When I think of luxury waterfront real estate on Lake Norman, several communities come to mind: The Point in Mooresville, The Peninsula in Cornelius, and Governors Island in Denver. It’s easy to discern how The Point and The Peninsula got their names, but what about Governors Island? Interestingly, Governors Island was not always an island; in fact, it almost wasn’t even land.

Initially, plans for Lake Norman placed the area that would become Governors Island underwater. As the design evolved, this land reemerged as an extension of what is now the Westport Peninsula. However, it remained connected to the mainland until Duke Power, seeking to improve water flow, approached the Burton family, the landowners at the time, with a proposal to create an island. The Burtons agreed, provided they would retain the right to construct a bridge in the future. Duke’s engineers then excavated a channel to enhance water flow, and the new island was born, although it wouldn’t become known as Governors Island until many years later.

No, the new island was given a different name: Goat Island (unofficially). Yes, Goat Island. Why? Well, because it had a bunch of goats! It’s assumed that when Duke created the channel, a herd of wild goats became stranded on the island and remained there for many years until 1977, when the land was sold to a developer who built the bridge and began construction on the first of 42 homes. He named the new development Governors Island in honor of Governor Hutchins G. Burton, who served as North Carolina’s governor from 1824 to 1827. In 1836, while traveling to Beatty’s Ford to visit his cousins, Governor Burton died and was buried in a cemetery on Unity Church Road, which, at that time, was very close to the future island. Thus, the island bears his name.

What became of the goats? Who knows, but if any of you old-timers remember seeing them back then, I would love to hear about it.