Historical Old Homes of Wilmington NC

History of Wilmington NC

2012-02-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

According to the Julian calendar, Wilmington, North Carolina, was incorporated in 1739. Located on the east bank of the Cape Fear River, the original town is 28 nautical miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Built on several rises, more like sand dunes than hills, the town ascends 50 feet from the river shoreline. Despite navigational difficulties along the river, the town grew to become the largest city in the state before the Civil War. It remained so until the second decade of the 20^th century, when the state’s Piedmont tobacco and textile towns rose to prominence.

Wilmington’s historical significance is reflected in the variety of architectural styles, streetscapes and in other aspects of its material culture. The Colonial town is most visible in the original grid pattern of the streets, the numbered streets running from north to south and the named streets running from east to west. Several periods of rapid growth have altered the city’s passage through time. Very few buildings remain from the early town because of the large fires and antebellum growth stimulated by the 1840 opening of the railroad.

Three other periods of sustained growth are also noteworthy. Recovery from the Civil War with increased port and rail expansion precipitated substantial commercial activity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Increased business and industry, particularly of cotton and fertilizer, provide a building boom both commercially and residentially, including moves to the first suburbs. This economic activity spread across the region, evident most notably in the development of the nearby beaches. After a period of decline during the Great Depression, Wilmington experienced another burst of growth during World War II Military facilities and the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company brought an unprecedented number of new residents who needed housing as well as a myriad of businesses to support their daily lives. The most recent growth can in the 1990s, after Wilmington was connected to the rest of the country by Interstate Highway 40.

Source: Wilmington Lost But Not Forgotten by Beverly Tetterron

2012-01-25T13:58:00.000-08:00

The Kenan Fountain

Market Street & Fifth Avenue

An architectural gem, the Kenan Memorial Fountain was erected in 1921 in the middle of the large intersection of Fifth Avenue and Market Street. Wilmington native, William Rand Kenan, Jr., gave the fountain to the city to memorialize his parents, William Rand and Mary Hargrave Kenan. Carrere and Hastings of New York, a respected architectural firm that designed the New York Public Library, drew the plans for the fountain. It was made out of Indiana limestone and cost $43,000. The fountain was sculpted in New York, then dismantled and shipped to Wilmington where it was rebuilt.

When Mr. Kenan gave the fountain to the city most residents still walked or took a streetcar. However, some pessimistic citizens predicted that it would become a traffic hazard. Their forecast came tr4ue as the city grew and automobiles became a preferred mode of transportation.

Bellamy Mansion

2011-11-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Historic Wilmington Foundation Plaque

2010-05-21T11:32:00.001-07:00

To be eligible for a Historic Wilmington Foundation Plaque, a building must be over 75 years old and be located in New Hanover County. Buildings over 50 years old at Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure Beach are also eligible for a plaque.

To apply for a plaque, please contact the Foundation at 910.762.2511 or email to receive an application.

Application Review Process

The Plaque Committee meets on the second Wednesday of each month to review plaque applications. Applications must be submitted to the Foundation office at least one week prior to the meeting. The Committee reviews applications in the order they are received, and it is common for the process to take several months.

The Research

The application is designed to lead you step-by-step through your research. If the Committee needs more information, a member contacts you and explains what information you need to gather and present before the next meeting. If you choose, you can hire someone to do the research for you. Call HWF to receive the names of architectural historians who will complete the research for you for a fee.

The Plaque Text
After the review process is complete, the Plaque Committee composes a text for your building. The Foundation will send a copy of the text to you, and you may then order your hand-painted plaque.
The Price
The price of a new plaque is $350 for members and $400 for non-members (includes a one-year, tax deductible family membership to the HWF). Call for the cost of a replacement plaque. The price of the plaque must be paid in full before the information is sent to the sign company to be painted. Buildings over 100 years old receive a black plaque and those from 75 to 100 years old receive a maroon color plaque. Historic alleys over 75 years receive green plaques. 50 year-old beach buildings receive a sea oats color plaque with black lettering. Foundation staff will call you when the plaque is ready.

A project completed in partnership with NHC Public Library.

2010-05-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Bellamy Manson corner of 5th Ave and Market streets.

3rd Street, Wilmington NC

2010-05-19T04:49:00.000-07:00