Exploring Southport - Brunswick

Directly across the river to the west from downtown Wilmington is Brunswick County, one of the fastest growing of North Carolina’s 100 counties. In the early 1980s, Brunswick County consisted primarily of a sleepy coastal fishing village, Southport, plus a few other towns.

Southport proper, a quarter of a century ago in 1983, was not dramatically different from the Southport proper of today. The population was not a great deal less then than it is now - under 3,000 - and the business district was about the same. Few new houses were being built, and certainly no housing projects were underway. Upscale neighborhood developments and gated communities pretty much did not exist. All that was about to change soon.

For all practical purposes, the world had not yet discovered this charming, unique and idyllic community at the mouth of the Cape Fear River as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The town, to a great extent, was a community of people working at the two main industrial employers - Archer Daniels Midland and Carolina Power and Light. Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal and Dosher Memorial Hospital also provided jobs. The fishing industry was more active then, especially charter fishing, and tourism was much less important.

The area north of downtown along Howe Street toward Dosher Memorial Hospital was mostly residential for working people. That vicinity, much of it in disrepair by the 21st century, has been restored and trendy new shops and condos are springing up.

Dosher Hospital Expands

The hospital, having celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1980, had expanded considerably in recent years and was working its way out of financial travails. The hospital’s future was secure and new up-to-date equipment and offices were being added.

About that time, the world apparently became aware of Southport and Brunswick County. Residential developments have been proliferating throughout the county ever since, mostly on the Wilmington to Southport corridor along the Cape Fear River, on NC Route 211 east from Southport and on US Route 17 to Myrtle Beach.