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Celebrating Our Communities and Traditions
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Core Sound Decoys – Our Foundation
Decoys were the inspiration of the museum’s founding and their presence throughout the museum
reflects our continuing commitment to the waterfowling heritage of Core Sound. Through
weekly carving demonstrations, exhibits and collections of many of Core Sound’s iconic
waterfowl artifacts and decoys, this region’s long history of decoy making is evident. The recent
revival of these traditions, led by the founding of the Core Sound Decoy Carvers Guild
and the realization of their dream of a “decoy museum” on Harkers Island, is a testament to the deep roots
of waterfowling along Core Sound, Core Banks and Down East. The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum &
Heritage Center has evolved into exactly the vision for providing a “safe place for the region’s decoys” in
the context of Core Sound’s past and present cultural heritage.
The museum is host to several significant decoy collections:
Billy & Janice Smith Collection, an interesting mix of contemporary and historic carvings that reflects this family’s deep connections to the
waterfowling history of Core Sound.
Roy Willis Collection of decoys, hunting artifacts and Core Sound history captures one man’s life of hunting,
carving and collecting. Recognized as one of Core Sound’s more valuable and meaningful collections, the museum’s
display from Roy’s collection is just a glimpse of his life’s commitment to “holding on” to this heritage.
A display of carvings by Homer Fulcher and Julian Hamilton, Jr., North Carolina Folk Heritage Award Recipients,
celebrates this honor for them as carvers and the importance of Core Sound’s decoy traditions to North Carolina’s
living traditions.
Passionate decoy collector Eugene Willis’ family continues to share a large sampling from their collection of working
decoys and artifacts including a hunting shed and dock, a common site throughout Down East.
Carvings and artifacts from the David Lawrence family bring life and memories to “David’s Room” where carvers
visit, carve and share their work with museum visitors throughout the year. Programs and presentations featuring carving
demonstrations and waterfowling history are provided to classes and travel groups year round.
The Sam & Elizabeth Arrington Collection, represent contemporary carvings from almost all of the Core Sound
Decoy Carvers Guild members during its first 10 years in existence.
North Carolina Decoy Collectors’ annual Vintage Decoy Competition winners are display year round in the
The Robert Turnage Monk Library is home to more than 400 books and periodicals,
including rare and out of print copies on regional wildfowl, waterfowl, hunting, birding,
carving, boatbuilding, commercial fishing, folklore, art, storms, firearms, maritime
history, quilting, community life, and more. Many of the books are available for
checkout to our members. It is an inspiring quiet place where visitors are welcome to
read, study and absorb the art, decoys and history that surrounds them here.
Eugene Willis, noted Core Sound decoy collector, has always
shared his lifetime collection with museum visitors,
Gathering Room. This changing collection (annually) reflects the collectors’ ongoing
appreciation for these artifacts and the stories they represent.
Our Robert Turnage Monk Library features an extraordinary collection of Core
Sound Redheads and Canvasback carvings, representing working decoy and contemporary
decorative styles.