Southport. Located just across the ICW is the city of Southport (pop. 3,700). Founded as Smithville in 1792, it is home to the NC Fourth of July Festival and has been the location for many movies, one of the more notable being Safe Haven (2013). The part of town known as “Old Southport” has many historic houses and buildings, e.g. Fort Johnston, and situated on its waterfront is the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport and year-round ferry service that provides scenic trips across the Cape Fear River to the NC Aquarium and Civil War battleground site at Fort Fisher.