Wilmington: The Overlooked Sister

By Vern Hobbs

Article Category: Get Out Of Town 2 Comments

Wilmington: The Overlooked Sister
By Vern Hobbs

Though often overshadowed by her flashier sisters, Charleston and Savannah, Wilmington, North Carolina is a sparkling jewel among the historic port cities of the American South. Located along the banks of the Cape Fear River, Wilmington beckons to the curious traveler with three centuries of history, vibrant nightlife, a robust arts community, and pristine beaches.

“Historic,” has become an overworked adjective, too often used to embellish a place more accurately described simply as “old.” To truly deserve the label “historic,” a city should be more than a collection of aging buildings. It should embody a connection to significant people and events through which cultures are defined. Few places meet that standard as thoroughly as Wilmington.

In 1524, 96 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Giovanni da Verrazano became the first European to lay eyes on what would one day become Wilmington. Giovanni rendered a glowing report to the King of France, for whom he was working at the time, but no settlement was established until the English arrived 137 years later. This early real estate venture failed when the settlers incurred the wrath of the native Siouan Indians who took offense to the colonists’ plans to kidnap their children and indoctrinate them into British culture and Anglican religion.

In 1720, speculators from South Carolina and Barbados tired a more diplomatic approach, negotiating the purchase of lands from Chief Wat Coosa, and christening the new settlement Wilmington. From these beginnings, the history of Wilmington surged forward with all the plot twists of a Pat Conroy novel.

British General Cornwallis located his headquarters here before heading north into Virginia and his rude encounter with an American general named George. Pirates Stede Bonnet and Edward Teach, a.k.a. Blackbeard, made Wilmington their home port while terrorizing the Carolina and Virginia coasts. Confederate defenders kept Union forces at bay until December 1864, making Wilmington the last southern port to fall into Federal hands. In 1898, racial tensions boiled over into rioting that is today known as the Wilmington massacre. The massacre changed the political structure of North Carolina and gave rise to Jim Crow laws throughout the South, a travesty that stood until the civil rights triumphs of the 1960s. As all this history unfolded around her, Wilmington amassed one of the most impressive collections of Georgian, antebellum, federalist, and neo-classical architecture in the U.S., and sired countless sons and daughters bound for greatness, among them, Charles Kuralt, David Brinkley, and Michael Jordan.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has recognized the richness of Wilmington’s past by naming it among its “dozen distinctive destinations.” Numerous museums and galleries chronicle this colorful history, but modern Wilmington’s connection with earlier times is not relegated to the proclamations of historical societies, nor confined to museums. It lives in her present day citizens.

Strike up a conversation with Trevor, owner of Mugsy’s Grill on Princess Street, and you’ll discover he’s as much curator as restaurateur, anxious to tell about the building’s history and his efforts to preserve it. Johnny, at Cape Fear Beer and Wine, loves to tell the story of a British soldier who was shot on a riverfront wharf, and is doomed to forever haunt Wilmington in general, and his store in particular.

Yes, this city honors its history, but by no means languishes in the past. Wilmington is a progressive, forward looking, and youthful community. Pharmaceutical and telecommunications have replaced the declining shipbuilding and lumber industries. Motion picture and television producers have found that Wilmington’s Old-South ambience makes it a perfect filming location. Recently, EUE Screen Gems Studios opened “Dream Stage 10,” billing it as the largest movie production facility outside California. The University of North Carolina, Wilmington, Shaw University, and Cape Fear Community College infuse the community with a palpable thirst for learning and a youthful enthusiasm.

An exploration of Wilmington is best launched from Riverwalk Park, at the foot of Market Street. Helpful volunteers will point you toward the most popular attractions, or arrange a tour. Motor and horse-drawn trolley tours are popular. Private carriage rides provide individualized sightseeing with the promise of romance. River excursions, dinner cruises, and water-taxis are provided by Cape Fear Riverboats. For a unique sightseeing experience, try a guided Segway tour. Your personal Segway comes with a quick lesson on safe operation.

The Riverwalk, Wilmington’s premier boardwalk, stretches for over a mile along the Cape Fear River. Cafes, hotels, and boutiques are sprinkled along the landside, while visiting yachts, tour boats, and the Coast Guard Cutter Diligence dock along the waterside. Across the river, Battleship Park and the massive U.S.S. North Carolina invite visitors to hop aboard a water-taxi and come hear the story of this mighty ship and the gallant men who served aboard her. Equally inspiring is the story of North Carolina school children who collected pennies to purchase the decommissioned battleship and relocate it to Wilmington where it was transformed into a living history museum.

One block east of the Riverwalk, Front Street is the beating heart of Wilmington’s vibrant downtown. Mornings start with stimulating conversation in the coffee shops, like Java Dog at 313 Front, where Meg, the lovable Golden Lab, personally greets every customer. Mid-day is all hustle and bustle in the cafes and retro diners, like the Dixie Grill at 116 Market Street, satisfying appetites since 1906. Afternoons are a bit lazy, as window shoppers stroll along Front Street, and tourists meander past the mansions on Third. Evening brings the city back to life as bands crank up the jams in genres ranging from metal to reggae. Broadway favorites are performed live at Level-5 on the top floor or the old Masonic Temple, while discriminating diners gather at Circa 1922, and pizza connoisseurs head for Fat Tony’s.

Wilmington is also the gateway to Southern North Carolina’s beautiful beaches. Wrightsville Beach is the nearest, only eight miles east on Route 74. Locals seem to prefer the more laid-back atmosphere of Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, about 20 miles south of Wilmington on the Cape Fear Peninsula. All these beach communities are thoroughly developed, but the high-rise condos so common along our shores are conspicuously absent.  One- and two-story seasonal residences are the rule here, and plentiful mom-and-pop motels lend to the relaxed, beach-town atmosphere.

All development stops south of Kure Beach at the Fort Fisher Battle Site and State Recreation Area, home to the North Carolina State Aquarium and miles of unspoiled dunes and beaches.  From Fort Fisher, $5 buys a 30-minute ferry ride across the mouth of the Cape Fear River to the quaint hamlet of Southport, established in 1792. A stroll around the shaded lanes of this nautical village is time well spent, as is a visit to the maritime museum on Howell Street. Here you’ll hear fascinating tales of pirates, blockade runners, and hurricanes. For lunch, try one of the outdoor cafes along Yacht Basin Street. Then, wrap up a perfect day by hopping the ferry back to Fort Fisher, the beaches, and that lovely, demure, third sister that you’ve overlooked for so long — Wilmington.

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