Introduction

Crescent Beach was first settled by Walter Blackie in 1871, who purchased 150 acres of land in Crescent Beach for $50.00 from the Royal Engineers.  The area remained sparsely inhabited until the Great Northern Railway was completed in 1909, connecting Crescent Beach to the rest of Surrey.  The Crescent Beach Development Company was subsequently formed to subdivide the spit and beachfront homes were constructed.  By 1912, Crescent Beach was home to a boathouse, twelve homes, a hotel, a school and a pier.  The winter population of Crescent Beach began to decline with the closing of the local mill and local school in the 1920s.  Tourists and nearby residents continued to flock to Crescent Beach in the summer months and by 1930, a concentration of businesses catering to summer tourists began to line Beecher Street.  With the advent of the automobile and road improvements in the following years, Crescent Beach's permanent population grew and soon superseded that of the summer residents.  Today, Crescent Beach is a desirable and popular summer destination for residents and tourists.

Click here to begin the Virtual Walking Tour of Crescent Beach -->