Lighthouses, Legends and Loggerheads

Bald Head Island’s history is peppered with colorful people and connections.  Through the years, the island has been a breeding ground for wild boar, a prime hangout for bootleggers, a supplier of materials for cedar pencils, a Civil War fort, a nesting ground for loggerhead turtles, and a produce farm and fruit orchard.  Pirates, lighthouse keepers, Indians, river pilots, ruffians, soldiers, farmers, and entrepreneurs of all types have come and gone, and yet, Bald Head Island’s essence is unchanged.  This can only be because the island itself is a living thing, with its own integrity and spirit, its wild beauty more or less disregarding man’s inclination to tinker.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, when pirates ruled the waters off the coast of North Carolina with greed and terror, Bald Head Island was a favorite refuge and base for these notorious buccaneers.  In all, the waters surrounding Cape Fear were a hideaway for hundreds of pirates, the most famous of which were Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, and Stede Bonnet, the gentleman pirate.

Bonnet, the so-called “Gentleman Pirate” from Barbados, was an educated retired military officer who turned to piracy in 1717 as a second career in order to escape what one historian tactfully referred to as “the discomforts he found in a married state.”  During his short stint as a pirate, Bonnet terrorized the Carolina and Virginia coasts aboard his sailing sloop Revenge with 10 guns and 70 men.  For a brief time, Bonnet even linked up with Blackbeard, a pirate who never carried the title “gentleman.”  In 1718 Blackbeard was cornered and killed aboard his sloop, Adventure, by two warships sent by the governor of Virginia.  Just three weeks later, Bonnet was captured at Bonnet’s Creek in Southport by Colonel William Rhett of South Carolina and hanged near Charlestown.  Their deaths marked a dramatic end to the Golden Age of Piracy in North Carolina.

Long before pirates ever discovered Bald Head Island’s nooks and crannies, Native Americans hunted Bald Head Island and fished its surrounding waters in the spring and summer while maintaining permanent settlements on the mainland.  The island was, in effect, a seasonal retreat for the Native Americans when supplies of corn or grain began running low.

Early river pilots were responsible for giving Bald Head Island its unique and descriptive name.  Eager to offer their navigational services to ships approaching the entrance to the Cape Fear River, they took up watch on a high dune headland on the southwest point of the island.  According to local lore, the headland was worn bare of vegetation, making it stand out in contrast to the forest behind it.  This “bald” headland served as a reference point for ships entering the river, and the name Bald Head Island has endured.

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Page 2 – BHI History

1817 saw the construction of the island’s most revered landmark and symbol, Old Baldy Lighthouse.  Still the island’s only “highrise,” Old Baldy lighthouse was the second of three lighthouses built on Bald Head Island, and is the only one remaining.  In 1903, the lighthouse was decommissioned when the Cape Fear Light was erected on the eastern end of the island, but it still serves as a prominent day marker for mariners.  Due to restoration efforts by the Old Baldy Foundation and the generosity of hundreds of contributors, visitors to North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse can climb up her 108 steps for a spectacular panoramic view of Bald Head Island.

The foundation of the Cape Fear Light can still be seen at the end of Federal Road across from three lightkeeper’s cottages known as Captain Charlie’s Station, after Captain Charles Norton Swan, a lighthouse keeper who lived with his family on Bald Head Island from 1903 until 1933.  Now restored and available on our rental program, Captain Charlie’s Station is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and still commands a sweeping view of the dunes and sea at the island’s southeastern point.

In addition to lighthouse keepers, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the island was home to members of the U.S. Lifesaving Service, the predecessor to the modern day Coast Guard.   Cape Fear Station, located on East Beach, was put into operation in 1882 to keep watch over the waters surrounding Bald Head Island, and was expanded in 1903 with the installation of Cape Fear Light.  With new technology for powering ships and dramatic improvements in navigational aids, the number of shipwrecks decreased, and Cape Fear Station was deactivated in 1937.  The only remaining Lifesaving Station structure is a boathouse that was moved from the beachfront to back among the dunes where it is now a private residence.

Another symbol of the past presence of lighthouse keepers and lifesaving servicemen on the island is the Old Boat House on Bald Head Creek, built in 1903 to store supplies and boats.  A dramatic change in the shape of the creek channel over the last 90 years makes it appear to have moved several hundred yards.

Despite subtle shifts in sand and sea, Bald Head Island remains much as it was centuries ago.  It still serves as a natural sanctuary for educators and students interested in coastal ecology, a home for a special breed of permanent residents that share a kinship of spirit with the hardy, independent lighthouse keepers and servicemen of days long past, and a refuge for vacationers seeking privacy and rejuvenation in a beautiful, relaxed setting.

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AN ISLAND OVERVIEW

·         Located two nautical miles off the coast of southeastern North Carolina, Bald Head Island is a resort and residential community accessible only by private boat or ferry.  Transportation on the island is limited to electric carts, bicycles and pedestrian traffic.

·         The entire island complex (historically referred to as Smith Island) consists of 12,000 acres, featuring 14 miles of pristine beaches and seven distinct environments – West Beach, South Beach, East Beach, Marsh and Creek, Maritime Forest, Harbour Village and Golf Course.

·         Bald Head Island is the southernmost barrier island in N.C., where the mouth of the Cape Fear River meets the Atlantic Ocean.  The eastern tip of the island forms the Cape Fear Point.

·         Bald Head Island features nearly 1,060 private residences (including condominiums) and approximately 220 year-round residents. 

·         The island is open to the public and accessible only by boat.  Bald Head Island operates daily ferries to the island, which run hourly from 8 a.m.  Return evening hours vary by day and season.

·         The 10-acre Bald Head Island Marina is home to both the Passenger Ferry Terminal and the Bald Head Island Yacht Club.

·         Bald Head Island is the northernmost semitropical environment on the East Coast and the last point at which sabal palms grow naturally. Moderated by the warm waters of the nearby Gulf Stream, the weather on Bald Head Island is generally mild year-round.

·         With beaches along its eastern, southern and western shores, Bald Head Island allows you to witness the sun both rising and setting over the Atlantic Ocean each day.

·         Bald Head Island got its name from early river pilots’ reference to its “bald” headland that is devoid of vegetation.  Pilots would look for this high dune headland on the island’s southwest point as a landmark leading to the mouth of the Cape Fear River.

·         Just offshore are the “Frying Pan Shoals” that extend 20 miles from the cape point, the site of hundreds of shipwrecks in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

·         The most visible landmark on the island is Old Baldy, a lighthouse commissioned by Thomas Jefferson and completed in 1817.  Old Baldy is North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse and is open daily from dawn to dusk.  Visitors are welcome to traverse the 108 steps to reach Old Baldy’s pinnacle, which provides visitors panoramic, 360-degree views of the entire island.

·         The Village Chapel is a beautifully designed house of worship that offers picturesque views of the marsh and creek.  Visiting ministers hold non-denominational services each Sunday at 8:30 a.m.  With seating for approximately 113, the Chapel has been the site for hundreds of memorable weddings.

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ISLAND OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNMENT

·         Bald Head Island was purchased in 1983 by Bald Head Island Limited, a company owned by the George P. Mitchell family.  Bald Head Island Limited manages real estate development and sales, as well as resort and island operations.

·         The Mitchell Family is also known for developing The Woodlands, near Houston, Texas. The Woodlands was named as one of the world’s finest master-planned communities by the Urban Land Institute.

·         The developers’ philosophy of sensitive land planning ensures that all new development respects the natural surroundings. Neighborhoods are designed to accommodate homes, people and nature, not parking lots and cars.

·         The Mitchell family also developed Indigo Plantation and Marina in Southport.  The marina is the site for Bald Head Island’s mainland ferry depot.

·         The Village of Bald Head Island is a chartered municipality governed by an elected Village council and mayor. A Village Manager and support staff work out of the Village Hall located across from Old Baldy Lighthouse.

PRESERVATION AND HISTORY

·         Of Bald Head Island’s 12,000 acres, 10,000 acres are protected and will remain undeveloped — 2,000 acres are set aside for development.

·         Bordering the island to the north, protected salt marsh and tidal creeks are ideal for fishing, canoeing and kayaking.

·         Bald Head Island boasts a large maritime forest that is among the largest and most prized examples of its kind on the East Coast.  Here, the island is dense with live oaks, dogwoods, sabal palms, cedars, yaupons, wax myrtles and junipers.

·         Bald Head Island is one of the East Coast’s most important nesting grounds for loggerhead turtles.  The Bald Head Island Conservancy is a nonprofit group that monitors loggerhead nesting on the island and works to protect this endangered species.

·         The Cape Fear Light, a second lighthouse for Bald Head Island completed in 1903, was torn down in 1958.  The lighthouse foundation remains and is a popular tourist destination.

·         In close proximity to the Cape Fear Light foundation is Captain Charlie’s’ Station, three homes originally constructed in 1903 to house the Cape Fear Lighthouse keepers and their families.  The three homes have been restored and are now available as rental cottages.

·         Several infamous pirates, such as Stede Bonnet and Edward Teach (commonly known as Blackbeard) used Bald Head Island as a hideout and combat base in the 1700's.

REAL ESTATE

Overview

·         Bald Head Island Limited owns and operates Bald Head Island Limited Real Estate Sales.  The Island Agency, the affiliated resale company, is the oldest, largest and most successful real estate listing agency representing homes and homesites on Bald Head Island and its mainland sister community, Indigo Plantation and Marina in Southport.

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·         Buyers on Bald Head Island come from more than 40 states. 

·         For property owners who wish to build on Bald Head, house plans must be designed by an approved architect and approved by an architectural review committee.  Landscaping must also conform to environmentally sensitive guidelines.

·         Bald Head Island Limited and its affiliated company, The Island Agency, topped $72 million in closed real estate sales in 2006.

·         Island wide, the average price of new and resale homes has increased over the past five years from $562,634 to $891,432 in 2006.

Cape Fear Station

·         Homes and homesites in Cape Fear Station –- a 300-acre traditional neighborhood development on the island’s easternmost tip.  Currently, approximately 120 homes make up Cape Fear Station.

·         Surrounded by nature preserves, Cape Fear Station will feature more than 350 homes framed by tree-lined streets, boardwalks and winding footpaths. 

·         The layout of the community follows many traditional neighborhood development principles, including the use of a Common, a large, park-like space located in the center of the community. The Common serves as a picturesque setting for picnics, games and open-air concerts.

·         Cape Fear Station is named in honor of the Island’s original Cape Fear Station, a United States Lifesaving Station established here in 1882.  The majority of the street names in the neighborhood pay homage to U.S. Lifesaving Service Station along the North Carolina Coast, and the alleys are named for some of the men who served on Bald Head Island.

·         Cape Fear Station homesites range from the $500,000 to more than $2 million and homes from $600,000 to more than $4 million.

Harbour Village

·         Harbour Village is the neighborhood surrounding the Bald Head Island Marina and features numerous homesites within easy reach of such amenities as boat slips, restaurants and the passenger ferry depot.  Harbour Village homesites range from $700,000 to more than $2 million and homes range from $1 million to more than $2 million.

·         The Peninsula offers 18 homesites in Harbour Village framed by the Bald Head Island Marina, the marina entrance channel and the Cape Fear River.

The Hammocks

·         The Hammocks is a co-ownership community in the maritime forest overlooking the golf course and just a few minutes from the beach that makes second home ownership on Bald Head Island convenient and practical.

·         Under the special ownership structure, families enjoy the benefits of a week in each season on the island without the responsibility of maintenance or upkeep. Ownership starts at $150,000.

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The Island Home Center & BHI Construction Company

·         A convenient resource for custom home design and construction, The Island Home Center is a central office for a carefully chosen group of independent builders. Each contractor selected as a Featured Builder has a proven history of building quality homes on the island, as well as a valuable familiarity with the architectural review process and a demonstrated understanding of the building requirements, both aesthetic and structural, unique to Bald Head Island. 

·         BHI Construction Company is the building company affiliated with Bald Head Island Limited that specializes in the construction of single-family, built-for-sale homes on the island, as well as multi-family neighborhood development. BHI Construction is also one of the Featured Builders of the Island Home Center. 

VACATIONS

·         Bald Head Island offers tourists a variety of accommodations, including private home rentals. 

·         Bald Head Island Limited’s rental program features more than 100 homes, cottages and condominiums, available in all island environments.

·         Common amenities for rental homes include one or more electric carts, fully equipped kitchens, washer/dryer, VCR or DVD, steam iron, vacuum, cable TV, linens, etc.

·         Vacationers of Bald Head Island Limited enjoy temporary membership in the Bald Head Island Club, which allows access to a celebrated golf course, croquet greenswards, tennis courts, fitness rooms, pools, dining room and lounge.  In addition, vacationers receive temporary membership to the Shoals Club, an impressive oceanfront pavilion offering a casual restaurant and bar, shower and locker facilities, a fitness room, two swimming pools surrounded by decks, outdoor Sandbar Grille and direct beach access.

·         Bald Head Island Limited offers a variety of vacation packages (please see the Armchair Guide section of Haven for details) and seasonal specials, such as golf packages, holiday packages, couple’s retreat and weekday specials.

·         Bald Head Island Limited’s Property Management Program is managed by Sentry Hospitality, one of the leading hospitality management companies in the industry.

TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES

·         Transportation on Bald Head Island is limited to electric carts, bicycles and foot traffic.  No cars are permitted other than a limited number of service and emergency vehicles.

·         Bald Head Island is accessible only by ferry or private boat.  The Island operates four passenger ferries: the Revenge, the Adventure, the Sans Souci and the Patriot. 

·         Passengers embark on the 20-minute ferry ride to Bald Head at Indigo Plantation and Marina in Southport.  Parking is available at the marina.

·         The ferry leaves for Bald Head every hour on the hour and departs for the return trip every hour on the half hour.  The ferry operates daily from 8 a.m.  Return trips run from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., depending on the day and season.  The Ferries transported nearly 350,000 visitors in 2006.

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·         Electric carts, bikes, kayaks and canoes, are available for rental in Harbour Village.

·         The maximum speed limit for electric carts is 18 miles per hour.

·         BellSouth ran a DSL line under the Cape Fear River to Bald Head Island, providing cable and high-speed Internet access to all homeowners and visitors.

RECREATION AND ACTIVITIES

·         Bald Head Island Limited has a full-time Shoals Club recreation department that coordinates organized activities for children, teenagers and the entire family.  Programs include concerts, scavenger hunts, ice cream socials, sand-sculpting contests, beach Olympics, Kid’s Night Out, fun runs and bike races, and holiday carnivals and activities.

·         The most desirable amenity within Cape Fear Station is the Shoals Club, which is located near Cape Fear Point at the southeast corner of the Island.  Built in the tradition of 19^th century beach clubs, the Shoals Club features a 20,000 square foot cedar-sided clubhouse, expansive decks, pools, fitness room, private parking and umbrella, chair and towel-service for adjacent beaches.

·         Dining at the Shoal Clubs includes a 105-seat second floor dining room featuring new American cuisine, specializing in seafood.  The Sandbar Grille is an open-air venue that serves appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers and soups.

·         Additional outdoors activities of interest on Bald Head Island include crabbing, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, surfing, tennis, running, cycling, nature walks and historic tours.

·         The waters surrounding Bald Head Island offer a variety of options for anglers.  Offshore, visitors can fish for tuna, wahoo, billfish and king mackerel, while inshore fishermen may hook red drum, pompano, bluefish, flounder and speckled trout.

·         Bald Head Island Limited resort guests may enjoy full access to the golf course and other amenities through temporary Bald Head Island Club membership.

·         Bald Head Island Club’s 18-hole, 6,855-yard championship golf course traverses freshwater lagoons, a maritime forest and dunes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

·         Considered to be one of the finest in the Carolinas, the Bald Head Island Club course received a coveted 4.5-star rating from Golf Digest, putting it in the top 20 percent in difficulty.

·         Travel + Leisure recently ranked Bald Head Island in its 100 Top Golf Communities list for two years in a row.

·         The Bald Head Island Club also offers a Pro Shop, driving range, fitness room, swimming pool, four hard-surface tennis courts, croquet greensward and a variety of dining options.

DINING AND SHOPPING

·         There are numerous dining options on the Island; Eb & Flo’s Steambar, a casual, open-air pavilion overlooking the marina that specializes in steamed and fried seafood, burgers and sandwiches; The River Pilot Cafe, a more elegant, indoor dining experience just steps from the Ferry landing; the Bald Head Island Club Dining Room, fine dining for members and guests at the Bald Head Island Club; and the Shoals Club, which offers the Sandbar Grille, an open-air snack and beverage bar as well as fine dining featuring New American cuisine.

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·         Island shops include Island Passage, a retail clothier, gift shop and cart rental facility; offering a more extensive selection of resort wear; the Club Pro Shop, offering a wide variety of golf, tennis and resort wear; Island Hardware, a 5,000-square-foot hardware store with a full range of home improvement, garden and recreational supplies; Dockmaster Convenience Store, a harbourside shop offering marine supplies, fuel and snacks; and the Conservancy Gift Shop on the eastern end of the Island.  Recent additions to Bald Head Island shopping include Maritime, Riverside Adventure, and Canopy Outfitters.

·         Centrally located in the Maritime Forest, the Maritime Market is a full-service grocery store offering a large selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood, as well as beer, a large selection of fine wine, freshly baked breads, canned goods and select gourmet items. The 14,000-square-foot market also offers on-site wine tasting and includes a deli, butcher shop, sandwich counter and freshly baked pizza.

YACHT CLUB

·         The 10-acre harbour of Bald Head Island Marina is homeport to the Bald Head Island Yacht Club, which offers members a full complement of boating amenities.

·         Bald Head Island Club Yacht Club members enjoy access to a bathhouse with restrooms, showers and laundry, and exclusive use of a boat slip, a privilege that can be passed down to future generations.

·         Bald Head Island Club Yacht Club members may also purchase memberships in the Bald Had Island Club and oceanfront Shoals Club.

·         Membership dues cover the cost of water, electricity and pump-out facilities, as well as reserves for dock replacement and dredging.

BOATING AMENITIES

·         The Marina’s dockmaster and staff can assist visitors with small boat and fishing equipment rentals, fishing charters and canoe or kayak excursions

·         Boat slips range from 32 to 100 feet.

·         The Marina offers easy access to the Intracoastal Waterway and ocean access via a deep-water shipping channel with federally maintained navigational aids.

·         The prime fishing grounds of Frying Pan Shoals are 25 miles offshore and the Gulf Stream is within 50 miles.

·         The Marina features a lighted entrance channel, 30, 50 and 100-amp electric hookups and gas and diesel fuel via high-flow pumps.

·         Boat slips are also available at Indigo Plantation Marina, which provides a two-acre, well-protected, ice-free basin.

·         Some boat slips are available with cable TV and Wireless Internet access.

·         Slips are available to rent.

·         The recently established Bald Head Island Sailing Club offers year-round or weeklong access to 20 to 25 foot keel boats and sailing lessons on Optimist Prams, Club 420s or the keel boats.

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GETTING HERE

·         Three airports service the Southport, N.C. area.  Wilmington International Airport is a 45-minute drive north; Myrtle Beach Jetport is 60 miles south.  Both service major carriers.  Brunswick County Airport is five miles from Southport and services small private planes with a 4,000-foot hard surface landing field.

·         Via Highway 17, Southport is 30 miles south of Wilmington, N.C. and 60 miles north of Myrtle Beach, S.C. From points west, Interstate 40 and Highway 74/76 link the region directly with I-95. Entering Southport on Route 211 (Howe Street), turn right onto West 9th Street and continue to the ferry landing.

Additional information can be accessed at the island’s website, www.baldheadisland.com.