Wilmington, NC Travel Story

Wilmington article for your writer's website
Great Falls 12/13/2009, Page P20

History is at home in Wilmington
A wedding can take you to places you’ve never been.
Recently, my husband and I attend­ed a ceremony in southeastern North Carolina and discovered Wilmington, a city rich in history. It’s nestled between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Coast.
Although it does not border the ocean, the city overlooks the sound, the IntracoastalWaterway and barrier islands that lie between.
Long ago, sailors described the river as the “Cape of Fear” because the high winds raised havoc with ships.
The old part of the port city rises from the river walk where voices of the past whisper from the remains of shipyards, the Cotton Exchange, the city market, and restaurants and shops in refurbished wharf buildings.
Friendly guides tell Revolutionary and CivilWar history from horse-drawn carriages, trolleys and even Segways.
Before the CivilWar, Wilmington was an active seaport, shipping great quantities of nav al stores (tar, pitch and turpentine), wood products and rice to Charleston, Balti­more, New York and the West Indies.
The war changedWilmington as it became the Confed­eracy’s main blockade running seaport. The Union took over the area but eventually the southern families who owned property were able to move back and restore their fine homes, churches and mansions.
Wilmington has the largest number of National Regis­ter of Historic Places in North Carolina, and one of the largest in the U.S. Today, visitors tour the old district, walking along charming brick-lined streets.
Stories unfold on the plaques that grace grand porches and holy steeples, structures maintained as they were in antebellum days. The city is proud of its historical com­mittee, which is diligent about keeping up the street side and iron-gated properties.
Built in 1848, our bed and breakfast, the Rosehill Inn, has been restored by innkeepers, Tricia, Bob and Sean Milton. The two-story white Georgian-style house was once the home of Henry Bacon, who in the 1880s, served as the government engineer in charge of the Cape Fear River improvements. He was the father of Henry Bacon II, who later became the architect who designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Only a heavy sleeper could snooze through the melodic carillon, regularly rung from the First Presbyterian Church down the street. The church, with its finials and soaring stone spire, topped with a metal rooster, can be seen from many vantages. It is said that the Rev. Joseph R. Wilson, pastor from 1874 until 1885, was not proud of his son, Tommy’s, slingshot antics as he shattered neighbors’ windows. But ThomasWoodrowWilson did grow up to be the 28th president of the United States.
On Market Street is the pre-CivilWar Bellamy mansion. Built for the family of physician Dr. John Bellamy, the house was seized and used as the Union militar y head­quarters at the end of the war. In September 1865, the U.S. government pardoned Dr. Bellamy for his allegiance to the Confederacy and allowed him to return home with his family. The tale is still told how the last surviving Bellamy daughter refused President Taft entry when he knocked and asked to have a look at the grand home.
Restored to its palatial style, the mansion is a museum. Basketball fans know Michael Jordan grew up inWilm­ington. He played for Laney High School, though he was cut from the varsity squad as a sophomore. He eventually made the team, leading them to the state championship. Today, the high school gym is named after Jordan.
The river walk is the heart and soul of the downtown Wilmington wharf.
As we strolled along, we came upon Scotsman Darrell Chambers, polishing the engraved silver on his bagpipe. A member of a well-known pipe band, Chambers showed us the intricate parts of his tartan instrument. He briefly boasted that “there are more Scots here in Wilmington than in Scotland.”
Walking along the Cape Fear River, it’s hard to avoid the foghorn of the Capt. J.N. Maffitt, a tour boat. Across the river, the battleship North Carolina rested in calm waters, making World War II history come alive during narrated tours. A well-known sideshow to the battleship is “Charley,” an aging 12-foot alligator, who surprises tourists approaching the battleship.






PHOTOS COURTESY OF POLLY KOLSTAD
The Bellamy Mansion Museum and the battleship North Carolina, both in Wilmington, N.C.



On the Road
— Polly Kolstad

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