Topsail Beach is a town in Pender County,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, United States. The population was 383 at the 2012 census. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Local folklore claims the name, Topsail (pronounced Tops’l), originated during the 1700s when pirate ships, including

Blackbeard Edward Teach (alternatively spelled Edward Thatch, – 22 November 1718), better known as Blackbeard, was an English pirate who operated around the West Indies and the eastern coast of Britain's North American colonies. Little is known abou ...

, roamed the coastal waters. Historians explain that marauding pirates hid their ships in the channel behind the island and waited for passing merchant ships loaded with

goods In economics, goods are items that satisfy human wants and provide utility, for example, to a consumer making a purchase of a satisfying product. A common distinction is made between goods which are transferable, and services, which are not t ...

. The pirates would pursue and attack the merchants, claiming the cargoes as their own. Eventually the merchants became aware of this infamous hiding place and began to watch for the tops of the pirates' sails showing over the rolling dunes - hence the name Topsail Island. Prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the only access to Topsail Island was by boat. Area residents frequently made this short trip to picnic and search for the pirate

's rumored buried treasure. During World War II, the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

took over the island and began a joint venture with

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...

known as

Operation Bumblebee Operation Bumblebee was a US Navy effort to develop surface to air missiles (SAMs) to provide a mid-range layer of anti-aircraft defence, between anti-aircraft guns in the short range and fighter aircraft operating at long range. A major reason f ...

. The waterway was dredged, roads were built, and fresh water was piped onto the island. Operation Bumblebee was the beginning of the space program for the

United States Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...

. An arsenal center for the assembly and storage of rockets was built on the sound side of the island, and launching pads were constructed on the oceanfront. Concrete observation towers were built throughout the island to monitor the experimental launchings. Over 200 rocket launchings took place on the island between 1946 and 1948. When the testing program was dismantled, the government sold the island to the public. The Town of Topsail Beach was incorporated in 1963. Many of the original military structures still exist today, and several of the concrete observation towers have since been converted into private residences and places of business. The

Cape Fear Civil War Shipwreck Discontiguous District The Cape Fear Civil War Shipwreck Discontiguous District is a historic district (United States), historic district encompassing a collection of shipwrecks in the Cape Fear (headland), Cape Fear area of southeastern North Carolina. The district i ...

, US Naval Ordnance Testing Facility Assembly Building, US Naval Ordnance Testing Facility Control Tower, and US Naval Ordnance Testing Facility Observation Tower No. 2 are listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

Recreation

Missiles and More Museum: The Missiles and More Museum is housed in the Historical Assembly Building located at 720 Channel Blvd in Topsail Beach. The Museum is home to exhibits such as Pirates of the Carolinas, Operation Bumblebee, Camp Davis, The Towns of Topsail Island, Topsail's Natural Beauty and Fragility, Traces of Native Americans on the Island and an International Shell Exhibit. Opened on April 4, 2011 the WASP (Women's Air-force Service Pilots) exhibit was opened. This exhibit tells the story of the first women trained to fly American military aircraft.

Geography

Topsail Beach is located at (34.370399, -77.625756). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the town has a total area of , of which 4.4 square miles (11.3 km) is land and (25.30%) is water. It is the southernmost town on

Topsail Island Topsail Island (, TOP-sill) is a 26-mile (41.8 km) long barrier island off the coast of North Carolina, roughly equidistant between the barrier islands of the Crystal Coast and the beaches of the Cape Fear region, lying south of Jacksonvil ...

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, there were 461 people, 202 households, and 131 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2000, there were 471 people, 252 households, and 159 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was 107.7 people per square mile (41.6/km). There were 1,149 housing units at an average density of 262.8 per square mile (101.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 99.36%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.21% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.42% of the population. There were 252 households, out of which 9.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 2.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.87 and the average family size was 2.26. In the town, the population was spread out, with 7.0% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 17.6% from 25 to 44, 44.2% from 45 to 64, and 26.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.8 males. The average income for a household in the town is $55,750, and the median income for a family was $64,167. Males had a median income of $45,313 versus $25,139 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $35,838. About 0.8% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Official website of Topsail Beach, NC

Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism

Topsail Area Insider Info

{{authority control Towns in Pender County, North Carolina Towns in North Carolina Beaches of North Carolina Cape Fear (region) Landforms of Pender County, North Carolina Populated coastal places in North Carolina