The Cape Fear River

Wilmington: The Port City

Previously called New Liverpool, New Carthage, New Town and Newton, Wilmington was settled in 1729. That same year, St James Parish was founded and still exists today as St. James Episcopal Church at the corner of Third and Market streets. The name of the city was finally decided when Governor Gabriel Johnston took office. He was so excited and thankful for the prestigious appointment that he named the city after the man who gave him the job — Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington.

The City of Wilmington was incorporated in 1740 and continued to grow and prosper. During part of the 1700s, Wilmington also functioned six times as the seat of government for North Carolina, because at that time the Colonial Assembly moved about and was usually located where the governor lived or where the legislators met.

In keeping with its English heritage, many streets in Wilmington, such as Red Cross, Castle, Walnut, Chestnut, Princess, Market, Dock, Orange, Ann, Nunn, Queen and Church streets, are named after streets in Liverpool, England.

Wilmington flourished as a major port, shipbuilding center and producer of pine forest products. Tar, turpentine and pitch were central to the economy, and lumber from the pine forests was a lucrative economic resource. At one time, Wilmington was the site of the largest cotton exchange in the world. The waterfront bustled with steam ships crowding together to pick up or unload precious cargo.

Involvement in the American Revolutionary movement began for Wilmington in 1765, when the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act. Reaction and vigorous resistance were immediate and colorful, with much of the activity taking place at night and emanating from the taverns. Eventually, the local Stamp Officer was intimidated into composing a letter of resignation, whereupon the residents gave him three cheers, carried him about the town on a chair and treated him to the finest liquors. Subsequently, the colonists refused to receive the stamps from the British and forced officials to abandon the use of stamps. In 1775, Wilmington residents signed a pledge supporting the Continental Congress.

The city became involved in the Revolutionary War when Loyalists battled the Patriots some 20 miles north of the city at Moore's Creek on February 27, 1776. Although outnumbered, the Patriots won this battle, but in 1781 British forces captured the city and held it under the command of Major James Henry Craig. Later that year, Craig was joined by General Charles Cornwallis, who stayed in the Burgwin-Wright House at the corner of Third and Market streets. Across the street, the British Cavalry occupied St. James Church, using it as a riding school. The British troops were later withdrawn from Wilmington when Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781.

Following the Revolutionary War, Wilmington prospered greatly, both socially and as an important trading center. Numerous estates and plantations flourished on the outskirts, and many fine homes were built in the city. However, during the early 1800s the city floundered because of poor roads, few bridges, swamps surrounding the city, inadequate medical and sanitation facilities and navigation problems on the Cape Fear River. With the advent of steam power, railroads and navigational improvements to the river, however, Wilmington again began to prosper, and by 1840 was the largest city in the state. Thalian Hall, which currently houses the oldest continuously operating little theater company in the United States, was built in 1855 and has since been restored.

During the Civil War, Wilmington was the Confederacy's most important port. Fort Fisher and the Cape Fear River were home to many blockade runners who brought materials in from England and the Caribbean islands. Built in 1861, Fort Fisher was the last fort to fall to the Union army.

After the war, cotton, rice, peanuts, lumber and naval stores helped Wilmington regain its trading force. A sizable African-American middle class developed, and Wilmington became soon home to the state's first African-American lawyer and African-American physician. In 1866 the town officially became a city. However, by 1910 Wilmington lost its identity as the state's largest city when inland cities grew due to the development of the tobacco and textile industries.

During World War I, a thriving shipbuilding industry developed and cotton exports peaked. The Great Depression of the 1930s hit Wilmington hard and once again the city declined. However, World War II brought a rebirth of local shipbuilding, and 243 ships were built. In 1945 the North Carolina Legislature created the State Port Authority, which enabled the transformation of the shipyards into a modern port facility. In 1947 Wilmington College was established, later becoming the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Over the years, much of Wilmington's growth was facilitated by a strong railroad industry, which eventually consolidated into the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, a major employer in the city. Unfortunately, in 1955 the Atlantic Coast Line closed their offices and moved to Jacksonville, Florida, dealing a severe blow to Wilmington. A major effort was undertaken to bring diversified industry to the area, and by 1966 Wilmington had begun to rebound and was designated an "All American City."

After a statewide campaign to save her from the scrap heap, the famous World War II battleship, North Carolina, was brought to the city in 1961 and berthed on the west side of the river across from downtown. Today the ship provides a magnificent backdrop for Wilmington's Riverfront area. During the 1970s, a strong revitalization effort began to reclaim the deteriorating downtown area, which, coupled with an intense preservation effort in the large historic district, resulted in a renewed and exciting central city.

In the 1980s the city saw another upswing as major companies such as Corning Inc. and General Electric moved in, encouraging other diverse companies, including Applied Analytical Industry and Takeda Chemical Products, to call Wilmington home. Pharmaceutical Product Development, now PPD, became a homegrown Wilmington success story (see our Commerce and Industry chapter). A major film studio grew here, currently known as Screen Gems Studios, and many movies have been made in the area, earning Wilmington the nickname "Wilmywood."

The downtown revitalization effort in the mid-1980s did much to bring Wilmington into prominence. The successes of Chandler's Wharf Shops, The Cotton Exchange and The Coastline Convention Center encouraged other establishments to set up shop. Restaurants, clothing stores, art galleries and antiques shops soon lined the streets. The flourishing nightlife adds a trendy setting to Wilmington, and the streets in the downtown area are quite safe. Throngs of tourists and residents alike stroll about until late in the evening.

Downtown Wilmington remains the historical core of the community and is still in many ways the neighborhood that defines the region. Suburbs may flourish, but there is something fascinating about the historic homes and buildings downtown, with their intimate proximity to the river. Both visitors and residents are affected by a sense of lingering ghosts. Important events happened here, in places that are still standing — places that have not been obscured by modern architecture or lost in the trends of a constantly changing American culture.

Home to the county's seat of government for more than 250 years, this urban area has been on the forefront of historic changes. The best perspective on Wilmington's rich and colorful history can be found at the Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market Street, (910) 798-4350, where the unique format allows visitors to walk through time in chronological order (see our Attractions chapter).

Statistical Data

Perhaps the best thing about downtown Wilmington — and something that separates it from the rest of the city and nearby communities — is its pleasant walkability. Streets lined with shops and restaurants are easily traversed, and the Riverwalk is a great place to stroll, grab a hot dog from a street vendor, listen to free music and watch the river traffic. Nearly a mile long, the Riverwalk stretches from the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce building just north of the Coast Line Convention Center to south of Chandlers Wharf. Complete with wide, patio-style areas and pocket parks with benches, the Riverwalk offers spectacular views of the river, especially at night.

During the day, downtown Wilmington is quaint and charming, but at night it comes alive in a whole new way. Dance clubs, jazz bars, local and touring musicals, venues for rock 'n' roll, rhythm and blues and more can be found in the 55-block area of the downtown commercial district (see our Nightlife chapter).

Going east, away from the river, Wilmington’s demeanor starts to change. Besides spreading across the peninsula and absorbing much of northern New Hanover County, Wilmington is now the geographic coastal center for shopping. In numerous malls and plazas, the area boasts national chains such as Target, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Dillard's, Belk’s, Sears, JC Penney, Kohl's, Home Depot and many others, in addition to upscale and specialty stores, all of which have enhanced the region's shopping choices considerably (see our Shopping chapter).

With all this new growth and the continuing popularity of the area, real estate is a lively business. "Plantations," the new name for gated communities and neighborhoods, are developed so quickly that natives have been heard to say they occasionally get lost on once-familiar streets because of the changing landscape (see our Real Estate and Neighborhoods chapter). Housing choices are as diverse as a golf course condo to a house on the Intracoastal Waterway to Wilmington’s extensive Historic District, which is made up of approximately 230 city blocks and has many full-time residents. A stroll through the Historic District, by the way, reveals beautifully restored homes and commercial buildings, many of them antebellum, lining the shaded streets. A number of buildings bear plaques indicating their age: red for 75 to 100 years and black if the structure is more than 100 years old. As more of the city's older homes are restored, and condominiums and townhouses are added, both the Historic District and the downtown population will continue to grow.

Wilmington has always been the educational hub of the southeastern North Carolina coast, with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Cape Fear Community College within its boundaries. Miller-Motte Business College and a branch of Mount Olive College are also in Wilmington (see our Higher Education and Research chapter).

The city also holds the distinction of being the cultural center for the whole southeast coast. Performances by touring and home-based theater, dance and music companies enliven the local stages of Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, the oldest community theater tradition in the United States, and Kenan Auditorium, the Cultural Arts Building and Trask Coliseum on the campus of UNCW. Writers, artists and musicians are evident in abundance. Private galleries abound and in addition, the Louise Wells Cameron Museum of Art offers a showcase of regional and international artists (see our Arts chapter). The Community Arts Center is constantly enhancing the arts scene by offering classes and sponsoring productions for adults and children, and numerous theater groups are active throughout the year. Museums, such as the Cape Fear Museum and the Children’s Museum (see our Attractions and Arts chapters) add to the mix.

The film industry lends an exciting opportunity for spotting the occasional celebrity or just watching the process of making movies. For many years, filmmaking accounted for a significant portion of the local economy and it still has the potential for growth because of Wilmington's well-established film industry infrastructure. The cornerstone of the local film industry, EUE/Screen Gems Studios, is complemented by a seasoned crew base, an active regional film commission and a large talent pool. Since the first movie filmed here in 1983 (Dino DeLaurentiis' Firestarter), Wilmington has been home to more than 300 movies and seven television series, including Matlock, Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill. Stars spotted over the years have included, among others, Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Katherine Hepburn, Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Patrick Swayze, Julie Harris, John Travolta and Anthony Hopkins. Linda Lavin, Broadway star and a woman known affectionately as "Alice" from the '70s TV series, lives downtown and works closely with the Community Arts Center. Pat Hingle, a Hollywood character actor for many years, lives in Carolina Beach and is still active in the film scene.