Samuel G. Jones (American, 1893-1977), Ocracoke Castle

Lot Details & Additional Photographs

Watercolor on paper, signed at lower right, matted and framed below glass.

Sight size 9 3/4 x 13 5/8 in.; Frame dimensions 16 1/4 x 20 1/4 in.

Sam Jones was an entrepreneur, collector, and eccentric patron of craft whose legacy became woven into the cultural fabric of Ocracoke Island. Born in Swan Quarter, North Carolina, he left school at thirteen and built a fortune through ingenuity and industry, eventually purchasing Berkley Machine Works in Norfolk and inventing a widely used coal stoker for steam locomotives.

A voracious and eclectic collector, Jones surrounded himself with antiques, rare books, Persian rugs, and oil paintings, with a special love for Victorian and Art Deco design. His passion for craftsmanship extended into architecture: on Ocracoke he constructed a series of distinctive, quirky Colonial Revival buildings, most famously Berkley Manor and Berkley Castle, designed without blueprints, shaped instead by instinct, improvisation, and the skill of local carpenters. Mercurial, generous, and unforgettable, Jones left behind an enduring legacy of architecture, storytelling, and island culture that continues to define Ocracoke’s spirit.

Toning and spotting to the sheet, not examined outside the frame, minor grime to the mat.