Atlantic Beach, North Carolina: The City

Atlantic Beach has long been destined as a vacation hotspot. Its story began in the 1870s when Appleton Oaksmith envisioned a seaside resort along east Bogue Banks. After a tragic accident claimed the lives of his daughters, Oaksmith abandoned the project, leaving John J. Royal of Morehead City and Winfield S. Chadwick of Beaufort to take over. In 1887, they built the first bathing pavilion in what is now Club Colony, sparking immediate success. Over the years, the area evolved with new developments, including Royal’s grand pavilion near today’s Sportsman’s Pier and various beach communities under names like Money Island Beach and Asbury Beach, the latter being a segregated area for Black visitors during the 1920s. By 1926, plans for a new bridge and resort paved the way for modern Atlantic Beach, officially established in 1928. Accessible by car and brimming with coastal charm, it quickly became a favorite getaway—and remains so to this day.