Some of the most beautiful vacation homes in North Carolina are located in Caswell Beach. Located at the mouth of the Cape Fear River with long sandy beaches and mild weather, its no wonder so many people visit here each year.
Named after the historic Fort Caswell located at the eastern tip of the island, Caswell Beach is home to the brightest lighthouse in the United States and boasts a Coast Guard Station remininiscent of the old coastal life saving stations. Deep dunes and sprawling beach cottages line the oceanside, and marshside cottages on pilings overlook the Cape Fear river Shipping Channel. The only souvenirs available at Caswell Beach are the shells collected on quiet lowtide walks along this beautiful shore.

Caswell Beach History:
Caswell is the youngest Oak Island community by virtue of its incorporation in 1975 but is oldest in terms of actual settlement. The town takes its name from Fort Caswell which was established by the Army in 1826. The fort was seized in 1861 by Confederate troops and held until 1865. The fort was used in the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II but is now owned by the N.C. Baptist Assembly. The Coast Guard has been on location at a series of lifesaving stations since the last century.

Resort development of Caswell Beach was not accelerated as fast as other Oak Island towns, giving the town a different flavor than its neighbors to the west. There is no commercial development making it a very quiet place to vacation.

The most important architectural feature of Caswell Beach is the Oak Island Lighthouse, which started operating in 1958 to warn ships of the treacherous Frying Pan Shoals and to guide mariners safely to the Cape Fear River. Known as one of the brightest lighthouses in the country, the beacon atop the towering gray, black and white silo can be seen nearly 30 miles offshore.

Caswell Beach has been working as part of the Brunswick Beaches Consortium to secure sand from the Wilmington Harbor dredging project. The sand was pumped to the shores of Caswell Beach in the summer of 2001 and its seaside neighbors in late 2001.