Early in 1983, Ron and Tina Pack were on a boat cruise with friends in the upper Chesapeake Bay. During that cruise, it became apparent that their newly adopted town of Smithfield was every bit as nice as the popular destination points of the upper bay communities, with the exception of the waterfront development, which left a lot to be desired.
The original site, now occupied by the Station, is the former "Tennis Seafood." It was purchased in 1983 and photographs of the old buildings can be seen in our front lobby. Subsequent purchase of land across the street from the Station has become the basis for our parking lot. Many different types of permits had to be obtained including Historic Review, Corps of Engineers, VMRC etc.
The main building is built entirely over the water and sits on 110 piles that are 88 feet long (that is about 20 feet taller that from the parking lot to the top of the tower). It is modeled after the old Coast Guard life saving stations (hence the name "Station") that proliferated the coast of Virginia and Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was completed and occupied on November 23, 1986.
The lighthouse is a reproduction of the lighthouse from Hoopers Strait in Maryland and that is now a part of the Maritime Museum in St. Michael's, Maryland. As far as we know, it is the only Lighthouse in Virginia where you can spend the night. There were several lighthouses similar to ours in the James River, but they have all been destroyed. We used the Maryland lighthouse as a model because we could touch and measure it to make sure of certain exterior details. It was completed and occupied in December of 1994.
In 2001 we transformed one of our dining rooms and our tiny bar into The Inner Banks (IBX), a more informal bar and grille with its own menu and live entertainment. IBX has become a favorite watering hole for locals and visitors alike.
In the Fall of 2002, we added two additional hotel rooms - actually cottages - on our boardwalk. These cottages feature beautiful decor and are highlighted in our romantic overnight packages. Thus bringing the number of hotel rooms to 22.
Smithfield Station has remained a family business with sons Randy and Brian joining the ownership and management staff in the last several years. We hope you enjoy your visit to Smithfield. If we can do anything to make your dining experience more enjoyable, please let us know!
To be continued ..... |
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