An Orient home with a history of storm survival

An Orient house, listed for $649,000, has weathered many a hurricane, including the 1938 storm and a Category 3 named Carol that swept across the eastern end of the Forks in 1954.

After Carol, the eight-room frame house was moved from its waterfront site (now the location of Orient By the Sea Marina & Restaurant) to a nearby 1.2-acre parcel.

It suffered no damage during Sandy, according to John Nickles, who is listing the house with Kathleen Goggins-Nickles of Lewis & Nickles Ltd. Realty.

Both the Edwards and King families, descendants of the area's early settlers, owned the circa-1900 house at different times. It has many built-in features and original woodwork, including a cabinet with an ornate leaded-glass door.

Old church pews were installed as seating in the breakfast nook. An angled fireplace between the family room and formal dining room heats both spaces.

The second story has a large deck off one of the home's three bedrooms. Current owner Janice Robinson says she "fell in love with it immediately" in 1971, when she purchased the property. She renovated the house, updated the eat-in kitchen and the 1½ baths, and converted the garage into an art studio.