Town of Sunset Beach

Government AdministrationNorth Carolina, United States11-50 Employees

The Town began in 1955 a year after Hurricane Hazel struck the surrounding area but left what was then called Bald Beach, the southernmost island in North Carolina, unscathed. The smallest of the South Brunswick Islands, Mannon C. Gore purchased Bald Beach from the Brooks family, who dated its ownership back to the 1700's. Gore was impressed by the beautiful sunsets and renamed the island Sunset Beach.  Shortly thereafter, Mr. Gore purchased 500 acres of mainland property along the Intracoastal Waterway from International Paper Company and began making his vision a reality.

In 1963 the North Carolina General Assembly ratified an Act to Incorporate the Town of Sunset Beach and established the governing body as a Mayor and five (5) Commissioners.  The Mayor had no vote and served primarily as the Town signatory. The Commissioners established the rules, regulations and policies.  The Town boundaries were established as the island, the strip from Park Street to the bridge along the Intracoastal Waterway, plus Twin Lakes and Blaines Landing to Bonaparte’s Landing. The town’s boundaries remained this way until 1990.  Throughout the years since incorporation, the Town leaders have confined commercial areas to specific parts of the Town to maintain the family type atmosphere for those who live in Sunset Beach permanently and for those who make Sunset Beach their vacation destination. Sunset Beach’s population is very different from the original thirty residents in 1963 to more than 3,400 permanent residents in 2010.

From 1990 through today, the Town of Sunset Beach has grown in size with the addition of almost all of Sea Trail Plantation including the three golf courses, Sugar Sands, The Village at Sunset, and the Sandpiper Bay, Wyndfall and Cape Side communities including the Sandpiper Bay Golf Course.

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