stands. By the 1930s the island had blossomed into a vacation resort as beach cottages began to dot the area on its western half, something which Hurricane Hazel brought a temporary halt to in 1954 as it washed away some 350 buildings on or near the ocean front. One of the greatest natural disasters to ever affect the state, Hazel was also one of the most destructive hurricanes to strike the United States. The island quickly recovered and development continued anew with the towns of Long Beach and Yaupon Beach being incorporated in 1955; in 1999 they were jointly incorporated into the Town of Oak Island. Beach erosion has been a continuing problem for the island, with the first major success in restoration, the 2001 sand deposition on the east end of the island using material dredged from the Wilmington Harbor Channel. Since then, two similar projects have been completed along with other, smaller efforts, e.g two Sea Turtle Habitat Restoration Projects. Concern about the beach has also occasioned the creation of Beach Preservation Trust funds by both the Towns of Oak island and Caswell Beach and the formation of active citizen groups supporting the Natural Resources Defense Council "Protect our Coast" effort. One such group, familiarly known as the Oak Island Crabbies, is currently heading the Brunswick County effort opposing seismic testing and off shore drilling as proposed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). In 1958, the Oak Island Lighthouse became operational. Located on the east end of the island, in 2004 the Town of Caswell Beach acquired it and in 2007 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1962 the first 9 holes of the Oak Island Golf Club designed by George Cobb opened for play. The second nine holes was completed in 1975, the same year the Town of Caswell Beach was incorporated. As a result of both the course and island's sequential development, 13 holes of the golf course are in Caswell Beach while five holes are in the Town of Oak Island. Along with this increasing level of development came strident demands for reliable access to and from the island. When the ICW was completed, a swingbridge initially provided this service. Destroyed by a barge strike in 1971, construction of a high rise replacement (Barbee Bridge) began almost immediately; it opened for traffic in 1975 (interim service included a ferry