The causeway road on Eagles Island leading west from the ferry to Wilmington. Photo courtesy of the New Hanover County Public Library.
Q. Why is the immediate property around the Battleship North Carolina in New Hanover County when all other property on the west side of the Cape Fear River is in Brunswick County?
A. When Brunswick County was carved out of New Hanover and Bladen counties in 1764, the piece of land where the Battleship North Carolina is currently located was preserved for New Hanover County.
Presumably, the land was used for industrial purposes during that time and was considered an extension of downtown Wilmington. What can be verified is that in 1764, a ferry ran from the foot of Market Street across the river.
Eagles Island, which the land is called, was the home of sawmills, turpentine distilleries and other similar ventures.
In the 1800s, Eagles Island functioned as a mill and shipyard.
RELATED LINKS:
Why do they have a battleship parked across from downtown?
Date posted: October 2, 2012
User-contributed question by:
Paul Blankinship
The Brunswick County line use to be furthur south and was moved by politics on arrival of to Battleship.