The Mayor, Anthony Clemmons announced the grant at the May monthly town commissioners meeting.

The park site selected is a vacant 1-acre lot, owned by the town located across from the Calabash Town Hall at the corner of Persimmon Road and Traders Lane.
The grant money was secured with the help of the Cape Fear Council Governments in Wilmington and Calabash town administrator Marzy Marziano, Clemmons said.

Mayor Clemmons stated that there are still a couple of steps left to go – a contract will be sent to the Town, the board will need to review it, send it back and then “we’ll be on our way to building the park next door.”

Detailed park drawings were on display at the meeting created by local developer Scott Stewart in conjunction with his architects.

Clemmons said “Scott saved us a couple thousand or more, and he will continue to support us in our efforts” .

Town commissioner Forrest King proposed the possibility of donating proceeds from a car show toward funding.

Clemmons said the town would be instituting a program involving presentation of the park diagram and requests for support.

Water Aerobics – Yoga – Water Zumba – Surf Lessons By Jeff

(Surf Lessons are not affiliated with The Winds or Parks & Rec. )

Classes are open to the public but guests of The Winds can participate at either greatly reduced fees or for free!

For Information on the Programs, Schedules and Fees PLEASE CLICK HERE!

I recently took an afternoon off and revisited this incredible place – I hadn’t been there in years and forgot what I was missing.

First of all the location alone is amazing – wooden walkways wind amongst ruins of the pre-Revolutionary town which lie side by side with the remains of a Civil War era Confederate fortification originally called Fort St. Philip’s (later renamed Fort Anderson).

All of this is located along a virtually undeveloped area along the Cape Fear River offering some of the most beautiful views of the river seen through ancient live Oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. A great place to spend the day and have a picnic on the grounds.

I don’t know if there is anywhere where more history is packed into such a small area!
The town of Brunswick was settled by merchants coming from Barbados by way of Goose Creek SC in 1726 by Maurice Moore (who’s descendants later built Orton Plantation next to the town).

The port became a bustling shipping area for exporting tar, pitch, and turpentine. These products, derived from the resin of the longleaf pine, were known collectively as naval stores. This “sticky gold” was essential for building and maintaining the great wooden sailing ships of the Royal Navy and the merchant fleet that sailed the oceans between Europe, its American colonies, and the islands of the Caribbean.

In 1748 the town was attacked by Spanish invaders who were eventually driven off by 80 brave men many of which were African slaves.

In 1765 (eight years before the Boston Tea Party!) the residents challenged the Crown’s authority to distribute hated tax stamps halting the collection of the tax along the Cape Fear.

Brunswick was the seat of two Royal Governors until Brunswick’s decline which resulted from several factors, including the growth of Wilmington and the relocation of the royal governor to New Bern in 1770.

Few people remained in Brunswick in the spring of 1776 when British redcoats were put ashore from the Royal Navy ship Cruizer. Some reports indicate that much of the town was burned during this raid. By the end of the Revolutionary War families and merchants had moved to other locations, and the ruins and land became part of Orton Plantation in 1842. After being was razed by British troops in 1776 Brunswick was never rebuilt.

Painting Courtesy of Miller Pope from his book: "Tales of the Silver Coast".

Then, during the Civil War, Ft. Anderson was constructed atop the old village site. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort. This serene riverside setting, colonial and Civil War history, and colorful exhibits will be long remembered by visitors.

In 1861 the Confederate States of America decided to build a large fort at the site as part of the river defense of Wilmington. The Cape Fear was an essential route for supplies moving by rail from Wilmington to Petersburg and Richmond for General Lee’s army.

The Confederate army used manual labor to construct the large sand fortification originally called Fort St. Philip’s. There were two batteries, each with five cannons overlooking the shipping channel and providing protection to blockade runners.

In February 1865, following the fall of Fort Fisher at the mouth of the river, Union forces repositioned to attack Fort Anderson. Federals attacked from the land and river. After three days of fighting, the Confederates evacuated the fort at night. Union gunboats started firing at first light, unaware Federal soldiers were breaching the walls of the fort. The infantry frantically waved sheets and blankets to stop the deadly fire from their own forces. There was a one-day fight north of the site at Town Creek before the Federals occupied Wilmington on George Washington’s birthday, February 22, 1865.

The Site Today

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, archaeologists uncovered foundations from Brunswick’s earliest days.

The most visible structure is the hulk of St. Philip’s Anglican Church with its surviving walls dating back to 1754.

Another interesting foundation is Russellborough, an old sea captain’s house that was used by royal governors Tryon and Dobbs.

The visitor center houses several displays that cover the time periods of both the old town and the fort.

In the lobby is a colorful mural created by Claude Howell and Catherine Hendricksen depicting a scene from a Spanish attack on the town in 1748.

Also the original large color painting of the Confederate soldiers shown above by Miller Pope (founder/owner of The Winds Resort Beach Club!). This painting is from his book Tales of the Silver Coast – A Secret History of NC’s Brunswick County.

All of Miller Pope’s books are available at his website http://MillerPope.com

A cannon on display was recovered from the river in 1986 and is believed to be from the Spanish ship Fortuna, which blew up in the river as the townspeople regained control of the port.

The remains of homes, businesses, and other buildings bear witness to the story of Brunswick. Along with artifacts from the Civil War and the imposing mounds of Fort Anderson, this site offers a unique look at two fascinating periods of American history.

“For there are deeds that should not pass away,
And names that must not wither.”
- plaque in St. Philip’s Church

Brunswick Town? 8884 St. Philip’s Rd. SE?, Winnabow, NC 28479? Phone: (910) 371-6613? Email: brunswick@ncdcr.gov
Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Confessions of a Madman

A life lived through the years of the greatest change in human history, a tale of the Camelot period among the canyons of Madison Ave. and the publishing world in New York and Boston through the eyes of an illustrator.

A story that spans eighty years beginning in the Appalachian hills of Tennessee and evolving into the fast-paced world of art and advertising on Madison Avenue. Follow along and experience life in the upper strata of New York City society during the days when the Martini lunch ruled.

“From Madison Avenue to Island Sands” is one of those rare, thoroughly entertaining autobiographies that works because, unlike many autobiographies, it isn’t about a celebrity or a politician, but about a regular guy who has lived life to the fullest and then some.

In some respects, it’s a tale of two islands: Manhattan and a little place off the coast of North Carolina called Ocean Isle.” Lynn Jessup – The Wilmington Star News

Tales of the Silver Coast

A Secret History Of Brunswick County – From the earliest days of European exploration to the golf courses and beach resorts in this fascinating and fast-growing region, Brunswick County has attracted settlers, invaders, and visitors of all descriptions.

“Miller has done an exceptional job keeping the tone light while still being informative. Each story is only two to three pages long, with illustrations liberally spread throughout, making it perfect for children. Young and old will love the story of the Barefoot Felon, where a captain uses a simple trick to save his ship from pirates.”

- Brunswick Alive! Magazine

Miller Pope’s Book Of Pirates

From Captain Kidd to Blackbeard to the pirates of the orient . . . From bloody battles to walking the plank- from blunderbusses to cutlasses, With nearly 150 original illustrations, this volume is sure to please and inform pirate fans of all ages.

• Race for Riches: a history of the origins of piracy
• Greed and Gold: a pirate’s life aboard ship and in battle
• Tools of the Trade: weapons, vessels, and pirate culture
• Rogues and Raiders: profiles of pirates through history
• Other Pirates, Other Times: the past and future of piracy
• A Roster of Infamy: a list of pirates and their vessels

“The illustrations are incredible, from the actual pirates to their ships, battles, maps, tools of the trade and treasures. For every generations’ fascination with pirates and the exotic and exciting life they supposedly led, this book will satisfy that hunger for the actual and imagined part of pirate lore.
Miller Pope is as exceptional a writer as he is an illustrator, writing with the visual in mind, always crafting his words from an illustrators’ perspective and then backing that image up with the very picture the words so masterfully created.”

- Island Living Magazine

Drawing BC-Before Computers

This hot off the press book describes and illustrates the techniques of illustration during the mid-century days before the reign of color television and computers when great short story magazines ruled.

In these pages artists may find inspiration and those who remember the simpler times of the decades following the second World War will find nostalgia for a bygone time.

Younger people who were born into the world of color television and computers may discover in these pages a glimpse into the past.

Drawing techniques of Illustration’s Golden Age. Miller Pope relates the techniques and mediums used by some of the finest illustrators before the rise of computers in the world of publishing.

“Before moving to Ocean Isle Beach, Miller Pope (”Tales of the Silver Coast,” “Miller Pope’s Book of Pirates”) was a top illustrator in New York publishing, working for advertising agencies in the “Mad Men” era and creating artwork for The Saturday Evening Post, Reader’s Digest and other publications, as well as a number of textbooks.

He recalls those days in “Drawing B.C.” as in Before Computers (Island Press, $16.95 paperback). Pope demonstrates techniques that he and other commercial artists used in predigital days to get eye catching effects that conveyed the message. (Helpful hint: “Less is More.”).

Younger artists can learn a trick or two; the rest of us will be transported into a color-filled retro-world.”

- Ben Steelman The Wilmington Star News, Wilmington, NC

Buy them at MillerPope.com

Books by local Author, Illustrator – Miller Pope! Buy them at MillerPope.com