The History of Scarborough Faire

Sit on a shaded bench under the sprawling live oaks in Scarborough Faire, and you'll feel transported to a time before cookie-cutter mini-malls with their neon signs and pristinely manicured flowerbeds. In this open-air market you'll find yourself in the perfect place to enjoy a summertime ice cream cone, get lost in the pages of a bestseller, or browse the unique shops for hidden treasure. Here at Scarborough Faire, amidst the trees, the artisans, and the young families shopping, the atmosphere is decidedly more park-like than shopping center.

But make no mistake-Scarborough Faire is more than just a browser's delight; it's a true shopper's paradise. From tasteful home décor at Urban Cottage to scrumptious treats at Tullio's Pastry Shop to tailored Tommy Bahama shirts at Gray's, fantastic finds abound. For knock-your-socks-off wining and dining, you'll find the award-winning, yet unpretentious Elizabeth's Café and Winery tucked into the garden enclave.

The wooden boardwalks, the cedar wood siding, and the gracious garden setting belie the world-class shopping and dining that are nestled in the shady oaks of Scarborough Faire.

And that's just the way owner and founder Walter Story wants it to be.

More than fifty years ago when Story first visited the Outer Banks, there was little more than a dirt road leading north to Duck. "Back in those days it was pretty quiet," says Story. It was the 1940s then, and there was still an operating lifesaving station where the Sanderling Inn is today.

Story fell in love with the wild and beautiful Outer Banks as it was in those days, an unspoiled paradise. Decades later in the mid-1970s, he returned to the Outer Banks with his family. Still enamored with the area, they purchased a summer home in Duck.

"We went to the Outer Banks to have family time," says Story. No televisions or modern-day distractions and long beach days made for good family-bonding summers.

At that time the only retail business for miles in either direction was Winks. Even so, Story had the vision and the foresight to purchase a large tract of land along Duck Road to build his idea of the perfect shopping village.

"My original vision was to have something where people could come and totally relax, sit back and smell the roses. I wanted to take them away from the shopping malls and strip malls from home," says Story.

Story spent several years financing, planning and building Phase I, which today houses The Fudgery and Ocean Annie's. By 1983, Phase I was complete. Phases II and III followed over the next couple of years, the last being the building where Elizabeth's Café and Winery is located.

Keeping Scarborough Faire close to its natural setting was a high priority. Says Story, "We went to a lot of trouble to save every tree.we wanted to keep as many as possible."

Story went to great lengths to ensure that Scarborough Faire incorporated as many elements of traditional Outer Banks architecture as possible. "We wanted to make sure the architecture carried the Outer Banks heritage. We did a lot of research on the life-saving stations, and used cedar siding and wood siding," says Story.

The years he spent crafting Scarborough Faire were both taxing and rewarding for the young family. Story recalls the three years that the family had to commute from Virginia every weekend during the building phases of Scarborough Faire, "My daughters used to say they were 'Stuck in Duck' all those years!"

Looking back, Story says, "I relish that I put in the time and the work."

Today Story still has an active role as the owner of Scarborough Faire. He's passed the general manager role on to his daughter Connie, who oversees the fifteen shops and restaurants on a day-to-day basis. Even though more than twenty years have passed since Phase I was completed, the original flavor and natural maritime setting remain untouched.

So go on and take a stroll through Scarborough Faire. Savor the history and soak in the ambiance. In this hidden gem, you're sure to find a beautiful treasure!