Johnnie Mercers Fishing Pier
Strolling the sand at Wrightsville Beach means you have seen our iconic pier. But do you know it’s history? The pier was originally called the Atlantic View Pier and was built in the 1930’s by Julian Morton (father of “Grandfather Mountain” entrepreneur Hugh Morton). Built after the devastating Wrightsville Beach fire of 1934, the Atlantic View Pier was the second oldest pier along the North Carolina coast (Kure Beach pier being the oldest).
Located at 23 E. Salisbury Street, the pier was originally completely built of wood. (This year’s ornament pays homage to the original pier by including a wood look frame). It was later bought by Luther Rogers who sold it to Johnnie Mercer in 1939. Mercer was already running an “amusements” business at the pier so purchasing the entire pier was a natural fit for him. Mercer was an avid fisherman and renamed the pier for himself (he wasn’t the famous singer/songwriter). The pier remained a wooden pier for decades and was rebuilt of wood (pictured below) after Hurricane Hazel destroyed it in 1954.
Mercer died in a car crash in 1964 and his widow sold the pier to Bob and Shirley Johnson in 1969. (Their son, Matt Johnson, and his family, still own and run the pier today). The Johnson’s kept its name the Johnnie Mercers Pier.
Ultimately, the rebuilt wooden Johnnie Mercers Pier was destroyed by devastating back-to-back hurricanes. Hurricane Bertha's arrival in 1996 began a four-year period of frequent, damaging hurricanes for eastern North Carolina that would ultimately include Hurricanes Fran, Bonnie, and Floyd. Hurricane Bertha took out 75 feet of the existing wood pier (pictured below) and was followed the same hurricane season by Hurricane Fran which took out the rest of it.
Rebuilding began in 1999, when Bob and Shirley Johnson, owners of the pier, took on the monumental task of building a state-of-the-art reinforced concrete pier. The first concrete pier on the North Carolina coast reopened its doors in 2002.The pier extends 945 feet from street to end of pier. The pylons at the end of the pier are 66 feet tall, and the end itself is 25 feet above sea level. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) keeps a weather station at the end of the pier which provides up to the second weather conditions and helpful storm tracking. The pier house windows are rated to 150 mph, and the pier house itself sits atop a 15-foot protective berm.
Johnnie Mercers Pier is more than just an iconic structure. It is a community unto itself. Fishermen, families, and friends, locals and tourists alike, all gather at the pier for the views, sunrise and sunsets, photo ops, fishing, shopping, food, and fun. For the fishing enthusiast, it’s a prime spot for spring and summer king mackerel, flounder, spanish mackerel, spots, blues and sheepshead fish among others. The ever-popular Dog Fish Tournament brings out locals and visitors alike. You might even spot dolphins, sting rays, and a shark or turtle or two along with all the surfers in the water and shell gatherers on the beach. If you are ever wondering what the weather is like at the beach, you can always pull up the live cam on the pier which is just another reason to appreciate all the pier has to offer. Johnnie Mercers Pier is a local treasure with an important history and a promising future. Visting Wrightsville Beach and our iconic pier makes it an important part of you and your family’s history too.
