Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
Town
Johnny Mercer's Pier
Location of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
County	New Hanover
Area
• Total	2.4 sq mi (6.2 km2)
• Land	1.3 sq mi (3.5 km2)
• Water	1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2)
Elevation	7 ft (2 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	2,593
• Density	1,943.4/sq mi (750.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	28480
Area code	910
FIPS code	37-75820Template:GR
GNIS feature ID	0997665Template:GR

Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,593 at the 2000 census. The town consists of a four-mile-long beach island, an interior island called Harbor Island, and pockets of commercial property on the mainland.

History

File:Moviesoverthewaves.jpg

Outdoor movies at the Lumina, ca. 1920s.

The island's first structure was the Carolina Yacht Club, built in 1853. A train track was built in 1888 from the mainland to Harbor Island to the exterior island along the beach, which brought vacationers from nearby Wilmington and spurred development. In 1902, the train was converted to electric streetcars -- i.e., the beach trolley. The most significant structure on the island was the large dance floor and entertainment center, the Lumina Pavillion, which opened in 1905. In its heyday, it attracted numerous entertainers, including most of the famous Big Bands. Cars were finally allowed on the beach in 1935, hastening the demise of the beach trolley, which last ran in 1940. Lumina closed in 1973. More is available at The Wrightsville Beach Museum of History, housed in a relocated cottage built in 1907 on Salisbury Street near the entrance to the island.

Recent history

Since the 1970s development has increased at a rapid rate. A desalination plant was constructed in the middle of Harbor Island in 1960 by the Carrier Corporation. The method used to desalinize the water was freezing. The plant proved to be costly, inefficient, and difficult to maintain. Residents also complained about the barely potable taste of the water. It was closed and is now used only as a water pumping station. Shell Island Resort, constructed on the northernmost end of the island in 1984, was considered controversial due to its large parking deck and its proximity to Mason Inlet. The construction of luxury condominiums at Duneridge, Sterling Edition at Wrightsville Dunes, and Cordgrass Bay occurred soon afterward. During the 1990s Wrightsville Beach suffered from several hurricanes including Bertha, Fran, Irene, Bonnie, Dennis, and Floyd. Although these hurricanes caused great destruction on the beach, the growth of the island has only continued to flourish. In the late 1990s it became increasingly apparent that Mason's Inlet at the northernmost part of the island was drifting southward. Residents became alarmed that Shell Island Resort and other high value residences would succumb to the Inlet. For some time, the northern side of the resort had to be strengthened by sandbags, and had a noticeable tilt. The Army Corps of Engineers undertook a 6.5 million dollar contract to move the inlet 3,000 feet north. On April 15th, 2002, the project was completed and Wrightsville Beach gained a sizeable amount of virgin beach on its northern side. It is highly unlikely that any further development will occur north of Shell Island Resort.

In the late 1990s the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort was built, and is considered to be the most luxurious hotel on Wrightsville Beach.

In the 2000s Hurricanes Isabel, Charlie, and Ophelia affected Wrightsville Beach. These more recent hurricanes were not as severe as those of the previous decade and many residents did not lose power.

Wrightsville Beach at sunrise.

Attractions

Naturally the primary attraction to Wrightsville is the beach itself. Johnny Mercer's Pier, located in the middle of Wrightsville Beach is considered to be an excellent place for fishing. The pier used to be a wooden pier but was destroyed by Hurricane Fran in 1996. It was rebuilt with heavy concrete and opened in the early 2000s. Surfing is also very popular, and Wrightsville Beach is actually home to world-famous surfer Ben Bourgeois, whose father owns a surf shop on the island. The three primary hotels on the beach are Shell Island Resort, Blockade Runner, and Holiday Inn Sunspree. There are several restaurants, stores, a gourmet grocery store, and several marinas on Wrightsville Beach and Harbor Island.

Architecture

Wrightsville Beach is well known for the beauty of its houses, which are considered to be prime examples of contemporary beach architecture. Many of the classic, old-fashioned beach cottages have been renovated or replaced over the years. The oldest of these early cottage dates to 1897. Construction, renewal, and renovation are constantly occurring on the beach, even among houses built in the 1980s and 1990s. The property values of Wrightsville Beach's finest properties range from $800,000.00 well into the millions.

Culture

While the population of Wrightsville Beach surges in the summer, there are a significant number of residents who live year round on the beach. It is considered a very pleasant place to live due to the pleasant climate, the residential atmosphere, and the near absence of crime. Wrightsville Beach is seen as a more upper-class, clean, and family-oriented beach in comparison to other local beaches, such as Carolina and Kure Beaches. Trucks, ATVs, glass containers, pets, alcohol, and bonfires are forbidden, which has contributed to the pristine nature of the beach.

Although the water at Wrightsville Beach is better than in the days of the desalinization plant, and is perfectly safe to drink, it nonetheless has an unpleasant taste. It is recommended to filter or bottle the water to improve the taste, and many restaurants on the beach filter their water for the sake of their customers.

Wrightsville Beach is also a popular surf destination.

Geography

Wrightsville Beach is located at 34°12′40″N 77°47′55″W (34.211194, -77.798636)Template:GR, south of Figure Eight Island.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.2 km² (2.4 mi²). 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is land and 2.8 km² (1.1 mi²) of it (44.40%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 2,593 people, 1,275 households, and 566 families residing in the town. The population density was 752.8/km² (1,943.4/mi²). There were 3,050 housing units at an average density of 885.4/km² (2,285.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.11% White, 0.27% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.54% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.

There were 1,275 households out of which 10.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 4.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 55.6% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.47.

In the town the population was spread out with 8.9% under the age of 18, 16.8% from 18 to 24, 34.0% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 125.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 126.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,903, and the median income for a family was $71,641. Males had a median income of $35,388 versus $36,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $36,575. About 2.0% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

External links

• Official website of Wrightsville Beach, NC
• Wrightsville Beach Chamber of Commerce
• Lumina News, Wrightsville's Weekly Newspaper since May 2002
• WBLive Surf, Wrightsville Beach Live Surf Report and Streaming Web Cams hosted by http://www.AValive.com
• Historic Postcards of Wrightsville Beach, from the North Carolina Collection, UNC-Chapel Hill.
• Wrightsville Beach Area Overview