Exploring Southport – Brunswick

Directly across the river to the west from downtown Wilmington is Brunswick County, which was one of the fastest growing of North Carolina’s 100 counties for the last few years. Not that many years ago, Brunswick County consisted primarily of a sleepy coastal fishing village, Southport, plus a few other towns.

For quite a while, the city of Southport seemed to escape the commercial and residential development taking place all around it, but in the last few years, the town has seen substantial development in and around town, especially between Southport and adjacent Oak Island where Wal-Mart, Lowes, banks, plazas, motels, restaurants and other commercial enterprises have sprung up.

Southport History

Southport was originally incorporated in 1792 as Smithville, named after Benjamin Smith, who had served under George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The town had developed because of nearby Fort Johnson coupled with merchants, fishermen and river pilots who had settled in the area.

Following the Civil War, local businessmen envisioned Smithville becoming a major port in conjunction with railroad transportation that was developing throughout the nation. With that dream in mind, they renamed the town Southport in 1887. Although Southport never became a major port, it did develop as a charming, quaint fishing village and residential community.