History with ‘Hud’: How Figure Eight Island grew into an exclusive beachside neighborhood
FIGURE EIGHT ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — One of the Cape Fear’s most exclusive communities lies on an island which didn’t begin to see permanent development until the second half of the 20th century.
Figure Eight Island’s earliest records trace back to 1762 when a tract of land was granted by King George III to James Moore Jr. It was later passed on to Cornelius Harnett in 1775 and became known as ‘The Banks’. It changed hands and names again towards the end of that century, being purchased at auction by James Foy and becoming part of the Poplar Grove Plantation under the name ‘Foy Island’.
The island saw military action during the Civil War when the Confederate Steamer ‘Phantom’ ran aground while being pursued by the USS Connecticut. In the decades to follow the island remained mostly quiet until an illegal whiskey still began being operated by a local fisherman, Rod Rogers, on the north end in the 1930s. He was eventually ran off when the US Coast Guard placed a structure and small water tower on the island during World War Two, patrolling the region on horseback.
But Hurricane Hazel would forever change the coastline in the 1950s, when it roared ashore as a powerful category 4 hurricane in October of 1954. The beaches along the Cape Fear coast were devastated, making the properties no longer in high demand. Wilmington mayor at the time, Dan Cameron, and his brother, Bruce Cameron, seized the opportunity and bought the island for $50,000 along with two adjoining marshlands for an additional $25,000 each in 1955. Although they now owned the property, the island remained dormant for the next decade.
By the late 1960s ‘The Island Development Company’ led by the Cameron brothers began developing the island, giving it the lasting name ‘Figure Eight’ due to the winding pattern of nearby Rich’s Inlet Creek. A bridge was soon built on top of a government surplus landing ship tank to allow easier access to the land.
Initial plots sold for as little as $5,000 each, with the first house taking shape by 1966. The local marina club opened in August of 1973, adopting the title ‘Figure Eight Yacht Club’ in 1976.
By the turn of the new decade a more permanent bridge was purchased and remains in the same spot, with a gate guarding access to the five-mile island only accessible to island residents and their guests.
Another impactful hurricane struck in 1996, when Fran damaged many island properties. It took a week for all the floodwater to be pumped from low-lying areas, with the yacht club closed for several months.
But the island’s popularity only grew from there, with more than 450 homes on the island today, coining the nickname ‘Hamptons of the South’. There is no commercial development of any kind along the 1300-acre land tract.
That’s attracted many famous visitors, including stars Dustin Hoffman, Alec Baldwin and Robert Downey Jr. to spend time there while in Wilmington filming movies. Politicians John Edwards and Al Gore have also vacationed there.
Many homes have recently been replaced or extensively renovated, making them worth more than $2 million in most cases. While the price range is out of reach for many, the island is just a bridge away from the hustle and bustle of the Cape Fear.
Meteorologist Matthew Huddleston (‘Hud’) has always had two major loves – weather and history. While you can watch him talk about weather each morning on WWAY, he looks forward to bringing you a little piece of history each Thursday on WWAY’s website.
To read other History with ‘Hud’ segments, click HERE.
