Southport is located where the Cape Fear River meets to the Atlantic Ocean. The harbor of Southport is protected by Bald Head Island and Oak Island, both of which have nice lighthouses that are great tourist spots. The town of Southport is frequently ranked in national publications as one the most charming small coastal towns and best walkable communities. Search these terms on the web and you will find articles from USA Today, Only in Our State - NC, TravelMag, Southern Living, and others. The town is small and filled with boutique shops and great restaurants as visitors to the surrounding beaches all make Southport a must-see stop. There are no high rises or big hotels in Southport. The downtown waterfront area is mostly residential and has many historic homes. Southport’s historic charm continues to remain strong. Walking tours of the historic sites or picnicking and watching the boats and freighters come and go from the harbor are favorite activities of both the residents and Southport visitors. The large waterfront park in Southport is wonderful.
The 205 E. Brown St. Historic Cottage is perfectly centrally located to enjoy all Southport has to offer. Located on a side street in a quiet neighborhood and just 70 yards from N. Howe St., the 205 E Brown Cottage is also just a 5-minute walk (4 short blocks) to the E. Bay St. waterfront park. 205 E. Brown is just a few yards away from Franklin Square Park, the local museum, and public tennis courts.
When you arrive at the 205 E. Brown St Cottage, you have parking for up to 3 cars immediately in front of an inviting picket fence and a few steps away from the full side-to-side Coastal Cottage front porch. 205E Brown is large with 2650 square feet and 2 levels. It is a shotgun-style home. This is a historical home and the local Historical Marker puts it at circa 1893. The Cottage has Heart of Pine floors throughout (both levels), 10’ ceilings on the main level, and door styling and trims that are true to the cottage’s historic roots. Everything else in the house is modernized to today’s standards for an upscale home.
As you enter the cottage from the front porch, the first room is a game room, complete with pool table, large HDTV and nice seating. A bedroom with Queen Bed is just off to the right of the game room, with a full bath (shower/tub combo) nearby.
Just past the game room is a very large and fully equipped kitchen with stainless appliances and a high-end gas oven and stove. Refrigerator with icemaker, mounted microwave, water filtration system, dishwasher, spacious counters, lots of cabinets, and large cast iron sink are all features of the kitchen. The kitchen cabinets include spices, crock pot, griddle, and all the other utensils and tools you would expect in a fully stocked kitchen. Kitchen includes a bar with chairs.
From the kitchen, and on the other side of the shotgun walkway is a room with stairway to 2 upper level bedrooms, the full bath for the adjacent bedroom. There is also a comfortable sitting area in this room, perfect waiting place for that family member who is always ready on time while he/she waits on the others to finish getting ready for the group’s next wonderful Southport adventure.
After the kitchen is a full-sized laundry room with extra large capacity washer and dryer. Laundry room includes a folding table and an iron and ironing board. It has a ceramic tile floor. The laundry rooms and the bathrooms all have ceramic tile floors. All of the other living areas of the cottage have heart of pine floors.
The next room is the dining room, which has a charming dining table comfortably seating 6, plus 2 overflow chairs nearby, and plus high chair. To the right of the dining room and also next to the kitchen is a private deck, which is where we keep the gas grill- very convenient to both the kitchen and dining room. Great space with seating, private, and a good spot to enjoy the beverage of your choice.
The last room on the main level is the living room. It is spacious with sectional sofa and other seating and includes a 55” HDTV. There are 2 exits with glass sliders- one to the back deck and one to a large screened porch to the side of the house. There is also a stairway to the privately accessed master suite for the cottage. The attached screened porch on the side of the house is large and has a nice couch and 2 lounge chairs and ceiling fan. The covered porch to the rear of the house includes a hot tub located in a spot where you can easily see the living room HTDV or overlook the courtyard-style back yard.
The upper level Master Suite is not connected to the other 2 bedrooms on the top level. Both areas are accessed by separate stairways and are completely private to one another- a great feature of the cottage. The Master Bedroom is large, has a king bed and large closet, and is en suite. The Master Bathroom includes 2 sinks and a shower/tub combo. This bedroom includes a private balcony overlooking the courtyard.
The other 2 upper level bedrooms are nice-sized and share a hall bath with walk-in shower located on the short hallway just outside of these 2 bedrooms. One of the bedrooms has a queen bed and the other 2 twins.
The courtyard behind the house is oasis-like and is surrounded by a 6’ privacy fence (10' in some places). Canopied evergreen foliage, flowers along the perimeter, picnic table, chairs, and hot tub all contribute to the courtyard’s charm and appeal.
The 205E Brown cottage cools nicely with 3 separate central A/C units- one for the main level, one for the upper level 2-bedroom section and one for the upper level Master bedroom. Propane heat on main level and heat pumps upper level, 2 bikes, games, nice library, DVD players, nice stereo, hair dryers, and many other nice touches to the home to make it a comfortable place to stay. The 205 E. Brown is modernized throughout.
The 205 E. Brown Cottage, although very close to the business district, is in a quiet residential neighborhood. Our neighbors live full-time, and the houses are close together in the historic district. After dark, our guests are expected to use "quiet voices" outside, and keep that in mind when using the fire pit, the hot tub, or general activity in our great hardscapes courtyard in the back.
Regarding our hot tub, we have had great experiences with it with our guests. We service it weekly. The hot tub is a recent high end Hot Springs Spa in excellent condition. The Hot Tub is not for children. Age 18 and up. If the hot tub has issues such that it would not be available (we have not had that happen yet), please contact us and we will do our best to get it back in service ASAP; however, it may not be practical, and if that is the case, we would not do a refund for the first 36 hours after the problem is reported. After that, we would rebate $30/day for any full day not available up to $150 for a week.
We searched for a long time in Southport before we found this gem property. Each hour we are there, as we hear the church chimes play hymns as it the old church clock strikes each hour, we are reminded how much we have come to love Southport, our location, and the 205 E. Brown Cottage. We love it, and you will, too.