Topsail Beach is a town in Pender County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, Topsail Beach had a population of 461. It is part of the Wilmington, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Local folklore claims the name, Topsail (pronounced Tops’l), originated during the 1700s when pirate ships, including Blackbeard, roamed the coastal waters. Historians explain that marauding pirates hid their ships in the channel behind the island and waited for passing merchant ships loaded with goods. The pirates would pursue and attack the merchants, claiming the cargoes as their own. Eventually, the merchants became aware of this infamous hiding place and began to watch for the tops of the pirates' sails showing over the rolling dunes - hence the name Topsail Island.
Prior to World War II, the only access to Topsail Island was by boat. Area residents frequently made this short trip to picnic and search for the pirate Blackbeard's rumored buried treasure.
During World War II, the U.S. Navy took over the island and began a joint venture with Johns Hopkins University known as Operation Bumblebee. The waterway was dredged, roads were built, and fresh water was piped onto the island. Operation Bumblebee was the beginning of the space program for the United States Government. An arsenal center for the assembly and storage of rockets was built on the sound side of the island, and launching pads were constructed on the oceanfront. Concrete observation towers were built throughout the island to monitor the experimental launchings. Over 200 rocket launchings took place on the island between 1946 and 1948. When the testing program was dismantled, the government sold the island to the public. The Town of Topsail Beach was incorporated in 1963. Many of the original military structures still exist today, and several of the concrete observation towers have since been converted into private residences and places of business.
The Cape Fear Civil War Shipwreck Discontiguous District, US Naval Ordnance Testing Facility Assembly Building, US Naval Ordnance Testing Facility Control Tower, and US Naval Ordnance Testing Facility Observation Tower No. 2 are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Recreation
Missiles and More Museum:
The Missiles and More Museum is housed in the Historical Assembly Building located at 720 Channel Blvd in Topsail Beach. The Museum is home to exhibits such as Pirates of the Carolinas, Operation Bumblebee, Camp Davis, The Towns of Topsail Island, Topsail's Natural Beauty and Fragility, Traces of Native Americans on the Island, and an International Shell Exhibit. On April 4, 2011, the WASP
(Women's Air-force Service Pilots) The exhibit was opened. This exhibit tells the story of the first women trained to fly American military aircraft.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which 4.4 square miles (11.3 km) is land and (25.30%) is water.Topsail Beach is located on the southern portion of Topsail Island, part of North Carolina’s barrier island system. Barrier islands along the Atlantic coast were formed through long-term sediment deposition influenced by ocean currents and tidal patterns. The coastline near Topsail Beach is shaped by wave action, seasonal storms, and periodic erosion.
Like other barrier island communities in North Carolina, the town experiences shoreline changes due to hurricanes and tropical systems. Coastal management efforts, including beach nourishment projects, have been implemented to stabilize portions of the shoreline. These efforts are designed to reduce erosion and protect infrastructure while maintaining the natural character of the coastline.
It is the southernmost town on Topsail Island.
Demographics
2020 census
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Topsail Beach racial composition
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| White (non-Hispanic)
| 444
| 96.31%
|-
!scope="row"| Asian
| 5
| 1.08%
|-
!scope="row"| Other/Mixed
| 4
| 0.87%
|-
!scope="row"| Hispanic or Latino
| 8
| 1.74%
|}
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 461 people, 202 households, and 131 families residing in the town.
2000 census
As of the census