O Patrick And Annie

The Murphy Property was established in 1979. Patrick Murphy and and his sister Annie carry the legacy from their father, James Michael 'Mike' Murphy. Mike Murphy designed the Smithsonian American History Museum and oversaw construction & maintenance of many Smithsonian buildings in DC for over 20 years before retiring at the house in North Beach to conduct oyster research under grants from Univ. of MD and Univ. of NC. During World War II, he worked as a physicist on the Manhattan project at Los Alamos. In 1986, he designed/engineered the building to withstand hurricane force winds with a 12-telephone pole foundation driven 34 feet into the ground. A category 4 hurricane (Isabel) has since passed in 2003 without disturbing the solid construction. He also engineered the tidal pool in the rear of the property to attract wildlife and serve as a boat launch. Patrick Murphy is an avid fisherman and retired small businessman. Annie Roberts is a health care provider.