Jeremiah Runyon’s Weblog

Recently I spent a week of fun in the sun and and on the crystal coast of Emerald Isle. Located at the southern Outer Banks, Emerald Isle is a gorgeous, uncrowded beach that truly is a hidden gem on the east coast shoreline.

History tells us that Bogue Banks(Emerald Isle is part of this) was originally home to nomadic Native Americans until 15 families, mostly whalers, came here to settle in 1893 on the small section of the island that is now Emerald Isle. In the 1920’s, a Philadelphian named Henry K. Fort bought the land that now makes up most of Emerald Isle with the idea of developing a large ocean resort. Mr. Fort eventually abandoned his ocean resort project and when he died the land that became Emerald Isle became the property of his daughter, Anita Fort Maulick, until she sold it in the 1950’s to a developer from Red Springs, North Carolina, W.B. McLean.

At the time of the purchase by Mr. McLean the oyster-shell roads ended at Salter Path. Tradition has it the road that later became Emerald Drive was originally built in a serpentine path to spare the old live oak trees that covered the island. “Emerald Isle By the Sea” grew slowly westward as roads were pushed and paved through the sand. The developers divided the island in fifty-four 1,100 ft blocks plus a little extra land left over for commercial development. The road building slowly continued its way westward until it reached the end of the island known as “The Point” where the inlet connects the Atlantic Ocean to Bogue Sound.

The state of North Carolina commenced a free public ferry service from the mainland to Emerald Isle in 1962 and many local residents and long time vacationers still remember waiting in line for hours for the brief glorious ferry rides on the Emmett Winslow, Sandy Graham and the Governor Cherry. The traffic grew to such numbers that a bridge from the mainland to Emerald Isle was commissioned and built in 1971. Since that time growth on Emerald Isle has exploded!

Today, Emerald Isle is thriving and growing with a permanent population of 3,200, as well as a seasonal population of 16,000 during peak tourist season. New businesses and new homes continue to spring up along the town’s beautifully landscaped greenways and neighborhoods. Its property appreciation values have made Emerald Isle one of the best resorts or second home investments in the United States and the community is often ranked with other major resort communities in terms of resort or second home investment and property value appreciation. The town’s tax base is now over $1.3 billion and current ad-valorem tax rate per $100 valuation is one of the lowest tax rates in North Carolina and the USA.

Emerald Isle residents and visitors today still enjoy a relaxed ocean atmosphere with enough to do to keep from being bored on rainy days, but not so much that you get the carnival feel that exists in many larger ocean resort areas. The sandy white beaches remain unspoiled and unpopulated! And the warm, gentle ocean waters remain unpolluted!

Take a look at some of my photographs from the week!