Topsail Towers

Billy Barnes visits post World War II rocket research towers on Topsail Island.
First broadcast, February 2009. Produced by UNC-TV and Our State Magazine, with generous funding from BB&T. For more information visit www.unctv.org/o...

[@Chron-sl4nd]

I'm female, I use my cousin's photo here but I'm from Camp Lejeune/Topsail. That very WW2 Tower was our beach house 60's through 80's. It haf an add-on with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen that was destroyed in Hurricane Floyd. Us girls slept 2 to a level on cots in the tower. No screens or windows, we taped up screens and covered in misquito spray to sleep and there was no staying in the winter because of the cold unless you boarded off the tower from the add on. Our main house was in Jacksonville. Both of my parents were USMC. The name our place was "The Spyglass". My brother painter a 6 foot by 6 ft of it that hung in our main house. A friend of the family, that never stayed in it got it after my mom died. Beautiful memories of that once uncrowded island. 100 people year round a maybe 60 dwellings.

[@caseface5494]

My family has been going to Topsail since my mom was a little girl. My aunt has a place there now. My grandmother tells the story of how we ended up at Topsail, and it includes these towers. I don't know if her version is necessarily 100% true, but I certainly believe it. When my mom was very young, in the mid to late 60's, my grandpa was a fireman. As my grandma tells it, the island was barely populated, and they would take shifts at at least one of those towers. They'd drive the maybe 2 hours to the beach, and my grandpa would stay there with one or two other firemen, while the family stayed nearby. I've always found them fascinating, but I never knew their original purpose. I do believe, though, that at least one of them at one point and time was used to house firemen. Great video!!

[@Chron-sl4nd]

My parents arrived just after the military pulled out in 49,before I was born. They were two of the Island founders called the Topsail Ten. The Hill's, Liset's, Paliotti's, Silvaggi's and Spikes's. For all the dissection about Yankees, all were war heros of several wars, my mother also served and all Yankees. Their tracks still remain ❤️

[@MWPhotography-p7p]

thanks for this video!

[@NCWildHeART]

My family had and still does a small cottage here in the 50s. It’s been interesting to see as humans evolve needing larger and more stuff and things. I wish the homes were less and smaller like they used to be. But in this world there is greed and they can rent out the stacks I reckon. I remember there was one grocer and the gas station. And the swing bridge. I worry about it our island. I hope the people fight for sunset beach. I hope we put a cap on building eventually. I pray for the animals and all the wildlife too

[@kennypearce664]

Topsail is a second home to my family .

[@SMOOOTH56]

great history! thanks!!!

[@johnharvey4938]

Incredible young man. What troubles me is that once they reached the shore, no one reached out to him to give thanks or to see if he was okay. Hopefully this occurred after the camera was turned off..

[@C8Z51Scott]

Great video!!

[@NCWildHeART]

12 years ago. I was wondering about “uncrowded”

[@yogipaliotti2847]

There were Two Towers that were Razed both at the North End.