Southport, North Carolina
| Southport, North Carolina | |
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| Coordinates: 33°55′28″N 78°1′14″W / 33.92444°N 78.02056°WCoordinates: 33°55′28″N 78°1′14″W / 33.92444°N 78.02056°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Brunswick |
| Established | 1792 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.3 sq mi (5.8 km2) |
| • Land | 2.2 sq mi (5.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 20 ft (6 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,351 |
| • Density | 1,059/sq mi (408.9/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern Time Zone (North America) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 28461 |
| Area code(s) | 910 |
| FIPS code | 37-63400[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1022722[2] |
| Website | City of Southport |
Southport is a city in Brunswick County, North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. 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 show "Dawson's Creek" and the movies "I Know What You Did Last Summer", "Summer Catch", "Domestic Disturbance", "Crimes of the Heart", "Nights in Rodanthe" and "A Walk to Remember", among others.
Southport hosts a Fourth of July festival of North Carolina. Every year vendors from all around the country travel to Southport for four days of fun and excitement downtown.
It is the site of the proposed North Carolina International Port, and its Southport Marina has been the subject of media attention surrounding its possible sale.
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[edit] History
The Southport area was explored as early as the 1500s by Spanish explorers. Before the construction of Fort Johnston, British settlements along the Carolina coast lacked fortifications to protect them against pirates and privateers, and numerous Spanish attackers exploited this weakness. In response to these attacks, Governor Gabriel Johnston in 1744 appointed a committee to select the best location to construct a fort for the defense of the Cape Fear River region. France meanwhile declared King George's War against Britain in 1744. The Governor of South Carolina agreed to lend ten small cannons for the fort. Facing increasingly bold Spanish privateer raids, the General Assembly of North Carolina colony in April 1745 authorized the construction of "Johnston's Fort" near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. In spring 1748, the legislature appropriated 2000 pounds for construction costs, and people finally began building Fort Johnston. Southport developed around Fort Johnston and was originally named Smithville.[3]
From 1808 to 1977, Smithville, renamed Southport in 1887, was the county seat of Brunswick County.[4][5]
[edit] Geography
Southport is located at 33°55′28″N 78°1′14″W / 33.92444°N 78.02056°W (33.924484, -78.020513).[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2).2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (1.77%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,351 people, 1,095 households, and 676 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,059.0 people per square mile (408.9/km²). There were 1,292 housing units at an average density of 582.0 per square mile (224.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.61% White, 21.78% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population.
There were 1,095 households out of which 19.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.08 and the average family size was 2.65.
In the city the population was spread out with 17.9% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $33,714, and the median income for a family was $45,714. Males had a median income of $34,167 versus $22,857 for females.
The per capita income for the city was $23,059. About 7.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Marinas
Deep Point Marina located near Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry is the new hub for the Bald Head Island Ferry.
The Southport Marina is a public small boat harbor owned by the North Carolina State Ports Authority. It is operated under a long-term lease by Southport Marina, Inc.
The marina made statewide news when it was announced that the State Ports Authority would put it up for sale, causing an uproar among the town's residents, who were concerned that development was spoiling the town's "fishing village charm." Former North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, himself a resident of Southport, quickly reversed the decision and declared that the State Ports Authority would continue to own the marina.
The town's government pursued a purchase of the marina to preserve it from a future sale to private developers, but the state retained ownership of the marina and approved a lease for the facility to a new ownership group, Southport Marina, Inc., which has invested in significant repairs and upgrades to the facility.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ Dickson, Scott (2005). [1-887905-98-7 In Search of Mayberry]. Boone, North Carolina: Parkway Publishers, Inc.. pp. 85. 1-887905-98-7.
- ^ "Southport, North Carolina". http://mlsofmyrtlebeach.com/cities-and-info/southport-nc-usa.php. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
- ^ "A History of Bolivia, North Carolina". http://www.carolana.com/NC/Towns/Bolivia_NC.html. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Southport, North Carolina |
- Southport, NC City Guide
- Southport, NC InsiderInfo Guide
- Official website of Southport, NC
- Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce
- N.C. State Ports Authority
- Brunswick County Tourism Development Authority
- Southport Marina, Inc.
- Southport Marina: Innovative Design — By Land and Sea, Metro Magazine
- State OK's Marina Lease, The News & Observer
- City Offers $6 million For Marina, The State Port Pilot
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