News Details (Posted: September 3, 2008):

A History of Southport, North Carolina

Full Description:

Southport is a city in Brunswick County, North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Its population was listed as 2,351 for the 2000 census. A popular filming location for television and movies, the small town can be seen in the television shows "Dawson's Creek" and "Spies" and the movies "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Summer Catch," and "A Walk to Remember," among others. It is the site of the proposed North Carolina International Port, and its marina has been the subject of media attention surrounding its possible sale.

Southport is a quaint, historic seaport situated at the confluence of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Cape Fear River where it flows out to meet the Atlantic Ocean. Once known as the best kept secret in North Carolina, this lovely little village with its live oak–lined streets is slowly but surely being discovered. New shops, restaurants and hotels are springing up in the area as well as in the town, affording residents better choices without the necessity of traveling out of town.

Southport can be accessed by both ferry and scenic highway. From Wilmington, Southport is reached by N.C. Highway 133 or N.C. Highway 87, although the N.C. 133 route is very beautiful and offers attractions, including Orton Plantation, Brunswick Town and the Progress Energy Nuclear Plant with its Brunswick Plant Energy Center.

In 1754, Fort Johnston, North Carolina's first fort was established. A small community of river pilots, fishermen and trades people grew up around the fort. In 1792 the town of Smithville was created. In 1808, Smithville became the county seat of Brunswick County. For the remainder of the century, the town made plans to link rail service with the existing river traffic to make the community a major southern port, and the city was renamed Southport.

The town was one of the first areas in the state to celebrate the Fourth of July and is widely regarded as the Fourth of July Capital of North Carolina. History records that in 1795, citizens gathered at Fort Johnston and observed a 13-gun military salute to the original 13 states. In 1813, a Russian warship anchored in the harbor fired a 13-gun salute, and it was on this Fourth of July that fireworks were used for the first time to close the celebration. In 1972, the Fourth of July Festival was chartered and incorporated as the official North Carolina Fourth of July Festival, and it has become a tremendously popular four-day event for residents and visitors alike.

Southport makes for an interesting daytrip. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and history buffs will especially appreciate a visit for its beautiful old homes and historic cemeteries. Be sure to check out some of the better-known historic spots. The Captain Thompson Home, for example, offers visitors a glimpse into the life of a Civil War Blockade Runner. The literary set will enjoy a visit to the Adkins-Ruark House, where author Robert Ruark lived as a young boy with his grandfather. One of Ruark's novels, The Old Man and the Boy, gives readers insight into Southport life years ago.

Leave the car — parking is free — and just walk around until you discover shops, restaurants and views that please you. It's an extremely casual community that invites visitors to pause and savor a slow pace of life that is fast disappearing in nearby Wilmington.

Southport's live oak–lined streets, charming architecture, quaint shops including antiques shops, as well as year-round golf, boating and fishing, create an enormously pleasant environment, making this a popular place for retirement. This is the place for people who genuinely want to kick back and enjoy beautiful coastal scenery. With a year-round population of nearly 2,700, there's still plenty of elbowroom. If you fall head over heels for Southport and decide to make a permanent move, keep in mind that its charm also means that the town includes some of the area's priciest real estate and most exclusive homes.