89) |
3.70 (94) |
4.14 (105) |
5.64 (143) |
5.59 (142) |
5.33 (135) |
4.01 (102) |
3.41 (87) |
3.76 (96) |
49.74 (1,263) |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 34.5 (1.4) |
35.2 (1.8) |
39.9 (4.4) |
48.7 (9.3) |
57.8 (14.3) |
66.4 (19.1) |
71.4 (21.9) |
70.4 (21.3) |
65.8 (18.8) |
55.9 (13.3) |
45.7 (7.6) |
39.1 (3.9) |
52.7 (11.5) |
| Source: PRISM[15] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Duck NC, Ocean Water Temperature, 1991–2020 normals | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45.8 (7.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
46.3 (7.9) |
52.0 (11.1) |
60.0 (15.6) |
67.6 (19.8) |
70.3 (21.3) |
73.8 (23.2) |
75.1 (23.9) |
68.8 (20.4) |
59.6 (15.3) |
52.2 (11.2) |
59.7 (15.4) |
| Source: NOAA[16] | |||||||||||||
Ecology
editAccording to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Corolla, North Carolina would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass (73) with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (20).[17]
References
edit- ^ "Talk Like a Tar Heel". Wilson Library. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
- ^ "Corolla NC Information | Corolla Outer Banks". corollaguide.com. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Corolla Guide& Carova.“Corolla NC outer Banks Vacations, Corolla Guide, Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ^ OuterBanks.com.“Corolla, NC”, OuterBanks.com & Visitors Guide, Retrieved 13 May 2016.
- ^ Beil, Laura (May 8, 2012). "Herd's Fate Lies in Preservation Clash". The New York Times. New York City, NY. p. D1.
- ^ "Beach Patrols to Protect Corolla Wild Horses". North Carolina Public Radio.
- ^ "Official proposes rules on Outer Banks horse-watching tours". Winston-Salem Journal.
- ^ "The 10 Best Corolla Tours". TripAdvisor.
- ^ "Corolla, NC - 27927 - Real Estate Market Data - NeighborhoodScout". www.neighborhoodscout.com. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ "About the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education". N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
- ^ "eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance". Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.]
- ^ "North Carolina Coastal Reserve: Currituck Banks NC Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve". North Carolina Coastal Reserve. 2007. Archived from the original on July 2, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2012.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Corolla NC | Corollaguide.com". corollaguide.com. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ "PRISM". Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ "NOAA". Retrieved June 22, 2023.
- ^ "U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)". Retrieved August 6, 2019.
External links
edit- Whalehead Club
- Currituck County Official Site Archived July 2, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
- Currituck Beach Lighthouse Archived January 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- Corolla Tourism Board