Knotts Island in Currituck County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Partnership in Wildlife Management
Endeavors on the behalf of waterfowl conservation were broadened substantially through the early inspiration of Mr. Joseph Palmer Knapp. In 1918, Mr. Knapp acquired the part of the refuge known as Mackay Island. To support his keen interest in waterfowl, he constructed and maintained an elaborate retreat and hunting club in the vicinity of Live Oak Point on Mackay Island.
Mr. Knapp recognized that waterfowl populations would need help. Many of the original waterfowl habitat improvement projects on the refuge today were initiated by Mr. Knapp with the aid of many local residents he employed. To further promote this initiative, Mr. Knapp founded the organization known as More Game Birds at this location in 1930. This group was latered chartered in 1937 as the national conservation organization known today as Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
Since 1987, waterfowl habitat restoration projects have been completed at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge Park in cooperation with Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and the State of North Carolina. These projects commemorate Mr. Knapp's contribution to the waterfowl resource through his past stewardship of current refuge lands and as founder of Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
Erected by Ducks Unlimited; North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; Fish and
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Charity & Public Work • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1918.
Location. 36° 31.044′ N, 75° 55.52′ W. Marker is on Knotts Island, North Carolina, in Currituck County. It is on MacKay Island Road west of Knotts Island Road (State Highway 615), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 592 A Knotts Island Rd, Knotts Island NC 27950, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Coastal Plain and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge (a few steps from this marker); Knotts Island Salt Works (approx. 0.7 miles away); Dividing Line (approx. 1.4 miles away); Currituck County War Memorial (approx. 6.9 miles away); Currituck County Old Jail (approx. 6.9 miles away); a different marker also named Currituck County Courthouse (approx. 6.9 miles away); Confederate Memorial (approx. 6.9 miles away); Joseph Pilmoor (approx. 7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Knotts Island.
Other markers no longer nearby. Knotts Island (was approx. 0.7 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Currituck County Courthouse (was
Credits. This page was last revised on June 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 7, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 2 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 7, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
