Swansboro

History

Swansboro started as a settlement around the plantation of Theophilus Weeks. In 1783, Swansboro was incorporated as a town, taking its name from Samuel Swann, a Speaker in the North Carolina House of Commons and a resident of Onslow County. In 1818, Otway Burns built the Prometheus, the first river steamboat constructed in North Carolina. The town, originally spelled Swannsborough, is sometimes called "The Friendly City by the Sea". M.N. Lisk, a popular Swansboro mayor, initiated the annual Mullet Festival, one of the first coastal seafood festivals in North Carolina. The town is featured as the setting of Nicholas Sparks' novel The Guardian. The Swansboro Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. In 2018, Swansboro was among the hardest hit cities by Hurricane Florence. A record 30.58 inches (77 cm) of rain fell at Swansboro, North Carolina, breaking the previous state record of 24.06 inches (61 cm).

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (8.96%) is water.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Swansboro High
  High · Swansboro · 1,115 students · 18:1 ratio
• Swansboro Middle
  Middle · Swansboro · 967 students · 17.9:1 ratio
• Queens Creek Elementary
  Elementary · Swansboro · 751 students · 15.6:1 ratio
• Swansboro Elementary
  Elementary · Swansboro · 668 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• Silverdale Elementary
  Elementary · Maysville · 611 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• Sand Ridge Elementary
  Elementary · Hubert · 581 students · 15.3:1 ratio