TBT: Over the Moon for the Carolina Beach Boardwalk

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY) — It’s Throwback Thursday again! This week we’re going back in time with the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. For almost 100 years the boardwalk has been a place for locals and visitors alike to get away and relax.

In 1925 the town of Carolina Beach was incorporated. By 1930 there were less that 100 year-round residents in the town. According to Jan Davidson, the historian with the Cape Fear Museum, research shows that many of the occupations in the area were centered around tourism. Things like grocers, confectionery merchants, restaurant workers, and dredge boat workers.

Although the Great Depression made times difficult throughout the 1930’s, Davidson said that during that time more Americans had access to paid vacations. That made locales like Carolina Beach vacation destinations. This led to the growth of the beach community.

The architecture of Carolina Beach has changed a lot over the years, partly because it has been rebuilt twice. In September of 1940 a large fire destroyed boardwalk landmarks, including the dancing pavilion, which was never rebuilt. The in 1954, Hurricane Hazel caused another bout of damage.

According to Davidson, a 1949 promotional brochure claimed Carolina Beach was “A real resort community. The best place to spend your vacation or a pleasant week-end. There’s ample housing in hotels, inns, guest houses, apartments and cottages. A superior beach with clean, smooth sand to entice you to the finest of surf bathing and invites sun tanning. A perfect fisherman’s dream-surf-casting, deep-sea fishing from boats leaving the strand at frequent intervals, and one of the longest and newest piers in the entire area are here waiting for you. The brilliantly lit midway, resplendent with its hobby horses, ferris wheels, other amusement rides, interesting shops and holiday atmosphere, furnish a universal appeal. Restaurants specializing in seafood and other meals take care of vacation appetites. A modern theater shows up-to-the-minute pictures. There’s always something interesting to do!”

According to the 1949 business listings in the brochure, there were apartments, bathhouses, motels, bingo, bars, shooting galleries, and a beauty shop. You could go deep sea fishing with Carl Winner and get a Doughnut at Britt’s. There were a number of places to get fishing tackle, a couple of pool rooms (including one in the Bame Hotel), and dozens of restaurants along the boardwalk.

Special thanks to the Cape Fear Museum for providing the historic photographs of the boardwalk.