The western half of Bogue Banks was developed by George Spell and Bill McLain from Red Springs, North Carolina and J. A. Singleton from Fayetteville, North Carolina. They purchased the area west of Salter Path in 1953 and developed it beginning in 1957, renaming it “Emerald Isle.” Until the high-rise bridge from Cedar Point across to the western tip of Bogue Banks was built in 1971, this end of the island was accessed either by a ferry from Swansboro or by a long drive from the Morehead City bridge. Emerald Isle contains thousands of summer cottages built from the late 1950s to the present. The earliest houses, at 114 and 201 Emerald Drive, 105 Ocean Drive, 1902 Ocean Drive, and 5601 Ocean Drive were built from about 1959 to 1962 as spec houses or as custom houses by owners. These are one-story frame houses with knotty pine-sheathed interiors set on raised concrete-block basements that resemble the 1930s-1950s cottages built in Atlantic Beach. Emerald Isle does not contain any significant concentration of historic buildings, mainly because those homes of an historic nature have undergone unsympathetic changes and additions over the years.
Today, as you explore Emerald Isle, most houses are elevated, in response to being located in flood zones. The foundations for these home designs typically utilize pilings, piers, stilts or CMU block walls to raise the home off grade. Many lots in coastal areas such as Emerald Isle are assigned base flood elevation certificates which dictate how high off the ground the first living level of a home must be built. The height is determined by flood maps created by FEMA and enforced by local building codes. Beyond flood protection, elevated house plan designs offer usable space underneath the home for parking and storage.
In response to these challenges, homes in Emerald Isle are quite eclectic. You can find single family homes, duplexes, low-country cottages, condominiums and manufactured homes, in addition to the single story frame houses of the 1960's. All this varied architecture makes it likely that there is a home for sale in EI that is right for you. Reach out to me by calling or texting 919-308-2292 or send me an email: Denis.ShorewoodRealEstate@gmail.com!
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