Bald Head Creek Boathouse
Why it's listed
Standing in the salt marshes of Bald Head Creek on Smith Island, at the mouth of the Cape Fear River, this small wooden boathouse dates to about 1915. The United States Lighthouse Service is believed to have built it as a landing and transfer point for supplies headed to the east end of the island, roughly a mile and a half away. It is a plain, single-craft, gable-roofed frame building on wooden pilings, with a west-facing boat entrance wide enough for masted sloops. Original boat lifting machinery remains inside. The creek has since shifted south, leaving the building slightly north of the water. The boathouse served the Cape Fear Lighthouse keepers' families and the nearby Coast Guard station, and it survived the lighthouse's demolition in 1958. It is listed for its link to the maritime history of the Cape Fear region and as a rare reminder of the island's early twentieth-century outpost life. Weather has caused deterioration, and repairs are planned.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an extremely rare early twentieth-century structure tied to the maritime history of the Cape Fear region. It served as a landing and transfer point for supplies and people bound for the Cape Fear Lighthouse keepers' cottages and the Coast Guard station. It also recalls the isolated life of lighthouse keepers and lifesavers on the island.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 97001496, listed December 1, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Smith Island, mouth of Cape Fear R, Smith Island |
|---|---|
| County | Brunswick County |
| Listed | December 1, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97001496 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1915-1937 |
| Architect / builder | U.S. Lighthouse Service |
| Architectural style | OTHER: frame boathouse |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Maritime History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed function is vacant/not in use. The owner, a development company, plans to shore up the deteriorated structure by replacing beams, pilings and the cedar shingle roof. It is not open to the public. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 33.86150, -77.98612 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 97001496.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17985720
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.