'Rocky' and roll: Behind the name of this Pender community

Cheryl M. Whitaker, Wilmington StarNews
·1 min read

It's not Hampstead, but this unincorporated Pender County community just off Interstate 40 is seeing its own share of growth.

But how did this area of Pender County get its name?

Rocky Point is part of the Wilmington Metreopolitan Statistical Area and is located between N.C. 210, N.C. 133 and U.S. 117.

According to the Pender County Tourism Office, Rocky Point was known for its fertile soil since the Revolutionary War days. Its name is related to the Cape Fear River when the channels were deepened. The rock filling the new inlet beneath Wilmington came from the Rocky Point part of the Northeast Cape Fear River. After being completed in 1875, it was called "The Rocks."

Traffic travels through the U.S. 117/N.C. 210 intersections in the small community of Rocky Point
Traffic travels through the U.S. 117/N.C. 210 intersections in the small community of Rocky Point

Rocky Point has seen tremendous growth. Heide Trask High School, which opened in 2002, is located on N.C. 210. The school was built to reduce crowding at Pender High School, which is located in Burgaw.

Trask marked the third traditional high school in the county, joining Pender and Topsail High School.

A local favorite, Paul's Place, is located along U.S. 117 and known for its hot dogs.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: What's behind the name of Rocky Point, NC, in Pender County?