Settlement reached in expansion of Hammocks Beach State Park

Published: Monday, June 16, 2014 at 10:00 AM.

A settlement has been reached in a longstanding legal battle that is expected to put nearly 300 acres of undeveloped coastal property to public use as state park land.

As part of the settlement, an appeal before the N.C. Supreme Court has been dismissed, clearing the way for the state to take ownership of the Hammocks property in Swansboro for the expansion of Hammocks Beach State Park.

Carol Tingley, acting director of the state Division of Parks and Recreation, said there are still issues to be resolved regarding the title to the property, but with the settlement the lawsuit ends and the state agrees to pay approximately $10 million for the land.

While there are still additional actions to take and funds to raise, Tingley called the settlement a milestone in efforts to acquire the property.

It will still be a while before it happens but this is a big step and were thrilled to have this opportunity, and were looking forward to incorporating the property into Hammocks Beach State Park for the benefit of the public, she said.

The 289 acres sits along Queens Creek adjacent to Hammocks Beach State Park.

The history of the land dates back to the early 1900s, when Dr. William Sharpe, a neurosurgeon from New York, came to Onslow County and acquired The Hammocks, Bear Island and all the marshlands in between.

Sharpe made John Hurst, the son of a slave, and Hursts wife, Gertrude, caretakers of the hunting and fishing grounds.

A friendship developed between the Sharpe and Hurst families as well as a shared goal of keeping the land in trust for recreational and educational purposes by the N.C. Teachers Association and others. At the time, the organization was an association for black teachers and the property was to be used as a beach resort for its members.

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Settlement reached in expansion of Hammocks Beach State Park