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Southport, NC

The idyllic setting of Southport was almost turned into something much less desirable. Had the city fathers had their druthers, the sleepy little waterfront town would have become the main shipping port in the region. That distinction, instead, went to Wilmington, keeping Southport the small waterfront burg it is known as today.

Largely because the port went down river, Southport is considered by Rand McNally to be one of the best places in the country to retire.

The town was originally named Smithville, for North Carolina Governor Benjamin Smith, who served valiantly under George Washington in the Revolutionary War. City leaders changed the name of the town to Southport in 1887 to make the small port seem more like THE port of the South. Their ploy failed. Southport kept its new name, and remained a small town, barely touched by the heavy shipping traffic that passed on its way to Wilmington.

Today, Southport is the quintessential small Southern town, right down to its five block, tree lined commercial district, home to local businesses, galleries and antique shops.

“Southport is considered by Rand McNally to be one of the best places in the country to retire."

The residents of Southport have made preserving their rich history a priority. The 200 year-old live oaks that line many of the streets are protected by law, as are the faithfully preserved Victorian mansions found throughout town. It is rumored that some of those stately homes might have been owned by some of the pirates who made the area home because of the pirate-friendly local governments in the hay-day of piracy. The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Southport chronicles the exploits of many of those pirates.

Southport’s waterfront location is heaven on earth for anglers, who can cast from one of the many fishing piers in the area, or venture out from one of the many marinas in the area and try their luck in the deep waters of the Atlantic.

Along with the beauty and safety Southport affords its residents, the town is home to J.A. Dosher Memorial Hospital, one of the finest hospitals in the region. The hospital’s reputation draws medical professionals from across the country to practice in the area, providing residents some of the best health care in the Southeast.