Front of the warehouse. The river is behind the building.
Fayetteville's Inland Seaport, also referred to as the Municipal Dock or Municipal Wharf was built in 1934. The city of Fayetteville built the municipal dock on the riverbank of the Cape Fear River, just south of old Campbellton, the original settlement that eventually became known as Fayetteville. The property comprised a warehouse, a loading platform, railroad tracks, and the coal-fired, steam-powered crane that sat high on 60-foot tall concrete pillars at the edge of the river.
The city leaders hoped the municipal dock would be a boon to the local economy. The crane could lift cargo off barges or boats and place it onto railroad cars or trucks. At the time, Fayetteville boasted having the farthest inland port in North America, and an ideal location for the distribution of heavy commodities. Though completed in 1935, it was never used until after 1939, and by the 1950s it was completely abandoned. The city sold the property in 1982, and it has been resold a few times since then, most recently in 2016.
The city sold $1.5 million in bonds during the Great Depression to build this terminal on the river. The Fayetteville Municipal Wharf stretched over the bluffs, high enough to avoid the occasional floods along the river. Pumping stations were built to help offload oil and gasoline from barges making the 90-mile run from Wilmington.
The Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad built a spur line to the seaport, with train tracks running the length of both sides of the building. This enabled cargo to go straight from the boats to the boxcars.
In the middle of the wharf was the crane, coal-fired, steam-powered, and large enough for two people to work inside. The workspace was about 8-by-10 feet with a boiler attached to the back. The crane could move on its own railroad track from one end of the wharf to the other, its long arm reaching down toward the river to scoop up cargo.
Front of the warehouse. The river is behind the building.
Inside the warehouse
Under the warehouse
Looking up at the warehouse from the river side. Wooden pilings, similar to utility poles, held up the deck between the dock and the building.
The crane seen from the warehouse
The crane seen from the river
Closeup on the crane
Much of the building framing is made by Carnegie Steel
Deed dated February 15, 1934 (PDF) where Hal V. Worth and wife Marguerite W. Worth, T.G. Mc Allister, CC McAllister and wife Ella B. McAllister, Murray G. James sold this property to the City of Fayetteville.
Deed dated September 27, 1935 (PDF) where Hal V. Worth and wife Marguerite M. Worth, T.G. McAlister, CC McAlister and wife Ella B. McAlister, (trustees: Charles G. Rose, Murray G. James, A.W. McAlister) granted a right of way given for driveway parcel to access the property.
Deed dated December 1, 1982 (PDF) where The City of Fayetteville sold the property to Jon Fitchett and Walter L. Folsom. The sale was authorized by city council on 11/22/82.
Photo of the dock (lower left) when the river was deeper and narrower in 1938. Our State magazine May 21, 1938.
View looking North with warehouse on the left and the crane and river on the right. This is the railroad track that extended out over the river bank along the river-side of the building. These tracks and the wood around them are gone.