Hurricanes, after hurricanes: 98-year-old Kure Beach Pier to receive historic plaque

The Federal Point Historic Preservation Society will commemorate the 98-year-old Kure Beach Pier on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 4 p.m. with a plaque presentation to the Kure-Robertson family.

Hans Christian Kure started out at Carolina Beach with a Ten Pen Alley, Skeet Shooting Gallery, a grocery and other businesses in the late 1880s. Hans founded Kure Beach in the early 1900s. After purchasing a large tract of land near Fort Fisher, they founded the Kure Land and Development Company, and began to develop Fort Fisher Sea Beach.

More: What's the story behind the 'Pleasure Island' name?

More: See the growth of Kure Beach

More: What are the 5 worst hurricanes to ever hit the Wilmington area?

Hans and his wife, Ellen, had five children: Hans A. Jr., Lawrence C., William L., Andrew E., and Elene.

Lawrence built the Kure Pier using pine poles from trees along the Cape Fear River, wood-boring ship worms caused the pilings to collapse. He rebuilt the pier with reinforced concrete supports with inner cores of steel made from molds he designed.

Jennie Kure, Han's daughter, became the next owner of the pier with her husband Bill Robertson, who bought it from Lawrence.

Hurricane Hazel, a Category 4 hurricane (one of the deadliest and costliest), hit on Oct. 15, 1954, and washed the pier away.

Two years later, Bill Robertson set about rebuilding the pier. He enlarged the pier house, adding a tackle shop with space for souvenirs and other merchandise. He also built a dance floor and bingo hall.

Bill and Jennie’s son, Mike Robertson, bought the pier from his father in September 1984, after Hurricane Diana, a Category 4, took out about half the pier. Robertson started by rebuilding the pier and making his own improvements.

He later rebuilt the pier house taking it down to three walls and replaced the leaky flat roof with a pitched roof in 1994. In July of 1996, Hurricane Bertha, a Category 3, destroyed the pier again, soon to be followed by Hurricane Fran, a Category 3, in September 1996. Robertson rebuilt again and continued to make repairs from the weather and other storms every winter.

In 2018, his son, Paul Robertson, took over the pier. He began by rebuilding the pier floor and railings. Paul continues to maintain it today.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Kure-Robertson family plaque presentation of Kure Beach Pier