The resort that is now Atlantic Beach, North Carolina was first visualized in the 1870’s by Appleton Oaksmith who wanted to build a resort on eastern Bogue Banks. He first chose Fort Macon, but was unsuccessful. He then turned his attention to the area which now comprises all of Atlantic Beach and a portion of eastern Pine Knoll Shores. Oaksmith was not to achieve his dream, for on July 4, 1879 he lost four of his daughters in a tragic accident and lost the will to fulfill his dream.
It remained for John J. Royal of Morehead City and Winfield S. Chadwick of Beaufort to begin the construction of Oaksmith’s vision. In 1887 they built the first bathing pavilion on Bogue Banks in the location of present day Club Colony. They had a ready-made clientele unavailable to Oaksmith: the patrons of the new Atlantic Hotel across Bogue Sound in Morehead City. Many of its guests desired to bathe in the ocean surf, but there was no bathing pavilion. So, Royal and Chadwick provided one, and the resort of Atlantic Beach was begun. Patrons of the Hotel flocked to the newly accessible beach in droves, and a brisk ferry trade to the Banks ensued.
In 1898 Royal and Chadwick split their holdings. Royal then built his own bath house on a much grander scale in the location of the late, lamented Sportsman’s Pier. This was the beginning of the development that became known eventually as Money Island Beach.
In 1926 a group of Morehead City and Beaufort investors formed two corporations, one to buy and develop a new resort on Bogue Banks and the other to build a modern bridge across Bogue Sound to this new development. By the summer of 1928 both goals had been achieved and the new “Atlantic Beach” opened for business. This new resort was located west of the Royal bath house in an area that became known as the “Circle”. The Circle was more a triangle with the legs being present day East and West Drives. Initially it contained two bathhouses, one for men and the other for women, separated by a large ballroom style dance hall called the Pavilion. All structures were oriental in design, and the complex was referred to as Pagoda. Because the new bridge provided easy access from the mainland by car, this new ‘Atlantic Beach’ prospered, quite nicely, until fire and the Great Depression intervened.
A few years later, construction was begun on the Atlantic Beach Hotel, the first hotel on Bogue Banks. It was located on the western base of the Circle on the site of the present day Crab’s Claw restaurant. About the same time, in the middle 1930’s, the land adjacent to the “circle” was platted with lots and streets were built out to the east and west of the “Circle”. The streets running east and west were called Boulevards and named for local geographical features, and those running north and south were called Avenues and named in honor of towns and cities in North Carolina. Lots were sold, and in 1932 the first cottage in the new “Atlantic Beach” was built. Cottages were also built in Money Island Beach and Newman Willis, became the town’s first mayor.
After World War II, J. C. Sherrill owned and operated Anchor Green Enterprises, an amusement park better known as “The Circle” in Atlantic Beach, NC along with his father. From its start in 1957 to early 1980’s, the park had a miniature carpet golf course and bumper cars on the west leg of the triangle. The east side had rides like the merry-go-round, tilt-a-whirl, the Ferris wheel, the Scrambler, the Paratrooper, and the Squirrel cages along with food concessions like cotton candy, popcorn, peanuts, and candy apples. No alcohol was served. It was a different time then- the beach was open for all and was a place for families to bring the children during the summer, and in the words of J.C. Sherrill the 3rd, “you felt safe and everyone was decent, polite and seemed to look out for each other, a place where you “dressed up” to go, and the town provided both free parking and lifeguards.” By the time the Oceanana Fishing Pier and Resort was constructed in 1959, Atlantic Beach was rapidly forming a reputation as a fantastic beach resort destination.
Since the 1980’s, Atlantic Beach has had its challenges. The ocean piers are gone as is The Circle. The Town has multiple oceanfront lots it would like to see developed. The town struggles with a very high percentage of second-home owners. And, for the last thirty years, officials have been kicking the can known as the Circle Revitalization Plan. The current mayor, Trace Cooper, is pushing the renovation of the Town’s boardwalk at the public beach access at the Circle District, the property due south of the Atlantic Beach Causeway and Fort Macon Road intersection. He wants the boardwalk renovation to be “more than just a few new boards. Indeed, the mayor believes the whole idea of the circle project has finally kicked in. He plans to hold a design competition to take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to redesign the heart of Atlantic Beach. Redevelopment challenges notwithstanding,
Today, the town remains fairly small at just 2.4 square miles in area, with a year-round population of 1,800 or so. Because Atlantic Beach is arguably the easiest beach town to get to from the mainland, via a long bridge that stretches across the Bogue Sound and connects the barrier island with neighboring Morehead City, it is a popular destination for local and visiting day-trippers alike. It remains a perfect little representation of the North Carolina beach scene, with loads of amenities, entertainment, and of course, those famous Bogue Banks beaches. I recommend eating some lovely flounder or peel and eat shrimp at the Crab’s Claw while overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. And, if you like beer, try a craft beer at the Growler.
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