Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
| Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Johnnie Mercer's Pier
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 Location in New Hanover County and the state of North Carolina. |
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| Coordinates: 34°12′40″N 77°47′55″W / 34.21111°N 77.79861°WCoordinates: 34°12′40″N 77°47′55″W / 34.21111°N 77.79861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | New Hanover |
| Township | Harnett Township |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Chad Hudson |
| 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 (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,477 |
| • Density | 1,943.4/sq mi (750.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 28480 |
| Area code(s) | 910 |
| FIPS code | 37-75820 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0997665 |
| Website | http://www.townofwrightsvillebeach.com/ |
Wrightsville Beach is a town in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. Wrightsville Beach is just east of Wilmington and is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,477 at the 2010 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.
A post office called Wrightsville was established in 1881. Wrightsville Beach is composed of two islands that are separated by two different bodies of water. Bradley Creek runs between the mainland and the Hammocks (currently known as Harbor Island). The Hammocks are then separated from the beach by Banks Channel. In the 1700 and 1800’s the Hammocks were accessible by a footbridge from the mainland and by boat. The beach itself was only accessible by boat.
The first documented history of present-day Wrightsville Beach began when the Lord’s Proprietors granted land to Charles Harrison in 1725. The land grant was for 640 acres (259 ha) located north of the present day Hiede Trask Bridge that runs over the Intracoastal Waterway and was the first formal ownership of property near the beach.
In 1853, the Carolina Yacht Club was founded by 7 local gentlemen who loved to sail and race boats. Currently known as the second oldest yacht club in America, the Yacht club was built in 1884. It was the first permanent structure on the beach and was only accessible by boat. Eventually a few scattered cottages and commercial buildings began springing up on what was then known as Ocean View Beach. The town was incorporated in 1899 as Wrightsville Beach, in honor of the Wright family of Wilmington and the community of Wrightsville on the mainland side of Harbor Island.
Accessibility to the beach improved in 1887 when Shell Road was completed. It ran from Wilmington to the edge of the current Inter Coastal Waterway. In addition, passenger service began on the Wilmington Seacoast Railroad from Wilmington, bringing people from downtown Wilmington to the edge of Bradley Creek. In 1889, Ocean View Railroad built a track across Banks Channel to carry visitors to the oceanfront. The train was then converted to an electric streetcar (i.e. beach trolley) in 1902 by the Consolidated Railroad, Power & Light Company. The trolley carried people from downtown Wilmington to one of 7 stations along what is now South Lumina Avenue. The trolleys not only carried people to the beach, they carried freight as well. The Power Company had special freight cars that carried goods to and from the beach. The most important commodity they carried was ice. In an age before indoor refrigeration a daily supply of ice was very important, especially in the summer. The availability of ice resulted in more snack stands and soda shops along the beach.
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